The Martin-built TM-61 "Matador" is another of the USAF's weapons which serve as a deterrent to aggression.
The Matador is equipped with a rocket booster for "zero length" launching from its trailer. Once airborne, the
rocket booster drops off and the missile flies on power supplied by an Allison J-33 jet engine and is guided
electronically to the target. Capable of either nuclear or conventional warheads, the TM-61 flies at speeds
in excess of 650 mph and at altitudes over 30,000 feet. Once over the target, the Matador points its lethal
nose downward and streaks to its goal at trans-sonic velocity.
U.S. Air Force
Dimensions
Length: 39 ft 6 in (12.1 m)
Diameter: 4 ft 6 in ( 1.2 m)
Wingspan: 28 ft 7 in (8.7 m)
Weight: 12,000 lbs (5,400 kg)
Booster: Aerojet General solid fuel rocket - Thrust: 52,000 lbf (240,000 kN)
Cruise: 1x Allison J33-A-37 turbojet - Thrust: 4,300 lbf (20 kN)
Cruise speed: Mach 0.9 (646 mph, 1,040 km/h)
Operating altitude: 43,000 ft (11,000 m)
Warhead: 20 kiloton W5 fission warhead
First Firing: 20 January 1949