Thunderbird the Beginning

In 1949 English Electric set up a Guided Weapons Division at Luton. The aim was to develop
a Surface to Air Guided weapon that would accompany the British Army in the field. As the Stage
air defence plan evolved the English Electric SAGW became part of the Stage 1 system to provide
air defence coverage for the Army with a range of 20 miles. This weapon was assigned the colour
code "Red Shoes" by the Ministry of Supply.


The test programme involved a few development vehicles, with the aerodynamics being proved
by the D3 and D4 test vehicles. The main development work was
performed by the LTV, Luton Test Vehicle.


Red Duster was to be a rocket propelled mobile missile guided by pulsed radar, AMES Type 83,
called Yellow River. The initial sustainer was a liquid fuel rocket engine, but the Army did not want
such  fuels in the field so a solid rocket motor sustainer was fitted. Various sustainers were applied
including the Albatross, Ratcatcher, Elkhound, Wolfhound and Smokey Joe.
Red Shoes also used a quartet of Gosling boost rocket motors for launch.
On entering service with the Army this became Thunderbird 1.


As the air threat changed and radar development progressed, it was decided to fit Red Shoes
with Continuous Wave Radar. This would confer improved performance in the face of ECM and
much improved low level capability. This was to be Red Shoes with a CW seeker using AMES Type 86
Indigo Corkscrew radar and was renamed Green Flax. At some stage the paperwork was lost and
as a security measure the name was changed to Yellow Temple. This would become Stage 1 1/2 and
was assigned  and entered service as Thunderbird 2.


A further name, VR 725, was applied after the Ministry of Supply was dissolved and was applied to
a version using the AMES Type 88 Tactical Control Radar and Type 89 Height finder Radar. These
radars had been developed under the colour code Green Ginger, but were called AD 11
and AD 12 respectively in the British Army Service. This entered service with Thunderbird 2.