Night Raven missiles are placed into their pods in which direction?

[Scoop]

I just got a Night Raven a few days ago and was wondering which was the correct way to place the missiles into the missile pods?

The instructions show that they are to be placed into the pods by the thrusters so that the warheads appear to be sticking out. This would make me assume that each of the missiles were to be launched out of the pods in the opposite direction that the Night Raven was traveling. The missiles could be launched separately while the pod stayed attached to the Night Raven.

On the otherhand the boxart shows the missile pod being launched forward from under the Night Raven while both missiles are still inside of the pod. This would mean that the missiles are placed into the pods by thier warheads first with the thusters being visible on the open ends of the pod.

I've looked at many Night Raven pictures on this site as well as all over the net, and it's pretty much a crapshoot as to which way people have theirs set up.

Does anyone know the correct way they should be?

[speedocub]

Missile tips out...if you put them in the other way, they'll get stuck.

[Snow Wolf]

I still have my original Night Raven from back in the day. I noticed years ago that the box art shows the whole pod blasting off.

Personally, I think the artist made a mistake there. If the pod itself was a projectile, then why load it with missiles? Plus, though my knowledge of military aircraft weapon delivery systems is rudimentary at best, I have NEVER seen a "pod-style" missile system. However, I have seen many missile delivery systems, where one (or in this case, both) missiles could be fired.

For the record, I had the front of the missiles pointing forward, while the rear was in the pod, facing the back end of the jet. In other words....install the missiles with tips out, facing forwards.

[Scoop]

Missile tips out...if you put them in the other way, they'll get stuck.

Well that does make sense for the sake of the toy, and the fact that you don't want to have to pry them out, but what about when it comes to the way it would work in "real" life it the design was real?

I mean Hasbro shows them in one direction in the intructions and in another direction on the box.

I just wanted to know which way was correct no matter if they get stuck or not, and by the way I've have them stuck in there in both directions, but sometimes it is easier to remove them with the tips out.

[Konigstiger]

I follow the instructions and use them as a defensive munition to deter pursuing fighters. You'll note the guns point that way, too.

[Scoop]

I still have my original Night Raven from back in the day. I noticed years ago that the box art shows the whole pod blasting off.

Personally, I think the artist made a mistake there. If the pod itself was a projectile, then why load it with missiles? Plus, though my knowledge of military aircraft weapon delivery systems is rudimentary at best, I have NEVER seen a "pod-style" missile system. However, I have seen many missile delivery systems, where one (or in this case, both) missiles could be fired.

For the record, I had the front of the missiles pointing forward, while the rear was in the pod, facing the back end of the jet.

Thanks that does make sense.

Maybe I should just go with the tips out like speedo mentioned before.

That's the way the instructions show how it's done.

[Scoop]

I follow the instructions and use them as defensive munition to deter pursuing fighters. You'll note the guns point that way, too.

That's what I thought they were for, until I saw the box art that is.

[Konigstiger]

I agree with the notion that that's probably an artist screw-up.

[Scoop]

I agree with the notion that that's probably an artist screw-up.

They did the same thing on the front of the Sky Raven box as well.

[Snow Wolf]

Same art, just re-colored. Therefore, the same artist screw-up.They did the same thing on the front of the Sky Raven box as well.

[Xenos]

I follow the instructions and use them as a defensive munition to deter pursuing fighters. You'll note the guns point that way, too.

This is what I always went with. I pretended that the Night Raven was so much faster then anything it would ever encounter that it would just fly in front of it's target and attack it from that angle. That's why the copilot was rear facing too.

[speedocub]

Well that does make sense for the sake of the toy, and the fact that you don't want to have to pry them out, but what about when it comes to the way it would work in "real" life it the design was real?

I mean Hasbro shows them in one direction in the intructions and in another direction on the box.

I just wanted to know which way was correct no matter if they get stuck or not, and by the way I've have them stuck in there in both directions, but sometimes it is easier to remove them with the tips out.


