How the Warhead on the AIM-9 Sidewinder Works - Smarter Every Day 282

[@smartereveryday]

Fun fact: From the moment I started working on this video the US Military has fired 4 or so AIM-9X's over the continental US. Thanks to everyone who supports on Patreon and lets me do things like buy surplus missile parts! HAHA! I have plans to build a neat demonstration with them. You can support on Patreon here if that's of interest to you: www.patreon.com/smartereveryday Also, I have an email list. If you'd like to get an email when I post a video, you can sign up here: www.smartereveryday.com/email-list Thank you for your support!

[@jagmeetsingh4401]

love from india punjab❤❤❤

[@stephentorrey8727]

Were those used to shoot down the encroaching balloons?

[@Charlie-fu6ep]

War of the worlds 2 can't wait to see it!

[@jellygrapes5172]

@@stephentorrey8727 Yes, specifically the newer AIM-9X model he showed!

[@shadowofsteel]

Looking forward to whatever demonstration you come up with!

[@emanwe01]

That mystery pivot on the rollerons is the secret sauce that makes them so effective. The rolleron is actually a little aileron-like fin, and that pivot point is its hinge. When the missile tries to roll, the little windmill-wheel precesses and causes the rolleron fin to pivot out against the direction of roll. All four rollerons pivot like that in the same way, and so all four act against the roll.

[@MrSJPowell]

That took a "that's clever" bit to "Oh dang that's brilliant"

[@chuckygobyebye]

So that's a passive system to keep the body stable?

[@mr_confuse]

@@chuckygobyebye it is, purely mechanic system, no fancy electronics :D

[@rif6876]

be great to see the amateur rocket enthusiasts adopt this.

[@ELCHAMBERINO]

Well explained. Smart 🍪

[@dmacpher]

Got you fam “The missile knows where it is at all times. It knows this because it knows where it isn't. By subtracting where it is from where it isn't, or where it isn't from where it is (whichever is greater), it obtains a difference, or deviation. The guidance subsystem uses deviations to generate corrective commands to drive the missile from a position where it is to a position where it isn't, and arriving at a position where it wasn't, it now is. Consequently, the position where it is, is now the position that it wasn't, and it follows that the position that it was, is now the position that it isn't.”

[@coreyfleig2139]

Makes perfect sense! I had understanding about this, but now I don't. So my understanding is subtracted from what I don't understand, and now I understand what I don't understand!! Perfect sense!

[@DarkysLPs]

This needs to be pinned

[@GunnerRA155]

I came here for this!🤣

[@Ethanf2318]

So you’re telling me sometimes it knows where it is because that’s where it is?

[@dmacpher]

@@Ethanf2318 because it knows where it isn’t

[@BasedF-15Pilot]

I'm an F-15C pilot. The seeker in the front of the AIM-9 is gimbaled. There is a magnet in the yellow protective cover and there is a pre-flight check to pull the cover off and ensure that the seeker head moves inside the translucent seeker. The seeker is cooled by a little Argon canister that the AMMO guys install and keep pressurized, the heat buildup of air friction would blind the seeker if it did not have active cooling.

[@groggysword33]

F-15C is my favorite aircraft. It’s always great to meet those that operated that beautiful bird.

[@Nyx_2142]

I've found the argon thing cool ever since I read about the FIM-92 Stinger. Never occurred to me that the seekers would need cooling.

[@PeterPounders]

Yup. Worked at Hill at the missile shop and this was our job whenever a trailer of these came through. Most of the heads were the concrete filled ones and not the seeker heads. But when we did get the seeker heads there was a TO on checking it off for use

[@JRWooly]

IYAAYAS!

[@thomasfamily42]

​@@JRWoolyif you ain't ammo....you're waiting on them..

[@GraemePayne1967Marine]

Somthing I heard from a Navy guy when I was in the USAF Reserve. One of his ship's aircraft came back from a mission with a North Vietnamese air-to-air missike sticking through the tailfin. It was very carefully removed and taken down to the missile maintenance shop. Several people had noted that it looked a lot like an AIM-9, so the seeker head was carefully removed and put on the AIM-9 test rig. It checked out perfectly! Furthe examination of the missile showed it was "probably" a Russian copy of an early AIM-9!

