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The Dragon, M47 AT Missile

G

grog18b

Well-Known Member
Thanks to Lou, and a very gracious trade, I am the proud new parent of a baby Dragon... Here she is:
Missle001.jpg


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Lou even included an extra engine compartment in the trade, so I have a new winter project of making up a new nose and tail section, and setting up a nice display. The tube has been located, and will be purchased shortly... Now if anyone has a spare sight...

I'll post more photos as I get things done, and posted a thanks to lou in the swap section as well. Thanks again Lou, she's found a good home. GROG
 
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Hey Grog,

Looks good, it is always nice to have a Dragon around the Castle.

Stay safe,

Frank
 
A Porky Prime Missile. Always nice to see them out of their tubes, in free-range state.
 
Once the dragon missile is launched it is both propelled and steered by the small motors. In hi-speed films you can actually see the missile "hopping" side to side as it moves toward the target.

This can present some additional hazards, depending on the distance to the target there can be several or more unfired motors after impact and even after detonation. I've attached some pictures of one of the motor panels post detonation. The first photo shows that the covers over the motor nozzles are all missing, indicating that all motors still present (sometimes they blow off during warhead detonation or impact) have fired.

The second photo shows the other side of the panel, you can see the motors themselves. While small, they are very energetic and potentially very hazardous if you pick one up.

The final picture is a view of a motor panel on my factory-inert display missile. On this you can see what it looks like when the motor covers are in place. You might find an fired missile with only one or two caps on like this, regardless of the number it should be treated as a live item, HE missile or practice.
 

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Here is a video, you can hear the steering motors popping.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmgUZXeTy6I"]YouTube- M47 Dragon Shoot[/ame]
 
Very nice vid, thanks Jeff. I saw a similar video a while back. Very interesting. This particular Dragon has all fired nozzles, and is is very good shape. I am going to try to find some very similar rivets, and replace the ones that were obviously replaced. GROG
 
Guess who just scored a REAL Dragon day tracker sight..., and NOT the practice version... Oh yeah baby... Once I get my Dragon put back together after reconditioning, I will take some photos to show her off. I also want to get the second engine set a molded warhead and fin section I have to fabricate and mold. I really lucked out by finding a guy that needed a set of foam pads for his. He had an extra day tracker, and a trade was born. I had to remove my pads, mold them, and the plastic parts of the front pad that hold the indicator paper, and then put them together. It was one of the largest molding projects I have yet undertaken. I'd say it was a very good trade, but I know there are those here that already know that... I have never seen a real tracker sight for the M47 for sale, let alone even in collector's hands. I know a practice sight went for 800+ a few years ago, and this is a real one... Cool does not begin to describe it.

So, if anyone out there had a Dragon tube that is in need of some new pads, let me know, as I have the molds to pour the foam, and the molds for the plastic box and brace that go inside the front pad. I poured them using clear plastic, like the original. The pads I made for him look better than the ones I had on my tube, and those were in really good shape. I will post some photos when I get the thing complete. GROG
 
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maybe somebody have good cutaways of warheads ?

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and any info about this version ?
 
The WH98 warhead and a number of other warheads for the Dragon in Swiss service (PAL BB 77 Dragon) were developed by the then RUAG (Swiss Munitions/Swiss Ammunition Corp.), later known as Saab Bofors Dynamics (Saab's warheads website). An example selection of warhead designations is in the image below from a document from 2005.

RUAG Warheads.jpg

The WH in WHxx, just means Warhead Hollow, or just Warhead. In Swiss-German it's Hohlpanzergrante, lit. Hollow Tank Shell. As you can see there would seem to have been a Hohlpanzergrante 77, 86, 90, 92 and 98 for the Dragon.
 
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thank you, but WH98 is it enter service ?

cpDyJ9QKxYU.jpg


and what the difference between 90 and 92 ?
 
I'm presuming that this is the Swiss Dragon's family history.

Hohlpanzergrante 77 = orignal reduced-diameter 4" (101.6 mm) warhead
Hohlpanzergrante 86 = later full-diameter 5 " (127 mm) warhead - equivalent to Dragon II
Hohlpanzergrante 90 = tandem warhead
Hohlpanzergrante 92 = another tandem warhead
Hohlpanzergrante 98 = this would seen to be a triple charge warhead

As to what the difference is between the 90 and 92, I've no idea?
 
Wolchonok said:
mwqLQT5NLvw.jpg



maybe somebody have good cutaways of warheads ?
Click to expand...
Any idea where that pic came from? I've seen it come up in around the web in discussions of Dragon variants, but I've never been able to source it. I think its from a Swedish museum whose site doesn't really work, but they never responded to my email
 
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