The SAAF Forum

Hello all.

The Raptor stand-off weapon is the first of its kind developed in SA during the Bush War.
It was first interduced operationally on 24 Sq Buccaneer during the finel phases of the conflict.
I want to build a model of a Buccaneer carrying the Raptor as seen during this period. (the one that took out the Cuito Bridge)
The best pictures so far appeared in Dick Lords' "From Fledgling to Eagle" but there are still very few photos - especialy of the weapone itself, to work with.
The plan is to build a 3D model in Solidworks and then print it in a high-definition 3D printer.
The the printed master will be cast in resin.

So,in order to do all that; I would like to ask for more references.
What i'm looking for are high quality photos of the Raptor itself and its comm pod. (It could by either versions - powered and unpowerded)
I have some pics already (thanks to Dean,thanks man) but still they're not enough to produce an accurate high quality model.
I know that the Raptor is still being offered for export by Denel Dynamics,and it's being showed in defence exibitions worldwide.

I will appreciate very much your assistance.

Cheers

Gil

Hi Gil

I've got some pics of the Raptor II, will check this afternoon & mail them to you.

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Brent Best

Thanks Brent
Looking forward to them.

An initial 3d model as been already built based on existing photos and drawings.
I'll ask its builder for permission to post images of it here.

Can't someone post a few pics on the forum. There is not many pics around.

True Unless somebody has an unopened trommel .... that they are about to share with us

Here's the Raptor II & Comms pod from AAD2008. I really wish I'd take more piccies of this

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Brent Best

Are the Raptor or Torgos operational with the SAAF? Is it maybe part of a unknown (secret?) strategic strike arsenal along with our mini nukes that we don't know of? Maybe we have these things but don't know about it. Hey, they kept the nukes pretty concealed all those years.

Ek se^ maar net...

.

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, we have not been able to generate the material to build any nukes for many years. Not even secretly as our facilities are open to international inspection. Building a mini-nuke is probably way beyond our technological capability at present. However I do have a PDF I wrote a decade ago about how to build a nuke in one's garage - it does presuppose that one has obtained the fissile material elsewhere. There is no way one could generate either the U-235 or P-239 in the garage. Both require hideously expensive and large complicated facilities which emit enough radioactive daughter gasses to alert busybodies like Uncle Sam and Ivan and the international nuclear regulatory organizations as to what one is up to.

Our nuclear program produced the simplest of A-bombs. Not much better than the one that was dropped on Hiroshima 6th August 1945. Using prodigious amounts of cash and at the rate of about one a year. And even then the fissile material was only just good enough - way below the grade used in the Hiroshima bomb - to make a bang. And like almost all post 1945 nukes harmed the builder nation more than anything else.

Perhaps I should write another companion PDF on how to refine uranium and generate and purify plutonium? Not unless you have access to oodles and oodles of cash.

If you still have this PDF(s) I'd like to read them please Eugene, if you don't mind. Didn't S.A. create their own refinement process (don't know the technical term) but Halikon cycle or something like that? I'd research it but have to take off...

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A plan is simply a basis for change.

Aparently they still have quite a lot of weapons grade material stored at the Pelidaba site. They don't have the means to manufacture the weapons grade material any more though.

Our "nukes" were only low yield atomic gun-type devices. As Eugene eluded, they were simple "Hiroshima" type bombs. Not to be sneezed at though. If they continued development with the RSA 4/Shavit ICBM they probably would have developed thermonuclear devices. I don't think Uncle Sam would have allowed it. The geopolitical balance of power changed dramaticaly in the late 80's and was kinda the death knell for the nuke programme.

BTW, what has happend to the South African TORGOS cruise missile? Is it in the SAAF inventry?

It is/was stored - but under international control. We cannot take it without causing a major international fuss.

Sent to your gmail address.



Not really - the centrifugal refinement process was understood and piloted in 1942. What we did invent (with a little help from outside) was a bigger, better and more efficient centrifuge. As a complete aside - the development of this machine was carried out in the back of the facility of motor spares shop in either Joburg or Pretoria. Cannot remember which anymmore! While cistomers were buying spark plugs up front a bunch of technicians and scientists were perfecting the machine out back.

Received, thanks Eugene. An interesting and somewhat amusing read.

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A plan is simply a basis for change.

Just because it's a killing device does not mean it needs to be humourless!

Did some editing and revision on the PDF - mainly added some more photos. Making it easier to build in the garage.