From the submarine to the shore. SSM-N-9 Regulus (USA) mail rocket
For a long time, the United States Post Office showed little interest in numerous special transport missile projects. The existing infrastructure coped with the assigned tasks, and did not need a radical restructuring and fundamentally new means. In addition, the mailing rocket enthusiasts did not have high performance and did not meet the requirements of the mail. As a result, launches were carried out in private, for the amusement of the public and to the joy of philatelists, who could receive original collection materials.
However, at the end of the fifties, similar "entertainment events" interested the leadership of the American Post Office Department, as a result of which a more than original and bold idea appeared. The postal administration did not deal with private individuals, but appealed for help to the command of the naval forces. Such cooperation has led to the most interesting results.
In early 1959, the post office and the Navy entered into an agreement to conduct a demonstration launch of a rocket with a special payload. According to this document, in the near future, the serial carrier SSM-N-8 Regul was to be the carrier of mail. It was proposed to launch it from one of the combat submarines in the direction of the landfill. There, the load should have been removed from the rocket and transferred to the "land" mail for further distribution. The required work and preparations for the future launch took several months. Teamwork fleet and the post was not disclosed, which later led to numerous complaints.
Post Submarine
In preparation for the experimental launch, the “sender” of the mail rocket was chosen. The carrier "Regula" with the mail assigned a diesel-electric submarine USS Barbero (SSG-317). This ship was laid in March 1943, and at the end of April 1944 was commissioned. Initially, he was armed only with torpedoes. The submarine participated in World War II, solving combat missions in the Pacific theater of operations.
Container for transportation of mail on the "Regul"
After the war, in the late forties, the submarine was used as a trial ship. With its help, scientists and fleet experts studied promising submarines and the possibility of using this or that new equipment. Such work continued until the 1950 year, when the operation of "Barbero" was suspended. Soon the ship was sent for repairs and upgrades. In accordance with the new plans of command, he was to become the carrier of promising SSM-N-8 cruise missiles.
During the modernization on the deck of the boat, behind the wheelhouse fence, a hangar for two cruise missiles and a launcher appeared. Inside the robust hull and outside placed a lot of new equipment. The update was a set of communications and navigation, and in addition, the submarine received control devices for firing rockets. According to the results of this modernization, the submarine USS Barbero (SSG-317) retained the main characteristics, but received completely new combat capabilities.
The submarine had a length of 95 m and a displacement of 2460 t. The basis of the power plant were four diesel engines of General Motors Model 16-278A, connected to electric generators. Energy accumulated in two batteries with 126 elements in each. Four electric motors were responsible for the movement, using gearboxes connected to a pair of propellers. Maximum speed (on the surface) exceeded 20 nodes. The cruising range is up to 11 thousand nautical miles. The maximum dive depth is 120 m. The boat was driven by 80 sailors, including 10 officers. After modernization, Barbero retained six nose torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber with 14 torpedoes.
The envelope of the welcome letter from the board of the rocket
Due to the technological imperfections of the carrier and its missile weapons, the use of Regulus missiles was associated with certain difficulties. Before launching the submarine had to float. Next, the crew had to open the hangar and display the rocket on the launcher. A lot of time was spent on these procedures, which reduced the real potential of the complex.
Mail carrier
The SSM-N-8 Regulus cruise missile, developed by the Chance Vought Aircraft Company, was put into service in the mid-fifties. It was created for use on surface ships and submarines; the task of the rocket was to deliver a special high-power warhead to enemy ground targets. The rocket had a specific technical appearance and did not differ in ease of operation or reliability. At the same time, such weapons gave the US Navy new combat capabilities.
The Regul missile was a normal aerodynamic projectile equipped with a turbojet engine. The main element of the airframe was a cigar-shaped fuselage, built on the basis of the frame. In the forward part of the rocket there was a frontal air intake, behind which there was a long duct. The body of the warhead was used as the central body of the intake. In the central part of the rocket were fuel tanks surrounding the air duct, as well as the autopilot and part of the control systems. In the tail, the Allison J33-A-14 turbojet engine was installed with 2100 kgf thrust. At the start, it was proposed to use a pair of solid-fuel engines with 15 thous. Kgf.
Rocket Letter
The product received a swept wing of a medium location. In the transport position, it evolved, which reduced the diameter of the rocket more than twice. The tail plumage consisted of only one keel mounted on the fuselage above. For transportation, it evolved. In-flight control was carried out using wing elevons and a swiveling keel.
The Regulus missile had a length of 9,8 m with a maximum fuselage diameter of less than 1,5 m. The wingspan was in flight position - 6,4 m, in transport - 3 m. A special warhead weighing up to 3 kgs. (1360 kg) was placed in the nose of the rocket. The total mass of the product in the starting position - 6,2 t. The flight to the target was carried out at subsonic speed. Flight range, in accordance with the technical specifications, was 500 nautical miles (926 km).
The launch was carried out with a rail, the length of which was less than the length of the rocket. Due to the powerful starting engines and a given angle of elevation of the rocket could go on the calculated trajectory. Further, the flight was carried out using the guidance system with two separate control stations installed on the carrier submarine and another ship. Later, controls were upgraded, so that the submarine carrier was able to independently manage the flying missile.
Despite the imperfections, the existing control system gave acceptable shooting accuracy. The circular deviation was only 0,5% of the flight range. This means that when launching at a maximum range, the rocket deviated from the entire target by 4,6 km.
