Loon JB-2
The display reads:
Loon
JB-2
In light of the German successes in WW II with guided missiles, the United States launched a guided missile program of its own using an American copy of the German V-1 Flying Bomb, variously called the Loon, JB-2 (Jet Bomb), KUW-1 and the LTV-N-2. Three hundred Loons, one of the earliest cruise missiles, were produced, with the first JB-2 being launched in October, 1944. The war ended however before it could be used against the enemy.
Launching of the JB-2 was accomplished using a ramp 175 feet long, elevated to 6 degrees on one end. The catapult was powered by burning propellant in a chamber, or by several rocket cartridges mounted the side of the launcher, rather than the steam method utilized by the Germans. The JB-2 could also be mounted on a solid-fueled rocket sled which quickly boosted its speed to 250 MPH, then dropped off when expended. This allowed the Loon to be launched from a very short platform, such as the deck of a submarine.
The JB-2 was powered by a pulse jet engine burning gasoline and reached speeds of 440 MPH. Guidance was controlled by a gyroscope, monitored by a magnetic compass to maintain a fixed heading. An altitude control and air-log was used to measure the distance traveled. When the air-log reached its prescribed setting, the arming circuit closed and the controls locked into the dive position causing the missile to spiral down towards its target. The JB-2 was accurate to one mile at forty miles of range, and accuracy varied as range was increased.
As originally planned, the JB-2 was to be used as an expendable, all weather bombing aircraft and was considered by the Navy for launching from the decks of submarines and small aircraft carriers. Army Ground forces ordered 25,000 of the flying bombs, but decisions on the actual missions of the Army Ground Forces and the Army Air Corps (soon to become the U.S. Air Force), led to the placement of the JB-2 under control of the Air Corps due to its winged configuration. While it served as a basis for other cruise missiles, the JB-2 Loon was never fielded as a weapon in its own right.
Length: 8.25 meters (27 ft 1 in)
Width (Wingspan): 5.35 meters (17 ft 8 in)
Weight: 2,243 kg (5,025 lbs)
Maximum Speed: 710 KPH (440 mph)
Service Ceiling: 1,820 meters (6,000 ft)
Warhead: 1,000 kg (2,200 lbs)
Range: 240 km (150 miles)
Museum Acc. # 88.93.1
Taken December 26th, 2010.
Loon JB-2
The display reads:
Loon
JB-2
In light of the German successes in WW II with guided missiles, the United States launched a guided missile program of its own using an American copy of the German V-1 Flying Bomb, variously called the Loon, JB-2 (Jet Bomb), KUW-1 and the LTV-N-2. Three hundred Loons, one of the earliest cruise missiles, were produced, with the first JB-2 being launched in October, 1944. The war ended however before it could be used against the enemy.
Launching of the JB-2 was accomplished using a ramp 175 feet long, elevated to 6 degrees on one end. The catapult was powered by burning propellant in a chamber, or by several rocket cartridges mounted the side of the launcher, rather than the steam method utilized by the Germans. The JB-2 could also be mounted on a solid-fueled rocket sled which quickly boosted its speed to 250 MPH, then dropped off when expended. This allowed the Loon to be launched from a very short platform, such as the deck of a submarine.
The JB-2 was powered by a pulse jet engine burning gasoline and reached speeds of 440 MPH. Guidance was controlled by a gyroscope, monitored by a magnetic compass to maintain a fixed heading. An altitude control and air-log was used to measure the distance traveled. When the air-log reached its prescribed setting, the arming circuit closed and the controls locked into the dive position causing the missile to spiral down towards its target. The JB-2 was accurate to one mile at forty miles of range, and accuracy varied as range was increased.
As originally planned, the JB-2 was to be used as an expendable, all weather bombing aircraft and was considered by the Navy for launching from the decks of submarines and small aircraft carriers. Army Ground forces ordered 25,000 of the flying bombs, but decisions on the actual missions of the Army Ground Forces and the Army Air Corps (soon to become the U.S. Air Force), led to the placement of the JB-2 under control of the Air Corps due to its winged configuration. While it served as a basis for other cruise missiles, the JB-2 Loon was never fielded as a weapon in its own right.
Length: 8.25 meters (27 ft 1 in)
Width (Wingspan): 5.35 meters (17 ft 8 in)
Weight: 2,243 kg (5,025 lbs)
Maximum Speed: 710 KPH (440 mph)
Service Ceiling: 1,820 meters (6,000 ft)
Warhead: 1,000 kg (2,200 lbs)
Range: 240 km (150 miles)
Museum Acc. # 88.93.1
Taken December 26th, 2010.