AIM-9H Sidewinder Missile

AIM-9H Sidewinder Missile. . , The First Solid-State Sidewinder The AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile was developed by the Navy's Pacific Missile Test Center at China Lake, California, in the early 1950s. It was the first missile to be guided by tracking the heat (infrared) energy produced by a target aircraft. It was named Sidewinder after the desert snake that uses its infrared sensors to detect the heat given off by its prey., The AIM-9H version of the Sidewinder was fielded in the early 1970s. While earlier Sidewinders employed vacuum-tube technology, the AIM-9H gained the advantages of transistors and more powerful flight control actuators. The use of solid-state technology made the AIM-9H much more robust and reliable in the aircraft carrier environment. The missile's increased maneuverability proved highly effective in aerial combat. Used extensively by the Navy in Vietnam, many elusive adversaries, such as the MiG-17 and MiG-19 fighters, fell victim to the deadly Sidewinder., AIM-9s were manufactured by Raytheon Company, Ford Aerospace, and Loral Corporation. The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) at NAS Patuxent River manages the development, testing, and life cycle support of Sidewinders and all other naval air-air missiles., Our Display Missile Our Sidewinder is an accurate full-scale mock-up that was intended for display and engineering purposes, and never meant for flight.,

. Primary Use: Air-to-air combat , . U.S. Service Timeline (AIM-9 series): 1950s to present , . Users: U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and other nations , . Speed: Mach 2.5+ , . Operational Range: 0.6 to 20+ miles , . Length: 9.4 feet , . Span: 2.06 feet (across fins) , . Weight: 186 lbs , . Warhead Weight: 21 lbs