Mystery aeroplane photo

Unidentified Missle

It looks like a Chance Vought Regulus 2 Missile that was refitted with landing gears and from Wikipedia there were three versions for the Navy.
XRSSM-N-9 Regulus IIPrototype missiles fitted with retractable landing gear for land based development flights, powered by Wright J65 turbojet engines and Aerojet General booster rockets. XRSSM-N-9aPrototype missiles fitted with retractable landing gear for land based development flights, powered by General Electric J79 turbojet engines and Rocketdyne booster rockets. YTSSM-N-9aDevelopment Training missiles with retractable landing gear.
 
No cheating here, so not sure, but the main gear is a sure fire F-104 facsimile, guessing then some kinda Lockheed?

Jamie

PS.I'm more intruiged by the prop/turbine behind the Talon dangling from the roof? One of those Turboprop 'stangs?
 
Aaaand of course while I was looking, two people posted! :banghead:

Big hint - look at the rear end of the plane! :kilroy:
 
Regulus II, submarine-launched cruise missile. A 1950s design. I have a display model of it in my collection.

- H52

Painted EXACTLY as the one in the pic!
 
mmm??

Motormouse said:
Just for fun; can you identify this beastie parked between an F-8 Crusader and an A-7 Corsair; its a biggie

View attachment 49912

from my recent visit to Dallas
Pete
Click to expand...


Looks a lot like a Regulus early ICBM launchable from modified WW2 Gato sub (Balao class if I am not mistaken) ... upgraded to "Sail" conning tower with a housing for the missile forward of it... but like I say... looks a bit big to be the one...


But on further consideration... it does not look like a Regulus, to wit:


I give up....
 
I was right after all!

gaucho_59 said:
Looks a lot like a Regulus early ICBM launchable from modified WW2 Gato sub (Balao class if I am not mistaken) ... upgraded to "Sail" conning tower with a housing for the missile forward of it... but like I say... looks a bit big to be the one...


But on further consideration... it does not look like a Regulus, to wit:


I give up....
Click to expand...

Well, I maybe my firt hunch was right after all.... the Regulus I saw at Pearl, when I was living in Hawaii, did not have that long needle sensor...
 
Stand up tbearflying; it is indeed a Regulus II cruise missile; one of the initial development batch with J65 engine actually built with landing gear, later converted to GQM-15A supersonic target drone (G = gear) the MQM designator is a misnomer.

According to the info accompanying it on display; it is one of only two remaining in this configuration.

now..how about the turboprop?

ttfn

Pete

ps Here's a picture of it on-board the launching submarine


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Graybackmissle.jpg

ttfn
 
Now I am really confused...

gaucho_59 said:
Well, I maybe my firt hunch was right after all.... the Regulus I saw at Pearl, when I was living in Hawaii, did not have that long needle sensor...
Click to expand...

As I recall, the sub at Pearl had the missile compartment forward of the conning tower... and maybe it was not a "sail" conning tower at all... then... lemme check my pics from Hawaii...
Checked... and indeed... the one at Pearl is not even a Regulus sub... Maybe in NYC next to the Intrepid?... OMG I've been so many places I can't recall much anymore... at 74 one gets like that...
will check my pics from NYC
 
Now... that makes sense...

gaucho_59 said:
As I recall, the sub at Pearl had the missile compartment forward of the conning tower... and maybe it was not a "sail" conning tower at all... then... lemme check my pics from Hawaii...
Checked... and indeed... the one at Pearl is not even a Regulus sub... Maybe in NYC next to the Intrepid?... OMG I've been so many places I can't recall much anymore... at 74 one gets like that...
will check my pics from NYC
Click to expand...

Regulus II ... drone... thereby the sensor, etc. longer too...:applause:
 
gaucho_59 said:
Regulus II ... drone... thereby the sensor, etc. longer too...:applause:
Click to expand...

A never ending saga... not a drone.... at all... This Regulus II was actually a predecesor of cruise missiles... a much later mod that saw the light of day in 1971
I was sure the sub I had a sail type conning tower...


 
End of my quest...

gaucho_59 said:
A never ending saga... not a drone.... at all... This Regulus II was actually a predecesor of cruise missiles... a much later mod that saw the light of day in 1971
I was sure the sub I had a sail type conning tower...


Click to expand...


Sure enough... it was NYC... by the old USS Intrepid...
it was the SS Growler...
to wit:



The one I remembered was a Regulus I... the mistery plane... was the 1970s cruise missile... Regulus II

It is indeed fun to look through old memories...
 
Both Regulus missiles are kind of like part of my history,growing up around Pt Mugu NAS as well as my grandfather working at the base with Sperry Gyroscope(Sparrow I and VX-4's F7Us).
 
I seem to remember there was a plastic kit of a sub with a Regulus on a rear-facing ramp aft of the tower. Or was it a US V1? Revell, I think, or maybe Monogram.
 
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