Missile, Air-to-Ground, Falcon AGM-76A

Object Details

Manufacturer

Hughes Aircraft Co.

Physical Description

Cylindrical with long delta fins in cruciform pattern extending throughout two thirds of the length of the missile; long, tapering nose to point; air tufts around its body and fins and excluding the tip of the missile; tufts, each about 3.5 inches long, apparently made from cut pieces of parachute cord, and attached to missile body with a type of epoxy putty; some pieces of this cord are red, others white; white pieces attached to blue areas of body for better visibility and red pieces to white or off-white sections; grid pattern marked out in light pencil all over body, consisting of 3 x 5 inches squares, with upper left hand corner or almost each square, with tuft or cord attached; ends of each of the cords, singed, to prevent fraying; missile nose, and rear body, white; forward section, before nose, off-white; overall, with alternating black and orange bands along its length and at three different places around its circumference; nose tip, made partly of wood; back of missile, with flat wooden disc, covering its empty interior. With stenciled markings in black X50X-15 on each fin above the first circumferential band. Also has stenciled markings, "No Lift" at various points, and "AGM 76A" on both sides, at front.

Summary

This is the AGM-76A, an air-to-ground version of the Falcon missile that usually appeared as an air-to-air weapon. The parachute cord strands attached to it were to see how the air flowed over the missile during aerodynamic tests. The short-lived AGM-76 concept was developed by Hughes Aircraft Company in 1966.

The AIM-47 air-to-air missile was to be converted into a fast, long-range missile called AGM-76 to destroy enemy surface-to-air missile (SAM) sites in North Vietnam before the launch aircraft came into the lethal zone of the SAM missile. But after the AGM-76 concept was approved by the Air Force, the U.S. Navy promoted an air-to-ground version of its existing Standard missile developed for this purpose, and Standard won.

This object was donated to the Smithsonian in 1970 by Hughes Aircraft.

Alternate Name

Falcon AGM-76A Missile

Credit Line

Transferred from the Hughes Aircraft Co.

Inventory Number

A19700276000

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

CRAFT-Missiles & Rockets

Materials

Fuselage, mainly composite fiber material wrapped with adhesive coating, that gave the unpainted structure a yellow-tan color; nose, partly of wood; fins, rear, probably magnesium; fins, front, composite, apparently with a metal base, probably of stainless steel; radome, ceramic material; rear body end, aluminum; air tufts, synthetic fiber, possibly parachute cord; adhesive holding air tufts to bod, apparently an epoxy putty.

Dimensions

Overall: 13 ft. 5 in. long x 1 ft. 1 1/2 in. diameter x 2 ft. 9 in. span, 225 lb. (408.94 x 34.29 x 83.82cm, 102.1kg)

Country of Origin

United States of America

See more items in

National Air and Space Museum Collection

Location

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA

Exhibit Station

Rockets & Missiles

National Air and Space Museum

Record ID

nasm_A19700276000

Metadata Usage (text)

Not determined

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv926ea3228-0d60-4387-aeb4-390e3a2341e6