[@richardvernon317]

Soviet AA-2 Atoll missile was a copy of the AIM-9B. the first people to use the Sidewinder in combat were the Republic of China (Taiwan) Air Force in air battles against Communist China in the late 1950's. In one battle, a PLAAF Mig was hit by a sidewinder which suffered a warhead failure and got stuck in the Mig's airframe. the Mig got back to base and the remains of the missile were given to the Soviets, who copied it.

[@stewartdiamond477]

​@@richardvernon317Man this story hurts to read every time I see it. Hopefully that doesn't happen again.

[@adb012]

... or bule on blue.

[@davidhogan3307]

The aim-9 LM rollerons can pivot when unlocked or the term is referred to as uncaged. There's a little latch that is on the back that holds the rollerons from pivoting to prevent damage to them during take off and landing. The latch will come undone by the force of the missile launching off the aircraft. I worked on these in the air force for 7 years. Great video!

[@error.418]

How does the pivot affect flight?

[@EspressoBreve]

@@error.418 the pivot allows the panel extend into the airflow and induce drag causing force to stabilize the missile to fly straight.

[@error.418]

@@EspressoBreve Ah, that makes sense, thank you!

[@Cee64E]

Came here to say this. But I would like to add that once uncaged and able to pivot, gyroscopic procession makes the Rollerons into an actively powered control surface. If the missile rolls right, the Rollerons will all pivot towards that direction and stop the roll. The National Museum of the United States Air Force has an exhibit in the modern flight gallery that explains how this works.

[@madmike9530]

Thank you for your service.

[@benson8686]

This feels like old school smarter every day and I love it. It's really cool just to hear you talk about something that you find interesting for a few minutes.

[@dustindhansen]

THIS. We don't need elaborate builds or stunts to tune in. I mean, it's not going to hurt, but the majority of us are here because we love finding out how things work!

[@dustinsaldana1719]

YES

[@dustinsaldana1719]

The random. Un- planned interactions he has and seeing the gears turn in his mind is 1 thing I miss about his old videos

[@JimTheis32]

I absolutely agree. This is what this channel was and we can have the 2-3 majors a year but I love this 8 minute content. It’s what we all fell in love with in the first place

[@benson8686]

@@JimTheis32 don't get me wrong, I love the newer videos. Watching Destin learn about Saturn Rockets and grain silos from others is fantastic. Destin has a wonderful and contagious curiosity and he's able to captivate me with little things like this. It's simple, but thoroughly enjoyable content.

[@briankrontz]

As an ex-navy ordy, it was taught to me that the sidewinder carried some sort of chain as a payload. I never really understood what that meant until you explained it here. And it always bothered me. I don't know why I never looked it up until now. I think of this from time to time. At least once a year. Thank you! You taught the guy who's supposed to know a thing or two. :)

[@echo-channel77]

"The chain" - ah yes, that was the technical term at Millington.

[@Mekerakesh]

Slinky shooter

[@Sk1m_Beeble]

High speed play pen ejector

[@supra1jz3d]

What's interesting, they have those things marked as live. I really doubt they are live so it's just weird they are still marked as such

[@shivasirons6159]

Brian i was A.O. On U.S.S. Coral Sea cv43 late 70,s early 80,s. We didn't know much about them either, other than breaking them out and bringing them up to the roof.

[@ivertranes2516]

Destin, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE feel free to make short videos like this one ANY TIME you discover something that excites you! This format is really fun. God Bless.

[@MrShadowy1]

I was an AO in the Navy for 10 years. I was watching you point at everything and thinking like "is he going to hit on the rollerons? Hey that X has thrust vectoring is he gonna point that out. You came through man. Well done. Do a HARM (AGM-88) next.

[@BrianRhodes9763]

You hurt the ones you love, but you harm the ones you hate.

