Currently, ballistic missiles of various classes are intended only for delivering a warhead to a specified target. They may differ from each other in size, flight data and type of warhead, but the general concept of all such products is the same. In the midst of the Cold War, the US military proposed creating a ballistic missile with a fundamentally new task. With the help of a lightweight product with a jet engine, it was planned to transport small loads. The transport rocket project remained in history under the name Convair Lobber.
Providing the troops on the front lines with the necessary supplies is usually associated with a number of inherent problems. In particular, in certain situations, a division may be cut off from existing logistics. Lack of supply of ammunition, fuel or provisions seriously reduces the combat effectiveness of the subunit, as a result of which it may not withstand the pressure of the enemy. As a result, the army may need a variety of logistics tools, both traditional and fundamentally new.
Convair Lobber missiles
Even during the Second World War, during the Battle of the Ardennes, American troops experimentally tested the original "cargo" 155-mm artillery shells. Inside the traditional-looking hull, there was a cavity for a small load. Transport shells, in theory, made it possible to supply cut off units literally over the head of the enemy. At the same time, they had a number of the most serious shortcomings, and in their current form were not of particular interest to the army.
During the Korean War, American soldiers repeatedly had to operate in isolation from the main forces, relying only on available supplies. In the context of logistics, aviation was a good help, but even it could not always fully solve the assigned tasks. The cargo parachute means did not have a high landing accuracy, and the landing of a helicopter with supplies was associated with excessive risks.
A ballistic missile could fly over hills and mountains
In the mid-fifties, the Pentagon recalled the idea of a transport projectile repeating the design of a combat one. However, no one thought to copy the shells of the Second World War. This time, the original ideas were supposed to be implemented using modern technologies, namely rocketry.
Due to its small size, the artillery shell could not accommodate a large amount of ammunition or provisions. Missile systems, in turn, did not impose such severe restrictions. As a result, a special missile system with a ballistic missile with a cargo compartment of sufficient size was to become a new means of delivering supplies. It was proposed to make the rocket unguided, but stabilized in flight. Due to the correct combination of dimensions and basic characteristics, it would be possible to obtain a relatively low cost of the product, acceptable for mass operation in the army.
First version launcher
In 1957-58, the US Army launched the development of a new transport missile. The order for the creation of the project was received by the aircraft manufacturer Convair, which had some experience in the field of military missiles. The design work was entrusted to a group of engineers, led by Bill Cheyne. A promising example of a logistics system was designated Lobber.
The army demanded the creation of a special missile system with unusual tasks. Some original solutions may have been required to meet customer requirements. At the same time, it was possible to use the already known developments and units as widely as possible. In the shortest possible time, Convair was able to form the optimal look of the new system and start assembling prototypes for the upcoming tests.
For the delivery of supplies, the units were asked to use the complex in the form of a light launcher and a special ballistic missile. Both elements of the complex were distinguished by their simplicity of design and low cost. They could be used with any existing platforms, including trucks. Thus, as expected, the Lobber complex could have high mobility and, in the shortest possible time, ensure the supply of the cut off unit.
Inner channel of the guide
The launcher for the transport rocket was distinguished by its simplicity of design. A rectangular frame made of metal profiles was placed on the ground or on the cargo area of the carrier vehicle, on which two inclined structures were fixed. The front struts, connected by a metal sheet, and the rear polygonal brace formed a rack for the swinging rail. It should be noted that such a launcher did not have horizontal guidance. The direction of fire was determined by the correct placement of the carrier and / or launcher.
On the upper elements of the front struts there were fastenings for the trunnions of the starting guide. The guide itself was a metal tube with an inner diameter of 255 mm and a length of about 2 m. The guide channel had screw grooves that provided preliminary rocket launch at launch. The guide could swing relative to the installation, changing the starting elevation angle. Due to such vertical guidance, it was possible, within certain limits, to change the flight range of an unguided missile.
