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TM-61 Matador
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Photo:
Robert Deering 10/18/2012 National Museum of the USAF Wright-Paterson AFB (FFO) Dayton, Ohio |
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As the
U.S. Air Force's first pilotless bomber, the Matador
used a concept similar to the German V-1 "buzz bomb" of
World War II. Originally designated the B-61, the TM-61A
surface-to-surface tactical missile carried either a
conventional or nuclear warhead. Launched from a mobile
40-foot trailer by a booster rocket that fell away, the
Matador continued toward its target powered by a jet
engine. Unlike the V-1, however, the Matador was
controlled electronically from the ground during flight. Development of the Matador began in August 1945, and its first launch took place in January 1949. Operational TM-61s became the first tactical guided missiles in the USAF inventory. For test and training purposes, the USAF organized the first Pilotless Bomber Squadron (Light) in October 1951, and the first TM-61 unit deployed overseas to bolster NATO forces in West Germany in March 1954. Matador units also deployed to Korea and Taiwan. Martin delivered the 1,000th Matador in mid-1957, but in 1959 a phase-out of the Matador began in favor of a more advanced version, the Martin Mace. |
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