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Lark missile. Historical Essay © Andreas Parsch Fairchild KAQ/SAM-N-2/CTV-N-9 Lark The Lark anti-aircraft missile program began in late 1944, when the U.S. Navy needed a new weapon against the ever more serious Japanese suicide-bomber (Kamikaze) threat. In January 1945, a Lark configuration had been established, and requirements included ship defense against Kamikaze attack, reconnaissance aircraft, and enemy aircraft launching standoff weapons. In March that year, a contract was awarded to Fairchild for the production of 100 Lark test missiles. Because of slow progress by Fairchild, in a backup contract for another 100 Larks was awarded to Consolidated-Vultee in June 1945. In October 1945, the Fairchild and Convair Lark were designated as KAQ and KAY, respectively, and flight testing of KAQ-1 and KAY-1 vehicles began in June 1946. The KAQ-1/KAY-1 was propelled by a Reaction Motors LR2-RM-2 two-chamber liquid-propellant rocket engine, and used two solid-fueled rocket boosters for take-off. Later Larks used a slightly improved LR2-RM-6 engine, and the designations KAQ-2 and KAY-2 most probably apply to missiles with the upgraded engine. The Lark had cruciform wings and tailfins for stability and control, and the booster assembly used a peculiar "square" fin arrangement. The KAQ's wings had flaps, while the KAY used variable-incidence wings. The Lark was armed with a 45 kg (100 lb) high-explosive warhead, which was detonated by a radar proximity fuze. The early test flights used a simple manual radio-command guidance system, but by 1947 the development of guidance systems requiring no human operator had begun. In September 1947 and early 1948, the Lark models were redesignated as follows:
The Fairchild SAM-N-2 eventually used a guidance system known as "Skylark", consisting of radio-command mid-course guidance and semi-active radar guided terminal homing. A ship-borne radar and fire-control system tracked both the Lark and the target aircraft, computed the interception course of the missile, and sent steering commands when necessary. Within a range of 16 km (10 miles) from the target, the SAM-N-2 could use its AN/DPN-7 radar to home on the radar reflections from the target. The Convair SAM-N-4 used a radar beam-riding mid-course guidance system known as "Wasp", and had an AN/APN-23 radar for active terminal homing. Testing of the Lark from ship-borne launchers began in 1950 on the missile test ship USS Norton Sound, and several interceptions of target drones succeeded. However, the Lark anti-aircraft missile program was terminated in late 1950, because the contemporary Bumbleebee program of the Bureau of Ordnance (Lark was a Bureau of Aeronautics program) showed much more promise (and would eventually lead to such missiles as the SAM-N-6/RIM-8 Talos, SAM-N-7/RIM-2 Terrier and RIM-24 Tartar). After the tactical Lark had been cancelled, the remaining missiles continued to be used as control test vehicles. As such, the SAM-N-2 and SAM-N-4 were redesignated as CTV-N-9 and CTV-N-10, respectively. There were several variants of the CTV-N-9, designated CTV-N-9a, CTV-N-9b and CTV-N-9c, but I don't know specifics about these versions. The CTV-N-9 and -10 were used throughout the early 1950s by the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Army to evaluate radar guidace systems, and equipment and procedures related to missile launching, stability and control. The U.S. Army also used Lark test vehicles (designating them as RV-A-22) to develop the guidance system for the SSM-A-12/MGM-18 Lacrosse surface-to-surface missile. SpecificationsNote: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate! Data for XSAM-N-2:
[1] Norman Friedman: "US Naval Weapons", Conway Maritime Press, 1983 Manufacturer: Fairchild. Launches: 40. Failures: 15. Success Rate: 62.50%. First Launch Date: 1950-10-25. Last Launch Date: 1953-07-08. Launch data is: complete. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 0 N ( lbf). Total Mass: 900 kg (1,980 lb). Core Diameter: 0.46 m (1.50 ft). Total Length: 5.60 m (18.30 ft).
Lark Chronology During 1946 - Lark Program Vultee Lark missile program in progress 1950 October 25 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 225 Agency: USAF. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). The first Lark missile launched by Air Force from Cape Canaveral, the last of the three missiles launched in 1950 at the LRPG. 1950 October 26 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 226 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 0 km ( mi). 1950 November 21 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 227 Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). 1951 April 11 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 231 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 0 km ( mi). 1951 April 17 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 232 Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). 1951 May 3 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 234 Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). 1951 May 11 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 235 Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). 1951 May 29 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 242 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 0 km ( mi). 1951 June 7 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 236 Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). 1951 June 7 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 238 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 0 km ( mi). 1951 July 3 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 240 Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). 1951 July 20 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 239 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 0 km ( mi). 1951 September 13 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 593 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 0 km ( mi). 1951 September 19 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 595 Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). 1951 October 4 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 597 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 0 km ( mi). 1951 December 11 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 598 Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). 1952 January 28 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 600 Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). 1952 February 12 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 604 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 0 km ( mi). 1952 February 28 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 596 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 0 km ( mi). 1952 March 21 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 594 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 0 km ( mi). 1952 April 10 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 602 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 0 km ( mi). 1952 April 17 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 601 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 0 km ( mi). 1952 May 16 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 603 Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). 1952 June 24 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 230 Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). 1952 July 7 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 592 Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). 1952 July 15 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 606 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 0 km ( mi). 1952 September 17 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 608 Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). 1952 November 28 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 610 Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). 1952 December 4 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 599 Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). 1952 December 16 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 605 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 0 km ( mi). 1953 February 12 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 607 Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). 1953 February 24 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 612 Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). 1953 March 3 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 611 Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). 1953 March 16 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 621 Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). 1953 April 8 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 622 Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). 1953 April 22 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 614 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 0 km ( mi). 1953 April 28 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 623 Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). 1953 May 12 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 624 Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). 1953 May 14 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 613 Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). 1953 July 8 - Cape Canaveral LA. Lark 626 Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 8.00 km (4.90 mi). Bibliography:
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