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.
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 MuseuminMentone, Indiana.[2]
General characteristics:
Performance:
Media related to Bell X-9 at Wikimedia Commons|
Bell Aircraft and Bell Helicopter/Bell Textron aircraft
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USAF / Joint Service experimental aircraft (X-plane) designations since 1941
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| Supersonic/special test "S" (1946–1947) |
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| Experimental "X" (1948–present) |
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1 Not assigned • 2 Assigned to multiple types • 3 Unofficial | |||||||
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United States Air Force rocket and missile designations 1947–1951
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