Rockets and an updated launcher with a rotating rail
The rocket of the Lobber complex, as required by the customer, was distinguished by the maximum simplicity of design. She received a cigar-shaped metal case of variable diameter, all internal volumes of which were given for the payload and power plant. The project involved the use of a hull with a fairly long tapered head fairing. The central part of the body had a cylindrical shape, and the tail section was made in the form of an assembly consisting of a truncated cone and a cylinder. The body had a split design. The head unit of sufficient size was a cargo compartment, and the tail of the product contained the power plant and a parachute. After the fall, it was proposed to disassemble the rocket and extract the payload.
The rocket complex "Lobber" did not have any control systems and had to stabilize in flight only due to rotation. The initial spin was provided by the guide grooves, after which the rotation was supported by the stabilizers. On the narrowed tail of the rocket, it was planned to install four folding planes. During the transportation of the rocket, up to the exit from the launch rail, they lay over the wall of the hull, and at the beginning of the flight they were unfolded. Angled stabilizers created the required aerodynamic forces.
Rocket launch
A solid-propellant rocket engine with sufficient thrust indicators was placed in the tail part of the hull. The engine was started using an electric fuse. Despite the small dimensions and weight of the charge, the engine used made it possible to obtain remarkable indicators of flight speed and firing range.
The ballistic missile, despite its limited flight range, had to accelerate quite strongly on the descending trajectory, which exposed the payload to known risks. In this regard, the Convair Lobber project envisaged the use of means of braking in the event of a fall. So, in the tail compartment of the hull, next to the engine, a folded parachute was placed. Its ejection was carried out automatically after the production of solid fuel. After opening, the canopy reduced the speed of the fall, to some extent protecting the load.
Also, the project used one more unusual means of protection against excessive overloads. A small diameter metal tube was installed on the head fairing of the body. The rocket was supposed to be lowered to the ground with a fairing down, and this tube was the first to come into contact with the ground. Upon impact, the tube, together with the fairing, were deformed and absorbed some of the rocket's energy, providing less harsh braking.
Starting from an updated launcher
The promising Lobber transport rocket turned out to be quite large. Its total length was 9 feet (2.7 m). The diameter of the center section of the body, which had the largest section, is 10 inches (254 mm). The curb weight of the rocket with the engine and payload reached 135 pounds - about 61 kg. The payload accounted for almost 40% of the total weight of the product - 50 pounds or just under 23 kg.
The rocket's cargo compartment was a cylinder with a diameter of about 250 mm and a length of about a meter. It could accommodate any supplies needed by the troops on the front line. The rocket could deliver cartridges for small arms, including large-caliber, grenades, etc. It was possible to put standard cans with one or another food in it. Boxes or cans were fixed inside the cargo compartment using lodgment washers with cavities of the required configuration. Lodges did not allow the load to move and affect the flight of the rocket.
The product "Lobber" descends by parachute
Despite its transport purpose, the Lobber product still remained a ballistic missile. In this regard, the designers have proposed several options for alternative warheads. The rocket could become a carrier of a high-explosive, incendiary chemical or even a nuclear warhead. The characteristics of the warhead were limited only by the dimensions and carrying capacity of the rocket. Hulls up to 254 mm in diameter and capable of carrying 50 pounds of payload allowed for a variety of tasks.
The solid-propellant engine used made it possible to obtain sufficiently high flight characteristics. The maximum speed of the rocket in the active phase of the flight reached about 1500 miles per hour (about 2400 km / h). Moving along a ballistic trajectory with the release of a parachute in the final section, the Lobber rocket could fly at a distance of up to 8 miles (13 km). During the flight, the product rose to an altitude of 10 thousand feet (about 3 km).
The rocket has landed
In the course of the further development of the project, the launcher could receive a standard chassis for quick transfer to a firing position. In this case, the maintenance of the missile system would be entrusted to a crew of three or four people.
The development of the project did not take long, and in December 1958, tests began at Camp Irwin. According to some reports, during the first shooting, the authors of the project encountered some problems. The firing accuracy of the unguided rocket with rotation stabilization due to the guide grooves and planes was insufficient. In this regard, the most serious changes were made to the design of the launcher. In an updated form, the Lobber missile system showed higher accuracy characteristics.
