Fairey Stooge

• Name — Stooge • Origin — United Kingdom • Type — Surface-to-air missile • Is Missile — yes • Is Uk — yes • Design Date — 1944-1947 • Manufacturer — Fairey Aviation • Weight — 738 lb • Length — 7 ft • Diameter — 12.5 in • Engine — Main engine, 4 x 5 in "Swallow" rockets 75 lb-f each • Engine Power — Boosters, 4 x RP-3 3 in rockets 5600 lb-f total thrust • Speed — 520 mph • Guidance — Radio command • Wingspan — 6 ft • Propellant — Solid fuel • Boost — 40 sec

During World War II a number of efforts were started to develop surface-to-air missiles as it was generally considered that flak was of little use against bombers of ever-increasing performance. While the Germans developed a number of systems in an attempt to deter Allied bombing, the overwhelming air superiority held by the Allies meant that the prospect of developing similar weapons was largely ignored as unnecessary. This changed when the Kamikaze threat spread in the later half of 1944. This led to the British Stooge and Brakemine efforts, and the US Navy's SAM-N-2 Lark. The British Army had already ordered early studies on these weapons. According to a common account of its development, possibly apocryphal, Fairey was asked to carry out some basic research on these plans by a Royal Navy request, but instead presented a revised design of some depth. The Ministry of Supply (MoS) signed a contract for development of the system in 1944. The ending of the war in August 1945 led to a lower level of urgency, but the MoS continued funding as a development project.

• Illustration — Stooge displayed on launcher The first prototypes, with fixed controls, flew after seven months from the start of development at the end of World War II. Development continued with a number of test firings at the Rocket Experimental Establishment at RAF Aberporth at Aberporth, Wales. It is believed that around twelve Stooges were constructed by Fairey, the most successful of the test launches being that of the sixth missile, achieving an altitude of 1600 ft and a range of 3 mi before the flight was terminated by range safety, the missile having passed out of sight of the operator. The Stooge, on its launcher, was displayed at the Radlett Aerodrome in 1947. Radlett, northwest of London, was the site of a major Handley Page factory and host of early meetings of what would become the Farnborough Airshow. Although the programme failed to yield an operational weapons system, experience gained from the testing of Stooge assisted in the development of the Fairey Fireflash air-to-air missile.