Hawker Siddeley Red Top

Length: 3.32 m (130.6 in)
Wingspan: 0.91 m (35.75 in)
Diameter: 223 mm (8.75 in)
Weight: 154 kg (340 lb)
Speed: Mach 3.2
Range: 12 km (7.5 mi)
Guidance: rear-aspect infrared
Warhead: 31 kg (68.3 lb) annular blast fragmentation

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The Hawker Siddeley (later British Aerospace) Red Top was the third indigenous British air-to-air missile to enter service (counting the limited service Fireflash).

[edit] Development

Red Top was originally a rationalized, upgraded version of the earlier Fairey Firestreak air-to-air missile carried out by de Havilland Propellors and was known as "Blue Jay Mark 4" (its development codename) and "Firestreak Mk. IV". Such were the changes that it was effectively a new missile. It arranged its components in more logical fashion than the Firestreak (which had its warhead in the tail), with an improved "Violet Banner" seeker, "Green Garland" IR fuse, and a more powerful "Linnet" booster rocket. It also had a larger warhead, at 31 kg (68.3 lb) against 22.7 kg (50 lb).

The Red Top had greater range and maneuverability than the Firestreak, and its more sensitive infrared seeker enabled a wider range of engagement angles. Beeing more sensitive it could home in on a target that had been warmed by air friction heating [1] although it was still not a true all-aspect missile like the later AIM-9L/AIM-M Sidewinder.

The Red Top entered service in 1964, arming the English Electric Lightning and de Havilland Sea Vixen. It remained in limited service until the final retirement of the Lightning in 1988.

A variant called Blue Dolphin or Blue Jay Mk. V, was proposed, using semi-active radar homing for capability similar to the AIM-7 Sparrow, but it was not adopted.