Engineering:CGM-121 Seek Spinner

Short description: US drone

YCGM-121B Seek Spinner at the National Museum of the United States Air Force

CGM-121B Seek Spinner was a U.S. harassment drone or a kamikaze-drone as it was referred to at the time it was designed, developed by Boeing out of its CQM-121 Pave Tiger UAV. The main difference from the basic model was its seeker head, and its explosive payload, while aerodynamic characteristics had only minor changes. Although it was several times cheaper than its main rival, Tacit Rainbow drone, Seek Spinner never became operational.

Mission

According to Gen. Lawrence A. Skantze, Seek Spinner was designed for the suppression of enemy air defenses by employing swarming tactics in order to suppress enemy capability to track and engage the overwhelming number of Seek Spinners launched simultaneously, by that even 1:20 hit ratio out of thousand Seekers launched in a single salvo was to be considered a highly successful result, enough to wipe out Soviet radars.

Specifications (YCGM-121B)

General characteristics

• Crew: None
• Length: 6 ft 11.4 in (2.118 m)
• Wingspan: 8 ft 5 in (2.57 m)
• Height: 2 ft (0.61 m)
• Gross weight: 280 lb (127 kg) w/out booster
• Powerplant: 1 × Cuyuna Eagle 26.7 cu in (438 cc) two-stroke piston engine, 28 hp (21 kW)
• Powerplant: 1 × Solid rocket booster

Performance

• Maximum speed: 200 mph (320 km/h, 170 kn)
• Cruise speed: 90 mph (140 km/h, 78 kn)
• Range: 500 mi (800 km, 430 nmi)
• Endurance: 8 hours
• Service ceiling: 10,000 ft (3,000 m)

Armament

• Optional high-explosive warhead

Links

• Boeing flies Seek Spinner