[@JesusFriedChrist]

And you Fox-3 everyone else

[@benjaminshropshire2900]

I've love to hear more about the AGM-122 Sidearm. It seems like an ideal munition for up close and personal SEAD/DEAD operation and I kinda wonder why it didn't see wider adoption.

[@nagjrcjasonbower]

Yes please?!!!!

[@xenocore01]

AF Armament Tech here - Dont forget the Gas bottle for cooling the seeker!

[@Aeronaut1975]

I read last week that the AIM-9X uses the entire visible light spectrum to track it's targets, and not just infa-red like the older versions. This means that the missile is EXTREMELY good at ignoring decoy flares etc. It's a beast.

[@rubiconnn]

Not only that but it is a high off boresight missile, meaning it the pilot can lock on targets that are almost 90 degrees in any direction with his head mounted display and the missile can quickly turn and even turn around to track targets that have moved behind the launching aircraft.

[@SupernovaSpence]

It primarily focuses in the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums. Decoys emit some ultraviolet light while the aircraft often only reflects ultraviolet light from the sun, which helps the missile to ignore decoys too. Not only that, but this new missile will also take an average spectrum analysis of the target while in the locked, pre-launch phase and continuously compare that average spectrum against background readings to also identify its target and only track that specific target. It helps to not only ignore decoys, but also prevents the missile from accidentally acquiring the wrong target. The AIM-9X doesn’t even need to see the target to be fired at it due to sensors in the pilots helmet or the plane if launched from an F-35.

[@redneck2994]

What he shows is an AIM- 9X-M

[@fim-43redeye31]

The 9X doesn't use visible light as far as the public knows, but it has exceptionally good algorithms - and its seeker design can see the entire aircraft as an image rather than just a point of light. Rumor has it 9Xes can target individual components of an enemy.

[@fi11222]

Is that why they can use it to pop a balloon?

[@angelviloria4966]

Awesome. For over a decade I was a soldier (Redstone Arsenal) then civilian technical advisor/instructor (Ford Aerospace) to foreign militaries who purchased sidewinder (air-to-air) and Chaparral (ground-to-air) missile systems. And the rolleron was always my favorite part for its elegant simplicity. That said, the guidance system is pretty elegant as well. I was fortunate to have worked with the engineer who originally designed it. Those OG engineers solved some incredibly complex problems with very basic tech including intercept (not chase) in 3 dimensional space, how to pivot a guidance fin (very high torque), and of course the rolleron.

[@iwontliveinfear]

When did you work at Redstone? I know a few people that have worked there. Also IIRC that's where Destin worked before he quit to get his PhD.

[@angelviloria4966]

@@iwontliveinfear 80s

[@nobeltnium]

do you have any reference to those guidance intercept system? I love to have a look at those if possible

[@Centermass762]

@@nobeltnium not today, ISIS. 😁

[@imfloridano5448]

I was trained at Redstone Arsenal back in 1990 on the now phased out Hawk missile system (radar)and then in 1992 on phased array radars. I was in charge of UAE's that were difficult manage due to their military structure. The US Military is better trained cause it 24/7 even in combat environments. Other countries are now really taking it seriously due to putins invasion of the Ukraine.

[@waywardmind]

"I'm in front of a building that does things" might be the most amazing thing Destin has every said.

[@halfsourlizard9319]

Those buildings ... always doin' things ...

[@raideurng2508]

"I fly on planes that do things"

[@Larken42]

The most bureaucratically correct descriptor of a place that is somewhere

[@soffici1]

China Lake is where the USN test new weapons and stuff. Think scaled down Area 51 but for the USN and far less famous. The things they do in those buildings aren’t exactly public knowledge for at least 20 years after they’ve done them

[@rajeshkanungo6627]

I noticed that too!

[@bigvideoenergy]

I wouldn't mind just having these small 8 minute videos on stuff that destin finds on his adventures. We too find it cool.

[@Roadiedave]

Can confirm, AIM-9X does have thrust vectoring. Other fun fact, the AIM-7 Sparrow missile was upgraded to the AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile, or AMRAAM. The Sidewinder upgrade was originally going to be the Advanced Short Range Air to Air Missile, but someone giggled too much, and they changed it to 9X.

