The Martin Matador and
Mace Missiles

Having ones hands or fingers in the spoiler slot during systems checkout when the hydraulic system was at the full 1500 PSI was not a smart idea. Neither was standing on the fuselage near the Variable Incidence Horizontal Stabilizer (VIHS) during test.

Left: Spoilers down, level flight
 

Right: The Plenum Chamber: How the air got in to feed the J-33-A37 (Matador) or J-33-A41 (Mace) jet engine

The TM-76 "A" Nose section with the guidance unit closed, and, right, open to show the components on the back of the panel. The Airman with the big wrench is A1C John Miner.    USAF Photos courtesy of Dave Maas (DrMass@aol.com)

Operational MGM-13A (TM-76A) Mace of the 822nd Tactical Missile Squadron on Alert at Site I, Mehlingen, Germany, 1965

Photo courtesy of Bill Hughes, Major, USAF (Ret) (goldwing34@bellsouth.net)

The Martin MSB-57B ATRAN

Martin B-57 SN52-1562, shown here in a Martin Co. armaments photograph, was later converted to MSB-57B with TM-76A Mace nose.

After it's service as a TM-76A guidance simulator, it was later rebuilt as RB-57F 63-13290

Great Time for a New Nose

B-57 s/n 52-1565, after a "hard landing" at Dover on a flight from Warner Robins, required extensive airframe rebuild.  "The aircraft 52-1565 was lost to the 38th Bomb Wing but later repaired. I saw it in North Africa as a "Shanicle" airplane. They had attached a Mace nose to it and it's job was to fly the missile tracks as a missile for test purposes, I suppose."

B-57 pilot John Harris    (jwharris@cox.net)

[According to 38th TMW records, 52-1565 was assigned to the 38th TMW as of 31 Dec 1959 to test the Matador Shanicle radio base stations, both in Germany and in Libya. It was later lost in combat in Viet Nam, and was not converted for use as ATRAN MSB-57Bs as were S/N 52-1562 and S/N 52-1539. ]

Martin Marietta converted B-57B S/N 52-1539 and S/N 52-1562 to adapt the Mace "A" nose section to test and checkout the TM-76A guidance system. Both MSB-57s were assigned to the 38th TMW at Sembach.

The two aircraft were fitted with Mace nose sections incorporating the Automatic Terrain Recognition And Navigation - ATRAN guidance system. The ATRAN system employed a terrain-matching radar guidance system in which the return from a radar scanning antenna was matched with serial frames of 35mm terrain "maps" carried on board the missile.

Photo of MSB-57B SN52-1562 on the ramp at Sembach being serviced by the Guidance Van courtesy of Fred Horky (redvette4@cox.net)

MSB-57B 52-1562 at Sembach

Photo courtesy of Fred Horky (redvette4@cox.net)

"MARTIN-BUILT B57 recently used in research and development tests of a guidance system, serves as back drop at Strawberry Point, Baltimore division for, from left, Don Schacht, AC Spark Plug Co.; Raymond Vogel, site manager, flight Test Support; Tom McDonald, MACE systems group leader, Installation & Test, Electronic Systems and Products; in back, top, Don McCusker, manager, simulated MACE program; on step, John Miller, AC Spark Plug Co."

Martin Mercury - Company Newsletter Vol. 19 No. 8 November 17, 1961

The B-57 was also used as a flying test bed for the inertial guidance system used in the TM-76B, but the Martin aircraft was not assigned to a US Air Force tactical missile unit.

The Mace "B" AC Achiever Inertial Guidance Nose Section

A Mace B nose section sits ready for checkout at a Guidance Systems Checkout (GSC) station in the MSA area at Bitburg. The theodolite, called an Azimuth Alignment Unit, or simply the AAU, was used to reference the IG platform for checkout.

Photo by George Mindling (myakka@embarqmail.com)

A2c Vic Shoepe checks the theodolite during guidance systems checkout of a TM-76B (CGM-13B) AC Spark Plug inertial guidance nose section at the Missile Support Area near Oberweis, Bitburg Air Base, Germany

The sound proof air conditioner rooms, where the flex hose enters the checkout area, had to be built after it was determined permanent hearing loss would occur if anyone was exposed to the incredible noise levels for an extended period of time, even with the mandatory ear plugs.

Photo courtesy of Vic Shoepe (JGShoepe@cs.com)

Students of the 4504th Student Squadron at the TAC Missile Combat Training School in Orlando AFB, reference an inertial guidance system on a TM-76B (CGM-13B) in a school launch bay using the Azimuth Alignment Unit, a K&E Theodolite.

In this USAF photo, S/Sgt Keith Hover and an unidentified A1C dismantle an AC Achiever guidance system in May, 1969, at Bitburg after CGM-13B shutdown. The size of these massive gimbals and the complexity of the heating and cooling system are readily viewable in these photos of disassembly.

Take a look at the restoration of 59-4871 at American Aero Services

This first class restoration also includes the restoration of the Translauncher

"The video slide show tells most of the tale. It is now in a temporary storage area at the Air Force base at the Cape awaiting their new display hangar to be completed."

Tom Walker

Web Master and Aircraft Restoration Specialist

American Aero Services

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