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Dow AFB BOMARC Missile Site (1959-1964) - A Cold War era United States Air Force (USAF) BOMARC Missile Site activated in June 1959 Dow Air Force Base in Bangor, Penobscot County, Maine. This BOMARC Missile Site closed in 1964.
History
This site was constructed as a USAF BOMARC Missile Site in 1959, activated in June 1959 and went operational in June 1960. The site was built with launchers for 28 BOMARC A Model II missiles. The site was never modified for the BOMARC B Model missiles.
Two models were produced:
- 'A' Model - Liquid-fuel booster electron-tube based guidance radar and computer. Boeing/MARC CIM-10A
- 'B' Model - Solid-fuel booster transistor based guidance radar and computer. Boeing/MARC CIM-10B
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A Model
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B Model
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| Rocket
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One Aerojet General LR59-AG-13 liquid rocket
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One Thiokol XM-51 solid fuel rocket
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| Ramjets
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Two Marquardt RJ43-MA-3
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Two Marquardt RJ43-MA-7 ramjets
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| Wingspan
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18 ft 2 in
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18 ft 2 in
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| Length
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46 ft 10 in
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45 ft 1 in
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| Height
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10 ft 4 in
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10 ft 4 in
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| Diameter
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2 ft 11 in
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2 ft 11 in
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| Weight
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15,619 lbs
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16,032 lbs
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| Speed
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1,975 mph(Mach 2.8)
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1,975 mph(Mach 2.8)
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| Range
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260 miles
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440 miles
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| Service Ceiling
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65,000 ft
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100,000 ft
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| Armament
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W-40 nuclear warhead -or-
1,000 lb conventional high-explosive warhead
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W-40 nuclear warhead -or-
1,000 lb conventional high-explosive warhead
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| Cost
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$1,154,000
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$1,150,000
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This site was manned by the 30th Air Defense Missile Sq (BOMARC).
30th ADMS (BOMARC) Assignments
- 1 Jun 1959 - Activated at Dow AFB, ME, assigned to Bangor ADS
- 15 Dec 1964 - Inactivated.
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The missiles remained on alert until the site was deactivated 1964.
Physical Plant
The missile site consisted of three separate areas, the Launch Area, the Missile Support Area, and a remoted Ground-Air Transmitter (GAT) radio site.
Current Status
Now part of the Bomarc Industrial Park. Many of the buildings still exist but most have been modified and repurposed.
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Location: Near Bangor in Penobscot County, Maine.
Maps & Images
Lat: 44.85307 Long: -68.78638
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See Also:
Sources:
- Cornett, Lloyd H. & Johnson, Mildred W., A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization (1946-1980), Office of History ADC, Peterson AFB, Colorado, 31 Dec 1980, 179 pages, Pdf, page 150.
- USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Database Entry: 1913350
- Berhow, Mark & Morgan Mark, Rings of Supersonic Steel, Hole in the Head Press, 2nd Edition 2002, ISBN: 0615120121/978-0615120126, 190 pages.
- Radomes - Boeing IM-99A Bases Manual
- Mc Mullen, Richard F., ADC Historical Study No. 14 - History of Air Defense Weapons, Historical Division Office of Information, HQ Air Defense Command, Chapter 6. Pdf
Links:
Visited: 26 May 2018
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