My dad was a crew chief ion the Titan II n the 308th SMW at Little Rock. I have been planning and hording bits and pieces to someday build a 1/144th cutaway of a Titan II silo. Also hanging on to two “All Systems Are Go” Atlas/Mecury kits from Revell (the reissues from the 90s) with the launch gantry. Have been dreaming of making an Atlas D in a coffin launcher out of them.
Now that brings back childhood memories! I clearly remember the Atlas site at Sugarbush, NY (Plattsburgh AFB remote site) and the awe when those big doors opened and the missile rose up against a clear blue summer sky, We always wondered if this was going to be the real thing in '61 or just a test, but the vapor drifting off the side of the missile made us all nervous! It was a marvelous sight! I understand that the site is in private hands now, having been partially converted to underground living quarters and dead storage for possibly record archives…thanks a million for the background info! Were you ever stationed at PAFB?
IIRC, there was one fatality and a small number of minor injuries total for all 4 accidents.
While I was in Tech School at Sheppard AFB, the instructors conducted a safety demonstration about the hazards of mixing LOX and any petroleum based product. LOX and oil together form a gel that is not hypergolic (explodes on contact), but it is MUCH more unstable than nitroglycerin and will detonate from the slightest physical or electrical shock. They took a 1 oz dixie cup and put ONE TABLESPOON of LOX and TWO DROPS of 3 in 1 OIL in the cup. They then dropped a 5 pound lead weight down over a guide rail onto the cup. The force of the explosion blew the lead weight several hundred feet into the air. Can you imagine the force of the explosion when several thousand gallons of LOX and RP-1 fuel get together inside the silo and detonate? One of the accidents, I think at Walker AFB, happened with the silo doors still closed. One of the 135 TON concrete doors was found about a quarter mile away. Chicken Little said, “The sky is falling, the sky is falling!”
This is a photo of an Atlas F just seconds after launch at Vandenburg AFB, California, and the BEGINNING of an explosion that totally destroyed it.
The rectangular silo door is clearly visible under the missile. The missile is centered over that door at the start of the launch and SHOULD stay that way. It is obviously displaced to the right. Notice the exhaust plumes from the two vernier engines on the sides. The right one is pushed down close to the missile and the left one is stretched out, again indicating the missile drifting to the side. The blast/flame deflector is to the left, so nearly all of the, “hell, fire and brimstone” from the engine exhaust should be going to the left. That huge plume of yellow/orange fire to the right is NOT supposed to be there. Apparently there was a major rupture in the tanks and the LOX/RP-1 fuel has mixed together and has ignited. I suspect the range Safety Officer has initiated command destruct which was a mechanism that slashed the bulkhead dividing the two tanks and caused the explosive destruction of the missile.
I was born and raised in Sacramento California and have fond memories of Aerojet noise.
(1967-1975) Often, a sonic vibration would eminate from everwhere, but mostly the from the ground. Like a short-wave Earthquake. Suddenly everything would instantaneously shake at a high frequency. Most noticeable is window glass as it shook within the frame. Every window, every frame everywhere… just shaking like mad. Then as suddenly as it started, it would stop, cease… to quiet and gradually birds would begin to chirp again.
For years and years you could see “rocket” stands and apparatus out in the grounds near Aerojet proper. They’re gone now. Now it’s condos. A lot of condos.
I just found this thread… what a great build, impressive WIP blog and loads of GREAT infomation! Thank you for taking the time to post all that, truly an educational experience…
Darwin, that’s a neat, unique build there. THe finish came out great. It must be nice to have such a rare model in your display case…I’m sure it shows well. Very impressive in size,. too
Certainly not something seen in these parts very often, and that alone makes it even more eye-catching. That’s a lot of hard work, Darwin, and it shows. The info posted on it really brings it to life, too. Very nice work all the way around! [tup]
Fortunately, I live close enough to ‘Vandeyland’ that I can watch launches from my living room!
We’re now waiting for the new Titan V EELV coming up in November, I believe. The sound from the biggies is wonderful here, but the Delta’s hardly even rattle the windows. What fun is that?
That launch sequence posted by Darwin was used in the movie “Koyaanisqatsi: Life out of Balance” and is a must see if you’re into esoteric films. The film begins with the launch of the Apollo 12 Saturn V and ends with the slow motion destruction of the Atlas. The revolving engine cluster is so well filmed that you can see the Aerojet General logo clearly as it falls back to Earth.
One interesting story (if you guys don’t mind a thread thief?) about Aerojet was a failed engine test. The solid motor broke loose from the hardstand and had enough energy to launch itself a few miles, landing on the property of Douglas. Causing no damage, the Douglas people had a sense of humor and quickly sent a note proclaiming this as an aggressive act and that a state of war existed between the two companies!