[@MK-tt5xy]

Not quite. The US designed AMRAAM while the Brits & Germans agreed to design ASRAAM. ASRAAM exists (AIM-132) but for political reasons the US decided to withdraw and focus on AIM-9X and never adopted ASRAAM.

[@2462bf2]

Yh AMRAMM 120B etc, made by raytheon

[@nobody8717]

dang. I'd have loved to get an a2a confirmed hit with the ASRAAM.

[@wdwinder1]

@@MK-tt5xy US designed the ASRAAM seeker (first 18" of missile) and ASRAAM was first imaging IR seeker air to air. AIM9-X built on that

[@moonasha]

I heard you can get an ASRAAM at a certain shady establishment down the road

[@Crow.Author]

Reminds me of the old school Smarter Every Day videos. Love it! 👍🏼 Also, Destin may be the only person to have both a Sidewinder Rolleron and a mildly abstract painting of a cow in the same room.

[@bearbishop8570]

Agreed, this is amazing

[@Nate-wf5hk]

good point

[@anteshell]

@@Nate-wf5hk There was no "point". Just a statement of probabilistic facts or an observation.

[@daylen577]

I love the capacity for scientific experiments and the fact that Destin gets invited to cool places now, but I sometimes really wish we had more videos like this. Just showing off something cool, explaining how and why it works.

[@DreadX10]

Can confirm that none of the (class)rooms I ever saw a sidewinder (mock-up or real) in, had a mildly abstract painting of a cow as well.

[@winglessviper]

As a former USAF 462, weapons loader, the rolleron is a fasinating peice of engineering. It's fun using an air hose to spin them. I loaded many 9s on 8th TFW, 35th TFS F-16s at Kunsan. I have a scar where I split my forehead on the forward canard- 3 stitches.

[@wb8ujb]

Used to build and load these on F4's in the Navy. I too found the entire missile a wonderful piece of technology. Same time loaded AIM-7 Sparrow on the same aircraft.

[@Montana_Outdoor_Adventures]

@@wb8ujb VMFAT-101 ordnance Marine here. Millington Sailor?

[@UtahDelaCruz]

Dude, you've got a battle scar from a sidewinder. I would brag about that.

[@heeder777]

Did the nurses in A town treat your injury?

[@warrenchambers4819]

I know a guy who also got a good wack from a aim9. Found this out when I asked him why they call him heat seeker?

[@rnathanbarnes]

The rolleron flywheel helps with unwanted rotation (roll). The pivots allow the rolleron to act as ailerons to help stabilize the pitch and yaw movement…that’s what I remember being taught in the Air Force when I was in as a weapons troop. Rollerons we’re my favorite feature that I learned about any ordinance for my job. I’m glad you get to appreciate them too!

[@pedroarrechea5741]

I think you also wanted to control the roll of the missile because the guidance "computer" was not sufficiently complex to account for the missile rotating around its axis. It can only guide correctly if the missile is not twisting about its axis

[@EricaCalman]

Correct!

[@aSinisterKiid]

Rollerons are incredible. I saw a video of a guy who had a wing piece with one and he demonstrated it's abilities by blowing air over it from his shop air line. He tried taking the rolleron apart but at a certain point you can't take it apart any further without destroying its housing. It seems like it's a replaceable part rather than a maintainable one. But now that you've gotten one yourself I cannot wait to see some slow motion footage and a more in depth breakdown of the physics involved!

[@mattsoutherden]

The weird thing is, I watched that video on Monday. It popped up in my recommendations earlier this week - 4 days before Destin released this video. Strange coincidence.🤔

[@BPMoments]

@@mattsoutherdensame

[@jabruli]

I also saw that video earlier this week :D

[@youvebeenspooked]

strange that a part on a missile would be replaceable rather than maintainable....

[@mattsoutherden]

Seems like this serendipity was probably caused by the balloon incidents triggering lots of Sidewinder content to surface.