Instead of a tubular guide, a cylindrical cage was now placed on the frame. Inside it was a pipe of sufficient diameter, which, when launched, contained a rocket. An electric motor was placed on top of the outer cage, which unrolled the guide through a belt drive. Thus, by the time the engine was started, the rocket was rotating at a sufficient speed. After exiting the "trunk", the rotation had to be supported by stabilizers.
The rocket is out of the ground, the damage to the fairing can be assessed
The preliminary promotion of the rocket gave the expected results. During test firing at the maximum range, it was possible to obtain a circular probable deviation of the order of 100 yards (91 m). With certain reservations, this made it possible to use the new system for its intended purpose. However, in some situations, such accuracy of fire could be insufficient.
In 1958, the Convair company manufactured several launchers in different configurations and assembled a large batch of experimental missiles. As part of the tests, the real characteristics of the system were determined, and the existing technical and technological deficiencies were identified and eliminated. According to the results of factory tests, the Lobber complex was ready for demonstration to representatives of the military department. They had to familiarize themselves with the development of B. Cheyne's team and make their decision.
Testers check the condition of the payload. This time a Lobber rocket carried provisions.
During the factory tests and during the demonstration to the military, according to known data, 27 launches were performed. Having seen the operation of the Lobber system, the military admitted that the unusual means of delivering supplies is indeed capable of solving the assigned tasks. The original concept has received practical confirmation. However, the praise ended there. The implementation of the new project left much to be desired. In its current form, the transport missile was not of interest to the army.
50 pounds of payload per rocket did not look quite acceptable. In some situations, the unit might need more supplies, which would lead to the need to launch multiple missiles. A firing range of no more than 13 km could seriously limit the practical potential of the rocket. The cut off troops in need of supplies could be located at a greater distance from the main forces.
Rocket and different options for cargo compartments
Another reason for criticism was the low accuracy. Despite the preliminary spin and tilted fins, the missile deflected from its aiming point by an average of 100 yards. Thus, she could easily miss the position of the supplied unit. It should be noted that with greater accuracy, a transport rocket descending at high speed could pose some danger to soldiers waiting for help.
The last drawback of the Convair Lobber project was the cost of finished products. One serial transport rocket of a new type, according to the calculations of the developers, should have cost $ 1,000 (almost $ 8,600 at current prices). However, it could only be used once. For comparison, the delivery of a similar cargo by aviation in the late fifties cost the army no more than $ 700.
The Marine Corps has also shown interest in the Convair Lobber complex.
Tests have clearly shown that an unusual logistic tool principally copes with the tasks assigned to it, but at the same time does not show sufficient flight, technical and economic characteristics. In its current form, the Lobber complex was not of interest to the army. The command of the ground forces refused to further support the project and decided to supply the troops with the usual methods, even if they were associated with certain risks.
For some time, the Marine Corps and the naval forces were interested in the Lobber project. The ILC, like the army, needed supplies for the remote cut off units. The fleet, in turn, planned to order a special anti-submarine modification of the new missile. Also, according to some reports, the possibility of equipping the rocket with a charge of extinguishing powder was being studied. In this configuration, it could be used by firefighters. Nevertheless, after the army's refusal, all the options for finalizing the project were left without a future.
Work on the Lobber project was completed in the first months of 1959. The launch customer, the US Army, saw the real capabilities of the missile system and decided to abandon it. No new orders followed. Due to the lack of real prospects, the project was closed, and all the documentation was sent to the archive.
The Convair Lobber project was the first and last attempt by the American industry to create a special transport ballistic missile for light cargo. In the second half of the fifties, other projects of similar missile systems were being worked out in the United States, but in these cases it was about the transportation of people and equipment. The Lobber concept, in turn, has not received direct development. More about her was not remembered.
An interesting project of a transport system with the delivery of goods using a light ballistic missile, created by Convair, did not leave the stage of flight tests, but still gave real results. He clearly showed all the features of such systems and made it possible to draw the necessary conclusions. Like many other bold and unusual developments, the Lobber rocket made it possible to timely abandon the development of a not very successful and useful direction.
