The W42 was an American nuclear fission weapon developed in 1957.
In December 1957 the Army requested the Atomic Energy Commission to develop a nuclear warhead for the HAWK low- to medium-altitude surface-to-air missile. In July 1958 the military characteristics were approved for the new warhead and the design released. Two months later the requirement for a HAWK with a nuclear warhead was cancelled.
It equipped the AIM-47 Falcon long-range air-to-air missile; the design of the AAM-N-10 Eagle missile also allowed for carriage of the W42.[1]
The dimensions of the warhead were 13-14in wide by 18.5in long. It weighed 75-92 pounds and used a proximity fuze.
The project was cancelled in June 1961.
References[]
Citations[]
- ↑ Parsch 2003
Bibliography[]
- Hansen, Chuck (2007) (PDF). Swords of Armageddon: U.S. Nuclear Weapons Development Since 1945 (CD-ROM & download available) (2 ed.). Sunnyvale, California: Chukelea Publications. ISBN 978-0-9791915-0-3. http://www.uscoldwar.com.
- Parsch, Andreas (6 January 2003). "Bendix AAM-N-10 Eagle". Designation-Systems.
The original article can be found at W42 and the edit history here.