Bell X-9 on its trailer

The Bell X-9 Shrike was a prototype surface-to-air, liquid-fueled guided missile designed by Bell Aircraft as a testbed for the nuclear-armed GAM-63 RASCAL. It is named after the shrike, a family of birds.

Testing

Thirty-one X-9 rockets were delivered, flying from April 1949 to January 1953. The program was used to gather aerodynamic and stability data, and to test guidance and propulsion systems for the RASCAL.^[1]

None of the missiles survived testing. The only known remaining fragment of an X-9 is part of a vertical stabilizer, at the Larry Bell Museum in Mentone, Indiana.^[2]

Specifications (X-9)

General characteristics:

• Length: 22 ft 9 in (6.9 m)
• Wingspan: 7 ft 10 in (2.4 m)
• Diameter: 1 ft 10 in (0.56 m)
• Wing area: 70 ft² (6.5 m²)
• Weight (empty): 2,125 lb (964 kg)
• Weight (loaded): 3,500 lb (1,588 kg)
• Propulsion: Bell XLR65-BA-1 liquid-fuel rocket engine, 3,000 lbf (13.3 kN) thrust

Performance:

• Maximum speed: Mach 2.0
• Range: 50 mi (80 km)
• Service ceiling: 12.3 mi (19.8 km)
• Rate of climb: m/min ( ft/min)
• Wing loading: kg/m² ( lb/ft²)
• Thrust/weight: