Ex-RAF Thor Missiles in the US

[RAMC181]

Thanks for that Bill,

57-2650 was the initial training Thor, and was somehow damaged sufficiently to be unlaunchable.
It would be interesting to know if the Aircorr team found evidence of this during the restoration.

All the best,
PB

[RAMC181]

Two small updates this time, but important ones.

...there now just two known ex-RAF Thors with no launch or final disposal listed:

No.278 (59-2399)
223 (SM) Squadron, RAF Folkingham:
Allocated to Program 437 (anti-satellite weapons program) after RAF service.
No further information, survival status and current location unknown.

Thor 278 appears to be the second Thor delivered to the museum at Vandenberg AFB in the mid-1990s, both were from a stock of nine missiles previously held at Carlsbad by the Naval Research Laboratory which were moved to Camp Pendleton in 1994.
This image would therefore appear to show both No.278 and No.284 arriving:

No.292 (59-2413)
218 (SM) Squadron, RAF Harrington, Launch Emplacement 50:
The second Thor mated to LE50, replacing No.269 which was accidentally loaded with RP1 fuel during a test countdown in August 1961.
(Thor 269 was returned to the USA for overhaul and was used for RAF Combat Training Launch 12 "Blazing Cinders" from Vandenberg AFB in June 1962. CTL12 was the last time an RAF crew launched a Thor missile.)
Allocated to Program 437 (anti-satellite weapons program) after RAF service.
No further information, survival status and current location unknown.

This missile was noted to have also been one of the nine moved to Camp Pendleton in 1994, no more recent information has yet come to light.

All the best,
PB

[RAMC181]

An amendment to the above, and another identified survivor to add to the list.
This means that all the possible surviving ex-RAF Thors appear to be accounted for in one way or another.

No.292 (59-2413)
218 (SM) Squadron, RAF Harrington, Launch Emplacement 50:
The second Thor mated to LE50, replacing No.269 which was accidentally loaded with RP1 fuel during a test countdown in August 1961.
(Thor 269 was returned to the USA for overhaul and was used for RAF Combat Training Launch 12 "Blazing Cinders" from Vandenberg AFB in June 1962. CTL-12 was the last time an RAF crew launched a Thor missile.)
Allocated to Program 437 (anti-satellite weapons program) after RAF service.
No further information, survival status and current location unknown.
Noted to have also been one of the nine moved to Camp Pendleton in 1994, no more recent information has yet come to light.

Thor 292 was used as a test target during laser weapon trials, the resulting remains (the LOX tank section and attached center body section) are now stored on SLC-10E at the Space and Missile Heritage Center, Vandenberg AFB.

Due to a typo in the launch listings, I'd missed the next survivor until now.

No.166 (58-2277):
On display at the National Atomic Museum, Albuquerque, NM. LINK

In other breaking news, the location of what appears to be the main dataplate on each missile has been found, being attached to the frame inside one of the access hatches in the center body section.
The Douglas production number can also be found stencilled in a number of places around the rest of the structure, usually written as "M xxx" on the inside of access panels and on equipment supports. Hopefully, over time, this will mean that those as-yet unconfirmed missiles and those that have lost their original external identities can be correctly identified.
Of particular interest are the two NMUSAF Thors, as their true identities have become confused and one of them should be as originally built (the majority of the others were modified for other purposes after their RAF service), and the possible remains of No.157 (58-2268) at Pima Air & Space Museum.
If anyone can assist on this matter please let me know.

All the best,
PB

[RAMC181]

List fully updated with all new info: LINK

[RAMC181]

A photo from February this year shows another Thor sitting alongside the NMUSAF's "bitza" Thor in the AMARC yard at Davis-Monthan.

Does anyone know its identity?
It looks very similar to Thor 285 (59-2406) from the Pima Air & Space Museum, has that one been moved "over the fence" for whatever reason?

All the best,
PB

[jamesintucson]

A photo from February this year shows another Thor sitting alongside the NMUSAF's "bitza" Thor in the AMARC yard at Davis-Monthan.

Does anyone know its identity?
It looks very similar to Thor 285 (59-2406) from the Pima Air & Space Museum, has that one been moved "over the fence" for whatever reason?

All the best,
PB

It is not the one from Pima. Ours hasn't gone anywhere.

James

[RAMC181]

Thanks James.

Are the remains of the other Thor still in the Pima yard too?

[jamesintucson]

Yes, we still have both of them.

[RAMC181]

That's great.