Well they are missiles of sorts...I suppose they could be bombs...Bombs would slide from the pod but the pod would need some form of propulsion which would happen to be where the bombs would slide from.

As a missile they are dropped in the pod and then launch from the pod on their own. With independent propulsion and not relying on the pod itself to get them 'above' their target.

Logistically, this toy has no premise for actually working either way. Use your imagination I suppose, your mileage will vary! :)

Although neither option really logistically works, it's more likely to me to be a missile.

[Konigstiger]

Maybe it's the worst cruise missile design ever.

[speedocub]

I follow the instructions and use them as a defensive munition to deter pursuing fighters. You'll note the guns point that way, too.


This also is a very good point. A jet of this nature would conceivably not have any forward launched missiles or ammunition. You would need a missile capable of faster than the jet's speed, super sonic missile to be effective...else they are "bombs". I'm not sure about ammunition but high velocity rounds would be a bad choice because what ever you're shooting at would be directly in front of you...even if the ammo could achieve velocity faster than your cruising speed, what ever you're shooting at will be in your flight path when you shoot it down and at super sonic speeds, good luck getting out of the way. All this assumes you have to be traveling at top speeds...I suppose you don't have to and forward mounted artillery could be used for maneuverable speeds.

[Snow Wolf]

Epic fail...just like that artist mistake. The artist should have researched the product better. Take another look at the original product art; the wing tips are also facing the wrong way!!!Instead of sloping from front (narrow) out, the artist drew the wings starting wide out front, and sloping inwards on the backside.


Maybe it's the worst cruise missile design ever.

[Konigstiger]

This also is a very good point. A jet of this nature would conceivably not have any forward launched missiles or ammunition. You would need a missile capable of faster than the jet's speed, super sonic missile to be effective...else they are "bombs". I'm not sure about ammunition but high velocity rounds would be a bad choice because what ever you're shooting at would be directly in front of you...even if the ammo could achieve velocity faster than your cruising speed, what ever you're shooting at will be in your flight path when you shoot it down and at super sonic speeds, good luck getting out of the way. All this assumes you have to be traveling at top speeds...I suppose you don't have to and forward mounted artillery could be used for maneuverable speeds.



Most of the issue is that they took a high altitude, high speed strategic reconnaissance platform and slapped conventional munitions to it.

Now, an NR with a pair of aerodynamic cruise missiles (be they conventional or nuclear), perhaps even an anti-ship missile I'll believe. Drop down missile bay? Not so much.

[Xenos]

Most of the issue is that they took a high altitude, high speed strategic reconnaissance platform and slapped conventional munitions to it.

Now, an NR with a pair of aerodynamic cruise missiles (be they conventional or nuclear), perhaps even an anti-ship missile I'll believe. Drop down missile bay? Not so much.

An internal missile bay is how the YF-12 worked. It was the offensive version of the Blackbird, which the Night Raven was based on.

Lockheed YF-12 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_YF-12)


Incidentally, they also tested the Blackbird with a drone piggy backing on it, just like the Night Raven got, except that the real life one didn't carry a person.

[Konigstiger]

An internal missile bay is how the YF-12 worked. It was the offensive version of the Blackbird, which the Night Raven was based on.

Lockheed YF-12 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_YF-12)


Incidentally, they also tested the Blackbird with a drone piggy backing on it, just like the Night Raven got, except that the real life one didn't carry a person.

I doubt highly it dropped down into the slipstream. The NR doesn't have a proper internal bay.

[Xenos]

I doubt highly it dropped down into the slipstream. The NR doesn't have a proper internal bay.

It was more like how the Night Raven's missile bay was originally designed. It had two doors that would open, and then an arm would drop the missile down out of the fuselage, and it would fire. They had a successful test at Mach 3.2.

You can see it here, fourth picture down:
Lockheed YF12A Interceptor (http://www.wvi.com/~sr71webmaster/yf12~1.htm)

[Shin Densetsu]

That pod could be a drone. Maybe the back seater controls it as a defensive drone.

