RAE Ram

In the early 1930s, increasing speed and strengthening the defensive armament of bombers led to the fact that former fighters - with light weapons from 2-3 rifle machine guns - could no longer be effectively used to defend airspace. The high speed of the new bombers led to the fact that fighters were forced to attack them mainly from the tail, where, due to the slow rapprochement on a catch-up course, they became an easy target for defensive bombers. Attacks from other directions were ineffective due to the weak armament of the fighters. It took a long time to fire from light machine guns at the enemy to ensure a sufficient number of hits in the bomber.

Aircraft guns and batteries of heavy machine guns in the early 1930s were still not reliable enough, and their prospects as the main armament of fighters were still in doubt among military theorists. As part of the search for alternative solutions to the problem (in case the development of aircraft guns is unsuccessful), Royal Aircraft Establishment proposed the concept of a projectile based on the design of the previous RAE Larynx , but designed to destroy aircraft.

According to the project description, “Ram” was a small cigar-shaped monoplane equipped with a 12-cylinder Rolls-Royce Kestrel V-engine with a capacity of 700 hp. The shell was equipped with a gyroscopic autopilot and a radio command control system. As a warhead, a 227-kg fragmentation charge, driven by radio, was used.

Two guidance aircraft were used to guide the Ram. The first of these, the “shepherd," took charge of the bomb immediately after its launch from the airfield. The "Shepherd" flew after the rocket, holding it in the pilot's field of vision, and controlled its flight in height and azimuth.

The second aircraft, the “flanker”, occupied a position on the side of the bomb and tracked the distance between Ram and the “shepherd” ^[1] . When approaching the construction of enemy bombers, the "shepherd" came into their tail and sent the bomb to the center of the system. Flying to the side of the building, the “flanker” determined the moment when the bomb was inside the system of bombers, and sent a radio signal to detonate. The radius of the destruction by fragments was estimated to be about 200 meters, which made it possible to hope for the destruction of several bombers in one blast. It was assumed that in this way it would be possible to hit the bombers, remaining outside the effective action of their defensive points.

The project was submitted for consideration in November 1935. RAE proposed to build four manned models for testing the control system, and equip them with the radio command system previously used for LARYNX. The possibility of using a control system previously developed on the Queen Bee unmanned target aircraft was also considered.

As a result, RAF still decided to abandon the project. Among the main reasons were called: the impossibility of nighttime use (which at that time was supposed to be the main one for bombers), the ability for enemy bombers to open the structure to miss a missile, and the high cost of powerful piston engines. In addition, according to the estimates of the RAF theorists, the speed of the bombers by the 1940s was supposed to increase to 500-600 kilometers per hour, which clearly exceeded the capabilities of the control system. Although these forecasts were too optimistic, nevertheless, the design flaws were obvious and Ram did not receive development.

Radar Ram

In 1936, after successful tests of the first British Chain Home radar, the British military, evaluating the potential of the radars, began work on countermeasures for enemy radars. Although Great Britain was leading the development of radars at that time, the British were well aware that the appearance of radar among potential adversaries was only a matter of time. It was necessary to begin work on countermeasures.

Among other offers was a modification of "Ram." The RAE proposed equipping the bomb with wire antennas and a homing system that allows it to be aimed at the radiation of enemy radar. According to the project, the control plane brought the bomb to the target area, after which the bomb captured the radiation of the radar and automatically went to it. The project also did not receive development.

• RAE Larynx
• ADRDE Pilotless Interceptor
• Aerial target

• Chris Gibson, Tony Buttler. British Secret Projects - Hypersonics, Ramjets & Missiles. - Midland Publishing, Ltd, 2007. - 208 p. - (Secret Projects). - ISBN 1857802586 .