1/48 scratch-built Air-Launch Cruise Missile

"SHARUR"

Gallery Article by P.B. on June 13 2017

 

      

1/48 scale (indigenous/scratch-built, no kit manufacturer) Air-Launch Cruise Missile - "SHARUR"
Country: Joint development France/Saudi Arabia

This is my first attempt at a Cruise Missile build. Scale is 1:48. I scratch-built this ALCM out of sprues, plastics, and excess parts, and lots of sanding.

Origin/Design
This stand-off Air-Launched Cruise Missile is of my own design, with some curved areas improving aerodynamic flight, and is loosely based on various fuselage designs (Naval Strike Missile of KDA/Raytheon, SCALP/Storm Shadow, and ASMP). This is a 1:48 scale, making the actual length 4.6m long. It has a variable sub-to-supersonic capability. Since my ACLM is indigenous (scratch-built, no kit), I am code-naming it: "SHARUR", meaning "smasher of thousands", from Sumerian mythology, an enchanted mace weapon and mythic symbol of the god Ninurta. It is said that the weapon is capable of flying across vast distances and communicate with its wielder.

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Propulsion
Turbojet engine is located at the rear of the missile, with an air intake located at the underbelly (towards rear). This ALCM is designed for air-launch only (there is no stage booster). Under Block 1 upgrade, improvement of engine. Under Block 2, a trust-vectoring system/exhaust is added, which obtains ± 5 degrees at subsonic, and ± 3 degrees at supersonic.

Flight control surfaces
Main control surfaces are four control/stab fins located at the tail end. Sustained flight wings deploy after launch and during subsonic flight and fold back during supersonic.

Est. range
Based on similar designs, I estimate max. ranges for this ALCM to be approx. 800 km. at low-subsonic; 550 km at high-subsonic, and 190 km. at full-burn Mach 2.2. A reasonable combination of flight/attack profiles: reach-theater capability or sustained flight; with flexible terminal profile at steep dive or NOE; final (supersonic); should generate an operational range of 425 km.

Electronics/Nav.
Inertial nav, MILGPS satnav, laser datalink and "man-in-the loop" openlink. All nav systems jointly allow for navpoints changes over duration of flight by operator (aircraft) or C5iSTAR (command post), except for final terminal profile. Circular Error Probable (CEP) is: 5-10m radius. 

Warhead
Warhead-specific variants are:

SHARUR-Firestarter: Hard-target penetrator + Thermobaric (can be used by all partner countries); 

SHARUR-Tremor: 35-kiloton nuclear (restricted use, only France). 

P.B.

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Photos and text © by P.B.