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The analog computer for the Nike missile system (2001)

ed-thelen.org

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Re: The analog computer for the Nike missile system (2001)

#21

Post by hermitcrab »

jaggederest wrote: post #10
pram wrote: post #8

If you’ve never watched a video of one of these interceptor rockets, it’s worth a view. They take off at an insane speed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprint_(missile) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvZGaMt7UgQ Mach 10 in five seconds. Ablative cooling, due to the surface reaching 3500c from air friction.

The aerodynamic stress of that sort of acceleration close to sea level must be massive. it is a wonder they could make anything strong enough to survive it while being light enough to achieve that sort of acceleration.

Re: The analog computer for the Nike missile system (2001)

#22

Post by hermitcrab »

Animats wrote: post #6
dang wrote: post #2

Related (a bit): Notes on Nike Missile Site SF 88-L - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22813836 - April 2020 (1 comment) Nike Missile Sites of the San Francisco Bay Area (2001) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9956954 - July 2015 (48 comments)

You can still visit SF-88. It's open three days a week.[1] I've been there, and I've seen the analog computer. There are mechanical sequencers with motor driven cams. It's only partially electronic. The blast doors and the missile elevator still worked, but the electronics and radar did not do much, although parts of the system could be powered up. [1] https://www.nps.gov/goga/nike-missile-site.htm

There is a Nike site in Florida as well. We tried to visit it in the summer, but it was closed.

Re: The analog computer for the Nike missile system (2001)

#23

Post by mcpackieh »

hnbear wrote: post #9

I used to live near Sandy Hook in NJ. There was a Nike base there, but also several decades of various gun emplacements. They even secretly had nuclear warheads on the Nike Atlas missiles there to take out incoming bombers where the missiles were less accurate. No one in the towns around was told. It’s an interesting historical place to walk around Fort Hancock as you see the batteries (no guns, sadly), and the Nike…

> They even secretly had nuclear warheads on the Nike Atlas missiles there to take out incoming bombers where the missiles were less accurate.

I think you mean Nike Ajax, although Ajax missiles adapted for nuclear warheads were actually called Nike Hercules.

Re: The analog computer for the Nike missile system (2001)

#24

Post by Apreche »

hnbear wrote: post #9

I used to live near Sandy Hook in NJ. There was a Nike base there, but also several decades of various gun emplacements. They even secretly had nuclear warheads on the Nike Atlas missiles there to take out incoming bombers where the missiles were less accurate. No one in the towns around was told. It’s an interesting historical place to walk around Fort Hancock as you see the batteries (no guns, sadly), and the Nike…

A few years back when I was at sandy hook the missile system gate was open. Some veterans who used to operate it gave us a free tour of the equipment and explained all about it.

Re: The analog computer for the Nike missile system (2001)

#25

Post by pfdietz »

hermitcrab wrote: post #19
PostOnce wrote: post #11

ed-thelen.org is one of the most fascinating sites on the web to me, look around, its gigabytes and gigabytes of old missile tech. If we lived in a peaceful world, building miniature missile systems to shoot down clay targets would be a hell of a hobby, but unfortunately, that seems like a bad idea given the ... world.

There are plenty of model rocketry competitions. For example to take an egg to a specific height and land it again by parachute in a specific time (unbroken). My son competed in the UKROC competition with friends: https://www.ukroc.com/ Building a rocket with guidance would be pretty cool. But would probably get you on a government watch list!

A miniature heat seeking rocket might be possible, like an early Sidewinder. Use it to shoot down model jet aircraft.

Re: The analog computer for the Nike missile system (2001)

#26

Post by HPsquared »

hermitcrab wrote: post #21
jaggederest wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprint_(missile) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvZGaMt7UgQ Mach 10 in five seconds. Ablative cooling, due to the surface reaching 3500c from air friction.

The aerodynamic stress of that sort of acceleration close to sea level must be massive. it is a wonder they could make anything strong enough to survive it while being light enough to achieve that sort of acceleration.

On the plus side, the high temperature is only there for a few seconds. So it doesn't need to permanently withstand it, just for long enough to keep the systems operating.

Re: The analog computer for the Nike missile system (2001)

#27

Post by HPsquared »

Taniwha wrote: post #15

So the short story is that the missiles were essentially radio controlled drones, radar measured the location of the target and the missile and from the ground the analog computer flies them together (or close enough that the bang will bring it down)

That's the only way they could possibly work: impossible to see through all that burning air at the front.

Re: The analog computer for the Nike missile system (2001)

#28

Post by hermitcrab »

pfdietz wrote: post #25
hermitcrab wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are plenty of model rocketry competitions. For example to take an egg to a specific height and land it again by parachute in a specific time (unbroken). My son competed in the UKROC competition with friends: https://www.ukroc.com/ Building a rocket with guidance would be pretty cool. But would probably get you on a government watch list!

A miniature heat seeking rocket might be possible, like an early Sidewinder. Use it to shoot down model jet aircraft.

That would definitely be a fun project. I guess you would connect the sensor to a small processor which would drive steerable fins. Not sure RC aircraft give out much heat for a sensor to track though.

Re: The analog computer for the Nike missile system (2001)

#29

Post by pfdietz »

hermitcrab wrote: post #28
pfdietz wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A miniature heat seeking rocket might be possible, like an early Sidewinder. Use it to shoot down model jet aircraft.

That would definitely be a fun project. I guess you would connect the sensor to a small processor which would drive steerable fins. Not sure RC aircraft give out much heat for a sensor to track though.

If necessary, use a cooperative target with an IR emitter.

Re: The analog computer for the Nike missile system (2001)

#30

Post by rrdharan »

hnbear wrote: post #9

I used to live near Sandy Hook in NJ. There was a Nike base there, but also several decades of various gun emplacements. They even secretly had nuclear warheads on the Nike Atlas missiles there to take out incoming bombers where the missiles were less accurate. No one in the towns around was told. It’s an interesting historical place to walk around Fort Hancock as you see the batteries (no guns, sadly), and the Nike…

I live near it now and can highly recommend a visit.

I’m still surprised how many New Yorkers are unaware of this half of the Gateway area and the summer accessibility via the ferry.. though of course it’s plenty popular nonetheless.

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