[@ThunderousMellow]

That thrust vectored nozzle on the X is so unbelievably cool

[@DaGhost141]

that thing can shoot almost 90° off boresight, it's crazy how aggressive that missile can steer.

[@TheSwegBucket]

@@DaGhost141 Unlike in a jet you don't need to worry about the Pilots G force tolerance 😅

[@PaxBritannica34563]

Cost's $400,000 buckaroo's too!!!

[@ErraticAim]

this ones only 6k

[@tcg1_qc]

@@PaxBritannica34563 well, if it manages to destroy a multi million dollar enemy fighter jet and possibly kill or injure an enemy pilot, it pays for itself

[@grpowell]

My dad was an engineer on the Sidewinder and other missiles at China Lake NAWS (formerly NWC). One of my earliest memories at age 4 was going to the Sensors and Platforms section of Michaelson Lab to see how the guidance system within that dome at the front of the missile works. It was incredible.

[@maxAUGron]

My grampa was also an engineer at China lake on the sidewinder, he's gone now and this video reminds me of him

[@codysmith7456]

Nah bro no he aint

[@grpowell]

@@maxAUGron Same here. It reminds me of playing with the instruments and "junk" parts he had at home, like the ridiculously strong guidance magnet that I couldn't ever get off the fridge without prying it off with both hands.

[@dieubermensch]

your dad is complicit in the death of thousands of people... is that incredible?

[@dieubermensch]

@@maxAUGron your grampa is complicit in the death of thousands of people. it's good he's gone.

[@harryschaefer8563]

Hi Destin, my former Marine son was an avionics specialist who worked on F18s. I once joined him on a "Tiger Cruise" aboard the USS AMERICA aicraft carrier one of the best experiences of my life! That "rolleron" reminds me of the little paddlewheel speedometers I used to remove from a through-hull fitting on the sailboats I used to crew on. I would pull them out after a race and immediately shove a bung back into the open hole that was gushing water into the bilge.

[@AKarcticmallard]

The gleeful giggle at having a missile fin. Wonderful. From one engineer to another: I love your channel, Destin. Keep them coming!

[@RICDirector]

That giggle is why I subscribed, honestly. What insane glee! Completely irresistible!

[@kensherwin4544]

Who but an engineer would literally giggle upon receiving their own rocket fin complete with a rolleron? I love it. I have a few steering parts from the '50s in my basement that result in the same giggle.😊

[@hessex1899]

My uncle was one of those engineers in the 50's. He never really talked about his work but he always drove amazing cars. :)

[@coloradomountainman8659]

My father as well, though he didn't drive anything amazing. He worked initially for Lockheed/Martin and designed missile guidance systems from the early 50's through the 1970's. Imagine he would be quite amazed at the current technology that goes into today's missiles.

[@lowdrag82]

The AIM-9 L/M missile rolleron is uncaged by the forward momentum of the missile. There is a weighted metal tab at the back of the rolleron that unlocks the rolleron allowing it to pivot on the hinge you indicated. It’s a brilliant design. Early AIM-9P missiles used string that held the rollerons in position. The rocket motor burned the string off at launch, uncaging the rolleron assembly.

[@wolja]

String - so simple and probably effective in most cases. Even waxed string to get sort of a fuse so the burn away happens latter

[@Dorraj]

I love to think that Destin just walked up to this place and started poking at rockets and stuff and the people working there were just like "what is this crazy man doing with a camera?" Edit: since people don't seem to realize somehow... My comment was a joke.

[@Spott07]

It's even more fun to realize the truth: Destin has recent employment experience as a Missile Flight Test Engineer for military weapons, and has government clearance for certain amounts of classified military information.

[@Valcien]

All that stuff is decommissioned and just for show.

[@reverblueflame]

Would love to know the process Destin has to go through to pick subjects to talk about, especially on defense topics. I'm guessing he doesn't just pick whatever and hope it's ok. Does he have a DoD editor who says yes or no?

[@elliottg5987]

I wouldn't worry about it, since the entirety of AIM-9 information, classified or not, is already public knowledge on the War Thunder forums.