[46 Zone]

I place them with tips out with the pods facing forward. This way, they would function as a modern day tailgun, to defend the jet from a rear attack. (Have fun with the rear attack part,ya'll)

[Nictus]

i've used them as "fall away" pods once the pods are away from the thruster they are launched from the pod to their target wherever it may be. My though is that the night raven travels high and fast enough to allow for the missiles themselves to course correct and hit any target anywhere within range...the rear facing strato viper or "weapons officer" controls this...the dorsal gun and the bomb store

but now as an adult...i'd like to think the pods are remote drones or "smart gliders" that are able to be controlled by the weapons officer or the pilot in the piggyback

eitherway the warheads face to the rear

[KENNY GUIDO]

this is wrong?

YOJOE.COM | Cobra Night Raven S³P (http://www.yojoe.com/vehicles/86/nightraven/bottom.shtml)

[Scoop]

this is wrong?

YOJOE.COM | Cobra Night Raven S³P (http://www.yojoe.com/vehicles/86/nightraven/bottom.shtml)

See that's where it becomes confusing because that's they way they are shown on the box art as well, but the instructions show that they are to be placed in the pods the opposite way.

YOJOE.COM | Cobra Night Raven S³P (http://www.yojoe.com/vehicles/86/nightraven/nightraven_instructions1.shtml)

[46 Zone]

this is wrong?

YOJOE.COM | Cobra Night Raven S³P (http://www.yojoe.com/vehicles/86/nightraven/bottom.shtml)

Yes. The tips should be out.

[CrimsonGuard101]

Its a toy! dosent friggen matter! either put em in with the tips going in and get em stuck (my original vintage one ended up that way) or put them in liek eveyrone is saying, missile tips out with them pointing to the rear (think like in Firefox when they jet had rear firing soviet missiles and you had to speak some ruskie to get em to fire) and be happy happy joy joy like the res tof us!

YAH

[MaulEyes]

The design of the pod is for the missile tips to be out and facing to the REAR(contours of pod explain this). What happens is it protects the rear of the ship when attached. The secondary function is an ode to the ship's superior technology. When the Raven would be behind an unsuspecting adversary the pod would launch forwards and past the opponent. The opponent thinking it missed and still trying to shake the Raven(which would move out from behind the opponent either higher or lower to avoid getting hit themselves and during the distraction so the opponent now has to search for the Raven not realizing death is coming) would get blindsided by the missiles that would fire out of the pod and back at him. Surprise! This technology was also used in Revenge of the Sith with the buzz droids.

[Nictus]

the pod itself has no form of propulsion...so how exactly would it launch forward...unless powered by imagination?

[CrimsonGuard101]

the pod itself has no form of propulsion...so how exactly would it launch forward...unless powered by imagination?

Dosent need too if its a glider mechanism type thingamagig

[Nictus]

Dosent need too if its a glider mechanism type thingamagig



Gliding I understand...I even mention it in a previous post...but if you would read the above post referring to the pod propelling itself forward, I don't quite understand that. But thanks for playing

[Cobra Terrorist]

I'm a little late to the party here....

But yeah, missile tips out - as if the missiles would fire backward.


I never really thought of why though.

I follow the instructions and use them as a defensive munition to deter pursuing fighters. You'll note the guns point that way, too.

But that's a damn good thought! ^^^

[Narius P]

I'm going to make a bit of an uneducated statement here :-s

Obviously the Night Raven was based on the SR-71 Blackbird, I remember reading that it never carried armament as it flew faster and higher than any missile would function. On the Night Raven, the guns behind the cockpit point backward for that same reason, I always thought the 2 hidden missiles were put there mearly to please kids who wanted to play dogfight with the toy, the rear missile pods IMHO function like the drone, they can be "Released" rather than fired, they would (As KONISTIGER pointed out) be used as a defense.