"Michael P. Reed" wrote in message
om...
"Kevin Brooks" wrote in message
...

Maybe it was felt they had better odds against bombers.

It probably would have.

The Falcon was originally designed for shooting down bombers and not
fighters. Only the AIM-4D was considered as a "dogfight" missile.

The Falcon did go through upgrades throughout its career. The final ones
in
service (AIM-4F/G limited to use on the F-106) were undoubtedly better
and
more capable than the early sixties variants, with greater range, larger
warheads, and better maneuverability than the original AIM-4A and later
AIM-4D.

This is a bit wrong.

And then you go on to acknowledge that the Falcon did indeed go through a
development program that left the later variants decidedly more capable than
the first version...? Note I said "the final ones in service", not the
"final version fielded".

Brooks

The Falcon came originally in two versions and
entered service with the F-89J with the -A and -C versions (three each
to every F-89) either late in 1956 or early 1957. The -A being radar
guided, and the -C infrared. The -E was a larger variant with radar
guidance and this entered production shortly after the -A's and -C's.
The -F was an improved -E and was the standard radar version. About
the same time the -G was introduced as an infrared variant of the
-E/-F. IIRC, the -D was not introduced until about '60, and was the
last variant procured. It was basically the smaller -A/-C airframe
with the -G guidance and motor. Some were purpose built, but most
were reconstructed -A/-C's. It is confusing that the last Falcon
would be given an "earlier" designation, but remember that all were
manufactured prior to the tri-service (re)designations in 1962. The
AIM-26s were even larger than the -E/-F/-G's and so were given a
different designations. AIM-26A was the nuke version of the Falcon.
The AIM-26B had a conventional warhead, and was produced under licence
in Sweden as the Rb-27 (as you say). The AIM-47 was to have armed the
F-108, and later the YF-12.

The Falcon, FWIW, was, like BOMARC, given a "fighter" designation;
F-98 Falcon (BOMARC was F-99). The designation changes was as
follows:

USAF Tri-Service

GAR-1 AIM-4
GAR-1D AIM-4A
GAR-2 AIM-4B
GAR-2A AIM-4C
GAR-2B AIM-4D
GAR-3 AIM-4E
GAR-3A AIM-4F
GAR-4A AIM-4G
GAR-11 AIM-26A
GAR-11A AIM-26B
GAR-9 AIM-47A

--
Regards,

Michael P. Reed