(SN 59-1897) at
the USAF Museum
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| CIM-10A BOMARC (SN 59-1897) at the USAF Museum |
The BOMARC missile resembled a small aircraft, with a pair of shoulder-mounted cropped delta wings. It was launched from a vertical position by a 23,000 lb.st. Aerojet General LR59-AG-13 liquid-fueled rocket motor mounted in the tail. Second-stage thrust was provided by a pair of 10,000 lb.st. Marquardt (now part of General Dynamics) RJ43-MA-3 ramjet engines attached to the fuselage sides. Maximum speed attained during an intercept was Mach 3.45 (2,275 mph) at 105,000 feet. Launch weight was 15,500 pounds. The dimensions were wingspan 18 feet 2 inches, length (excluding the first stage rocket nozzle) 47 feet 4 inches, height (to top of stabilizer) 10 feet 3 inches, wing area 65 square feet.
The warhead consisted of 1000 pounds of high explosives. Alternatively, a nuclear warhead could be carried. The warhead was detonated by a proximity fuse activated from the ground control center.
The first BOMARC launch took place on September 1, 1952. A short time later, it was decided that it was not a good idea to give fighter designations to unmanned missiles, and the BOMARC was redesignated IM-99A, where IM stood for "Intercept Missile".
The IM-99B version of the BOMARC (often called the Super BOMARC) had a first-stage Thiokol XM-51 50,000 lb. (22,650 kg) solid-fuel rocket motor in place of the liquid-fueled engine of the A, and the ramjets were "upgraded" to two Marquardt RJ43-MA-7, 2,000 lb. (5,440 kg) models. The difference in weight distribution caused the wings to be moved forward, and the missile was shortened by over two feet.
On September 18, 1962, the IM-99A and B were redesignated CIM-10A and CIM-10B, where the C prefix stood for "Coffin" which described the intercept missile's launch environment, i.e. horizontal storage in a protective encounter.
The BOMARC served well into the 1960s with the USAF Air Defense Command.
In the late 1950s, the Canadian government decided to abandon work on the advanced Avro Arrow two-seat Mach 3 interceptor and opted for the unmanned BOMARC. The BOMARC served in Canada with RCAF squadrons 446 and 447 for about a decade. At first, the warheads were conventional, since the Canadian government of the day (Progressive Conservative Party) could not decide whether to accept nuclear warheads or not. When the Liberal Party came into power in 1963, the government finally decided to accept nuclear warheads. The nuclear warheads were supplied by the US, and there was a "double key" arrangement similar to that used by US missiles in the United Kingdom. The warheads were removed and returned to the USA in April/May of 1972, and the missiles were decommissioned at the same time.
| Wing Span | 18 ft 2 in (5.5 m) |
|---|---|
| Length | 45 ft 1 in (13.7 m) |
| Height (Fuselage) | 2 ft 11 in (0.89 m) |
| Weight Empty | Unknown |
| Weight Gross | 16,032 lb (7,272 kg) |
| Cruising Speed | 2,134 mph (3,434 km/h) |
| Maximum Speed | 2,134 mph (3,434 km/h) |
| Rate of Climb | Unknown |
| Service Ceiling | 100,000 ft (30,480 m) |
| Range | 440 mi (700 km) |
 Round 446
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Anyone who knows anything about the history of Canadian air power knows of the Avro Arrow controversy which I touch on breifly in the history above. The acrimony raised in this debacle has left quite a sour taste in the mouths of Canadians who know about it, and rightfully so. Still, the BOMARC served with distinction in the (Royal) Canadian Air Force, and is therefore an important part of its history. Not many US citizens know about the Avro Arrow, much less that the BOMARC served in Canadian colours. I'm building my model not to promote the US side of this argument, but to shed light on this bit of ill history; I happen to agree with the Canadians on this one.
| Registration # | 60446 |
|---|---|
| Manufacture Date | 1960 |
| Construction # | 656 |
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