Subject: Missile gyros (was Re:Advanced "Tot" Gyroscope)

From: Don Stauffer <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 11 Dec 1996 10:44:18 -0600

There lots of types of missiles, from ICBMs to small air to surface 
tactical missiles.  The former are multimillion dollar birds, that must 
(as has been pointed out by another poster) be periodically tested.  In 
fact, some of them are operating the gyros continuously when on alert, 
to minimize the time it takes to go through a launch sequence.  Aligning 
platforms can take several minutes, so you would rather not do that if 
you want a quick response missile.

On the other hand, many tactical missiles must be very cheap to compete 
with guns.  And they are one-time fire things.  Just as you don't test 
fire a gun round, these things are sealed one-shot things.  So the 
gyros indeed are not made for long life.

So, just knowing it was a missile gyro doesn't tell you much.  You have 
to know from WHAT missile.

-- 
Don Stauffer in Minneapolis

---

From: [email-masked] (Chuck Lampman)
Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1996 14:19:45 -0500

In article <[email-masked]>, Don Stauffer
<[email-masked]> wrote:

<snip> 
> to know from WHAT missile.

And besides, a lot of "missile" gyros are actually from torpedos! When I
was stationed at the Navy Torpedo Station, near Seattle, in the early
'60s, they were popular presentation items when an officer or senior
civilian retired or was transferred. I have 2- I bought another in a junk
shop in LA about two weeks ago. Matched bookends!

Chuck Lampman
[email-masked]