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Ascale Pye Wacket Model B1 undergoing wind tunnel testing at Tunnel A of the von Karman Gas Dynamics Facility in the Arnold Engineering Development Center. USAF Pye Wacket Model B3 undergoing wind tunnel testing. This was the only wind tunnel model that was tested with lateral control surfaces. USAF unprecedented agility. Various control devices were also tested which included flaps, vanes, and other moving surfaces. By early 1960 the wedge-shaped circular B3 vehicle had been selected along with a reaction control system comprising four thrusters for pitch and a further two for yaw. The initial design of this missile had a diame- ter of 60in (1.52m), a maximum thickness of 12in (30.5cm) and a gross weight of 425 1b (193kg). The USAF planned to make test launches of Pye Wacket from a rocket sled and rumours persist that several air launches of full-sized vehicles were conducted at the White Sands Missile Range during 1960, but no details have ever been released. The warhead intended for Pye Wacket remains unclear but there are indications that several options were considered, which included a conventional explosive design and an exotic low-yield nuclear type. Just prior to launch from the B-70, targeting data would be downloaded to the missile’s com- puter from the aircraft’s fire control system. The missile would be able to approach an inbound target coming from any direction and terminal guidance took the form of an infra-red seeker. On the other hand, it appears that expectations for this system may have been somewhat greater than what was technically feasible at that time. Pye Wacket continued to evolve and the diameter was increased to 70in (1.78m) while the disc became shallower with a max- imum thickness of 9in (22.9cm); it gained a little weight at 510lb (231kg). It was also decided that propulsion could be adequately handled by two rocket motors with 10,200 Ib (45,5KN) thrust, which would provide the same level of performance. Pye Wacket was officially cancelled in 1961, when it was decided that the B-70 would not require any form of missile defence system. But work may have continued at Eglin and Wright-Pat- terson AFB under Project 5155 (Vehicle Defence Techniques), which examined defensive measures for boost phase, near- space and extraterrestrial vehicles using a missile with a radiation warhead. Ascale Pye Wacket Model B1 undergoing wind tunnel testing at Tunnel A of the von Karman Gas Dynamics Facility in the Arnold Engineering Development Center. USAF Pye Wacket Model B3 undergoing wind tunnel testing. This was the only wind tunnel model that was tested with lateral control surfaces. USAF 105 Pye Wacket missile airframe structure. USAF Postwar Discplane Development