Last preparations
In the first months of 1959, the postal service and the United States Navy prepared for the future experimental mail version of the Regulus missile. The most difficult, for obvious reasons, was the organization of the launch itself and the preparation of the rocket. However, such work did not take much time.
In the future operation they suggested using a modified version of the SSM-N-8 prototype rocket. A few years earlier, a reusable prototype rocket was created to reduce the cost of the test program. She had a landing gear and remote control for landing. Such a product could make several flights, which simplified testing and refinement.
Mayport Missile Landing
A mail rocket based on an experienced Regulus has lost a warhead or its weight simulator, as well as some other equipment. In the nose, next to the air duct of the engine, found the volume to accommodate the payload. Letters were supposed to be packed in a pair of special containers. The container was a rectangular metal box with a beveled upper part, due to which it could be installed in a fuselage of circular cross section. The drawer contained 1500 standard envelopes with letters. The total payload of the rocket included 3 thousand letters.
The SSM-N-9 serial missiles for the fleet had a dark blue color. Mail carrier is colored red. The correspondence containers were covered in blue and the upper part was red. On a blue background were white letters “US Mail”. Probably, such marking was provided for in case of an accident and loss of correspondence.
The submarine USS Barbero (SSG-317) did not need any modifications to participate in the future "operation". At the same time, her crew received the appropriate instructions. In addition, he was handed the necessary documents.
In early June, the Post Office Department's 1959 prepared a payload for the new mail rocket. The last load was almost 3 thousand letters with welcome messages to President Dwight Eisenhower, Vice President Richard Nixon, ministers, governors, congressmen, officials, military, etc. Some letters were intended for American addressees, and some for foreign ones.
Removing containers from a rocket. In the center - US General Postmaster General A.I. Summerfield
To launch, they prepared special envelopes with a drawing of a flying rocket and the signature “First official rocket mail”. On the envelopes there was one or two marks with a nominal value of 4 cent. The stamps were redeemed with a special stamp with the launch date. The USS Barbero submarine was listed on the postmark as the shipping unit. It should be noted that the cancellation took place on the shore long before the time indicated on the stamp.
Unfortunately philatelists, the organizers of the experiment did not notify the public about the future launch. As a result, civilians were unable to send their letters and postcards to transport a postal rocket, as was the case in previous experiments.
The key to start
On the morning of June 8, the Barbero submarine of the year was 1959 miles off the coast of Florida. On the eve, a special Regulus rocket with a special payload was loaded into its hangar. A few hours later the ship reached the launch point, and then began preparations for the launch. In accordance with the launch plan, the missile should have been directed at the Mayport naval air station, where it was supposed to land.
Around noon local time, the crew of the submarine carrier gave the command to start. The rocket successfully descended from the guide and headed to the intended area. After 22 minutes after launch, the rocket reached the Mayport base, where it was taken over by remote control and safely put on the ground. From the rocket immediately removed the postal containers, which should be transferred to the nearest post office in the city of Jacksonville. From there, the correspondence went to the addressees through existing channels.
President Dwight Eisenhower (left) receives a letter from postman Noble Upperman. In the center - A.I. Summerfield
On the occasion of the arrival of the first rocket with mail at the Mayport base, they organized a real celebration. Meeting "Regul", representatives of the postal department and the naval forces made speeches. Thus, the US General Postmaster General Arthur I. Summerfield said that the peaceful use of a combat missile in the interests of mail is of great practical interest. In addition, he noted that for the first time in the world, a postal rocket was launched by order and with the direct participation of the state post office. Finally, he expressed the hope that in the near future a full-scale mail message using missiles would be organized on the planet.
After launch ...
With the help of a modified SSM-N-8 rocket, several thousand welcome letters were delivered to the land from the Atlantic Ocean, intended for officials of several countries. In the shortest possible time this correspondence reached the addressees. In addition, the launch was reported to the public.
The philatelic community accepted the messages with enthusiasm, although it was not without criticism. The post office received several letters in which he was accused of concealing an interesting experiment from the public. Many of those who learned about the launch would like to send their letters and postcards by rocket, but did not receive such an opportunity.
Letters from the rocket immediately began to be of interest to collectors. Soon, some addressees put up their letters for sale. In the future, Regulus missile shipments have repeatedly appeared at auctions and other trading platforms. Some of the unique envelopes hit the museums of the United States and other countries, others are kept in private collections.
Unfortunately, the predictions of A.I. Summerfield did not come true. The launch of the SSM-N-8 in June of 1959 was the first and the last of its kind. The US departments no longer attempted to organize such a forwarding of letters. Naturally, the expectations about the organization of international rocket mail transfer lines did not materialize either. In fact, the launch of "Regula" with a special burden repeated the fate of other attempts to create rocket mail.
The experimental launch of a combat cruise missile with mail correspondence on board was of great interest to the public and specialists. Nevertheless, he was the first and the last. The specifics of mail messages and rocket technology of that time did not allow to successfully implement such ideas in practice, as a result of which they were abandoned. However, the only launch of SSM-N-8 with letters had positive consequences. The philatelic community received a lot of unique collection materials, and the post office and the military were able to establish in practice the prospects for unusual ideas.
On the materials of the sites:
https://postalmuseum.si.edu/
https://about.usps.com/
https://popularmechanics.com/
http://filatelist.narod.ru/
http://wa3key.com/
https://motherboard.vice.com/
https://rocketry.wordpress.com/
- Ryabov Kirill
- Wikimedia Commons, United States National Postal Museum / postalmuseum.si.edu
Information