Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ames!ncar!unmvax!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!osu-cis!att!cbnews!gudeman@arizona.edu
From: gudeman@arizona.edu (David Gudeman)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Rearward-firing missiles (Re: Another 2 Libyan jets)
Message-ID: <3461@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 25 Jan 89 03:52:29 GMT
Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM
Lines: 33
Approved: military@att.att.com

Here's a thought from someone with a stronger background in
imagination than in engineering. How about a forward-pointing
heat-seeking missle with a drag chute?  When you have someone on your
tail, you release the missile, the missile pops its chute and the
parachute holds the missile (approximately) in place until the enemy
plane has passed.  After a delay the missile looks for a heat source.
When it finds one, it fires up, releases the chute, and homes in on
the enemy tailpipe.

This has the advantage that it uses a heat-seeking missile.  That is
an advantage isn't it?  Aren't heat-seeking missiles cheaper and more
reliable than radar guided ones?

Another advantage is that the missile doesn't have to use fuel to get
behind the pursuing plane, though it will have to accelate from a near
standstill.

The chute would presumably be attached to the missile's center of
gravity in such a way as to hold the missile horizontal.  The missile
may need need to actively keep itself pointing forward or aerodynamics
may be enough, I don't know.

Rather than a time delay, a better strategy might be for the missile
to immediately lock onto the plane it was fired from, and to not take
off until it senses a stronger heat source than the one it is locked
on to.  That is, after the firing plane has gotten far enough away,
and the following plane has passed near the missile, the missile picks
up the following plane.

What sort of response time would the following plane typically have?
I can't estimate that without knowing typical speeds and following
distances in airfights.  If response time is long enough, the
following plane could avoid the missile or destroy it.