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Flying saucer fighter design by John C Fischer Jnr in 1954. This unusual concept was configured for high manoeuvrability. US Patent Office 104 advanced air-to-air missile was intended to forma key part of the forthcoming North Amer- ican B-70 Valkyrie bomber’s defensive system. Initially known as the Defensive Anti-Missile System (DAMS), it was also assigned the code- name Pye Wacket. The unusual name Pyewacket (originally one word) was bor- rowed from the mystical cat which appeared in the 1958 movie Bell, Book & Candle, which starred James Stewart and Kim Novak. Although the B-70 would operate at a speed and altitude that placed it beyond the reach of most Russian air defence systems, US designers anticipated more capable Soviet interceptors (like the Mikoyan MiG-25 Foxbat) and more advanced surface- and air- launched missiles equipped with low-yield nuclear warheads. The B-70 would carry state-of-the-art electronic countermeasures and rearward-launched nuclear-tipped air- to-air missiles, but it was felt that Pye Wacket was needed to deal with all possible threats. As the project evolved in association with North American Aviation, DAMS took the form of a small disc- or lenticular-shaped vehicle, powered by three solid-fuel Thiokol M58A2 rocket motors that were similar to those used in the early Hughes AIM-4 Falcon air-to-air missile. This was expected to provide a speed of about Mach 6.5, a range of 82 miles (133km) and a phenomenal manoeuvring ability. Missiles would be vertically stacked in the B-70’s bomb bay on two separate posts, each holding five Pye Wackets. The missile would be launched from the aircraft by means of a percussion ejector and the rocket motors ignited once clear of the bomber. Pye Wacket would be able to execute turns that were way beyond the capability of any manned vehicle or guided missile and this performance allowed engagements with head-on targets closing as fast as Mach 7. The name Pye Wacket was used throughout the project, but DAMS caused some confusion with USAF personnel and in 1958 the official designation was changed to Lenticular Defense Missile (LDM) to reflect the shape of the vehicle. In June 1959 the USAF issued Con- vair with a classified contract to continue devel- opment of LDM and they produced three scale models for wind tunnel testing known as B1 to B3. This was mostly undertaken at the 40in (101.6cm) Tunnel A of the von Karman Gas Dynamics Facility at AEDC. It soon became clear that the disc shape provided outstanding stability at speeds up to Mach 6 and allowed Secret Projects: Flying Saucer Aircraft