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The ”’GAM-67 Crossbow”’ was a turbojet-powered [[anti-radar missile]] built by [[Northrop Corporation|Northrop’s Ventura Division]], the successor to the [[Radioplane Company]] who developed the Crossbow’s predecessor, the [[Radioplane Q-1|Q-1 target drone]]. |
The ”’GAM-67 Crossbow”’ was a turbojet-powered [[anti-radar missile]] built by [[Northrop Corporation|Northrop’s Ventura Division]], the successor to the [[Radioplane Company]] who developed the Crossbow’s predecessor, the [[Radioplane Q-1|Q-1 target drone]]. |
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==Development== |
==Development== |
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The Crossbow had a cigar-shaped fuselage, straight wings, a straight twin-fin tail, and an engine inlet under the belly. It was powered by a [[Continental J69]] [[turbojet]] engine, with 4.41 kN (450 kgf/1,000 lbf) thrust. Two Crossbows could be carried by a [[Boeing B-50]] Superfortress bomber, while four Crossbows could be carried by a Boeing [[B-47 Stratojet]] bomber. |
The Crossbow had a cigar-shaped fuselage, straight wings, a straight twin-fin tail, and an engine inlet under the belly. It was powered by a [[Continental J69]] [[turbojet]] engine, with 4.41 kN (450 kgf/1,000 lbf) thrust. Two Crossbows could be carried by a [[Boeing B-50]] Superfortress bomber, while four Crossbows could be carried by a Boeing [[B-47 Stratojet]] bomber. |
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The Crossbow’s speed was not enough to allow it to get far ahead of the launching bomber before it ran out of fuel. Only 14 Crossbows were built before the program was cancelled in 1957, |
The Crossbow’s speed was not enough to allow it to get far ahead of the launching bomber before it ran out of fuel. Only 14 Crossbows were built before the program was cancelled in 1957 |
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, the Longbow, essentially a supersonic version of the . Longbow was eventually cancelled as well.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app1/gam-67.html|title=Radioplane B-67/GAM-67 Crossbow|last=Parsch|first=Andreas|date=9 January 2003|work=Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles Appendix 1: Early Missiles and Drones|publisher=Designation-Systems|access-date=2017-11-25}}</ref> None of the alternative roles were taken up either, with all work on the concept ending in 1960. However, it did point the way to the range of missions that would be performed by UAVs in later decades. |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 02:56, 17 October 2025
Type of anti-radar missile
| GAM-67 Crossbow | |
|---|---|
Crossbow on B-47 carrier aircraft
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| Type | Anti-radar missile |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Northrop Ventura Division |
| No. built | 14 |
| Mass | 2,800 lb (1,270 kg) |
| Length | 19 ft 1 in (5.82 m) |
| Height | 4 ft 6 (1.37 m) |
| Diameter | 32 in (81 cm) |
| Wingspan | 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) |
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| Engine | Continental J69 turbojet |
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Operational |
300 miles (480 km) |
| Flight altitude | 40,000 ft (12,200 m) |
| 675 mph (1,090 km/h) | |
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Guidance |
passive multiple-frequency radar seeker, autopilot and a radio-command guidance system |
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Launch |
Aircraft or RATO |
The GAM-67 Crossbow was a turbojet-powered anti-radar missile built by Northrop’s Ventura Division, the successor to the Radioplane Company who developed the Crossbow’s predecessor, the Q-1 target drone. The Crossbow was intended to be carried by and launched from strategic bombers of the United States Air Force; The program was cancelled in 1957. The WS-121B Longbow was a larger and faster follow-on missile but was also cancelled in the 1960s.
Development
In the late 1940s, the Radioplane Company developed a set of prototypes of the Q-1 target series, which used pulsejet or small turbojet engines. Although the Q-1 series was not put into production as a target, it did evolve into the USAF RP-54D / XB-67 / XGAM-67 Crossbow anti-radar missile, which was first flown in 1956. It was also considered as a platform for reconnaissance, electronic countermeasures, and decoy roles.
The Crossbow had a cigar-shaped fuselage, straight wings, a straight twin-fin tail, and an engine inlet under the belly. It was powered by a Continental J69 turbojet engine, with 4.41 kN (450 kgf/1,000 lbf) thrust. Two Crossbows could be carried by a Boeing B-50 Superfortress bomber, while four Crossbows could be carried by a Boeing B-47 Stratojet bomber.
The Crossbow’s speed was not enough to allow it to get far ahead of the launching bomber before it ran out of fuel. Only 14 Crossbows were built before the program was cancelled in 1957.
Following cancellation, work shifted to the WS-121B Longbow, essentially a supersonic version of the Crossbow. The Longbow was a very long-range air-launched missile planned to be carried by the B-52 Stratofortress Longbow was eventually cancelled as well.[1] None of the alternative roles were taken up either, with all work on the concept ending in 1960. However, it did point the way to the range of missions that would be performed by UAVs in later decades.
References
- ^ Parsch, Andreas (9 January 2003). “Radioplane B-67/GAM-67 Crossbow”. Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles Appendix 1: Early Missiles and Drones. Designation-Systems. Retrieved 2017-11-25.
- Early versions of this article contained material that originally came from the web article Unmanned Aerial Vehicles[usurped] by Greg Goebel, which was published into the Public Domain.
