The Sidewinder missile, named after the sidewinder snake, is a supersonic, heat-seeking missile with over 110,000 produced for 28 countries. It uses a lead sulfide-based infrared detector and a mechanical tracking system to anticipate and lead the target.
The Sidewinder missile is the first truly successful air-to-air missile, and as such it has been widely produced, with over 110,000 produced so far for over 28 countries, as well as widely imitated. The Sidewinder is native to the United States and takes its name from the sidewinder snake, as the trajectory of the first versions resembled the zig-zag of this species. Similar to snakes, it is also heat-seeking and can be quite deadly, with over 270 verified kills since its development in 1956.
The Sidewinder is a supersonic missile, with a speed of Mach 2.5. A typical design, the AIM-9L, has a length of 2.85 m (9.4 ft), a range of 1-18 km, depending on weather conditions, and carries a 9.4 kg explosive fragmentation payload. The unit cost is approximately $84,000 US Dollars (USD) as of 2007. It is manufactured by one of three companies: Raytheon Corporation, Ford Aerospace, or Loral Corp.
When the Sidewinder was first developed in the early 1950s, the goal was to produce a reliable and effective missile with the “electronic complexity of a tabletop radio model and the mechanical complexity of a washing machine”. This goal was quickly achieved, and its extremely wide adoption is a testament to its simplicity and effectiveness.
The Sidewinder uses a lead sulfide-based infrared (IR) detector. When lead sulfide is exposed to thermal energy, it reduces the compound’s electrical resistance, an example of photoconductivity. This decrease in drag can be measured as related to an action, such as changing the trajectory of a missile in flight.
In the nose of a Sidewinder, a reflective mirror points forward, reflecting thermal energy from a distant target back to the IR detector. The Sidewinder should be pointed approximately in the direction of the target; otherwise he will see nothing and will only plow forward. If the target is in the crosshairs, it can measure what angle the heat source is from the direction of its travel. The missile’s pitch and yaw are changed according to the degree of the angle.
The Sidewinder also anticipates the target’s flight path using a mechanical tracking system that “remembers” past measurements and projects them forward, flying the missile on a course called proportional tracking. This allows the missile to “lead” to the target, much like a quarterback throws a ball where he thinks a catcher will be when the ball comes, rather than throwing it straight off the start. This is much more efficient than direct tracking, where the missile simply flies in the current direction of the target.
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