[@carsonhunt4642]

This is literally a tourist spot lol, they’re used to cameras 😂

[@ProfessorJayTee]

Dustin, your 'random discussions' are more sensible and informative to the public than many KZbinrs PLANNED and RESEARCHED talks. Thank you for your efforts. You are appreciated.

[@freeaudiojungle4407]

why cant you compliment the guy without shitting on the rest of the platform? subtractive thinking, not helping anyone except boosting your own ego for discerning the sensible and informative.

[@anonanon3066]

dustin

[@BlackMeowgic]

​@@anonanon3066 Dustin' makes me feel good *ghost busters theme*

[@unlokia]

Is he Destin-ed to be “Dustin”? 😁

[@Spiritofpower24]

My dad actually worked on the AIM-9 (I'm not certain which variant, but I think it was probably the AIM-9X). He even worked at a building that was later bought by the University of North Texas and turned into an engineering college, where I got my degree. As an interesting little quirk, the building had some kind of signal blocking built into it for national security reasons back when they were working on missiles and such that blocks signals from going in or out, so students have to use the school's wi-fi inside the building, since they can't get cell service. Just a weird coincidence, that my dad would work out of that facility developing missiles, and then years later I would go to that same building for college.

[@GraemePayne1967Marine]

About that signal blocking ... look up information about a Faraday Cage. That building (and all modern government/military buildings where electromagnetic security is a concern) is built with a faraday cage integrated into the exterior structure.

[@gmt-yt]

The most terrifying thing about the sidewinder is its ability, unparalleled in military history, to turn people into paper silhouettes without even being launched!

[@RENO_K]

It's terrifying, the missile knows where it is at all times

[@WetaMantis]

Oh God, this one knows...

[@dbtest117]

Python?

[@TheRealSkeletor]

@@dbtest117 No, Sidewinder. Completely different kind of snake.

[@bwofficial1776]

@@RENO_K Not just that, it knows where it isn't.

[@Hot-Dog-Racing]

I know you’re super busy with life so you should do more of these quicker style videos! Of course the high production value of your regular video is greatly appreciated, but these quick explanation videos without major fancy graphics are super interesting and engaging!

[@CapablePimento]

+1

[@saissevictor]

+2

[@lakee1542]

+3

[@B---------------------------D]

Personally, I enjoy the long form stuff.

[@shetanix2667]

+5

[@LumpyAC]

The rollerons are cool and all, but the seeker is the headliner. Absolutely genius use of mechanics, optics and electronics, not to mention the simple working concept and design.

[@MrCantStopTheRobot]

I was really hoping he would at least touch on how that sensor works, but I guess there are other channels and vids for that.

[@corystansbury]

Also cooled with a little Stirling cooler, which is super neat (used to use cryogenic gasses).

[@fi11222]

Yep. "Complexity of a washing machine" was the design goal of the China Lake folks. They completely wiped out the competition from Hughes Aircraft (the AIM-4) during Nam

[@licencetoswill]

I wondered how heat seeking works on a balloon target, when they're probably calbrated for engine exhausts, not balloons ?

[@z987k]

@@licencetoswill Balloons can have engines.

[@audio1484]

This clip gives me much more appreciation for low tech yet genius solutions that engineers of that era came up with.

[@Nightwolf323]

Sidewinders are awesome missiles! Because of the way the seeker worked in the earlier missiles, it only knows the angle that it's looking, and nothing about range. The optimal way to guide a missile to a target is leading it like you mentioned, but if you don't know the range, you need the seeker to stay at the same orientation in roll (so the guidance can use the angular rates of the seeker). Instead of having a whole inertial navigation system or any complex electronics in there the rollerons let the missile fly lead instead of pure pursuits using only a couple passive parts and the missile's own airspeed! I think the inertia of the flywheels wouldn't be enough compared to the mass of the missile to keep it stable, so instead they're on those hinged pieces that essentially want to stay in the same orientation, so if the missile starts to roll, they kind of stay in the same position and act as mini control surfaces on those aft fins. If I'm not mistaken, this is what gave the sidewinder its name, if you watch old videos of them it kind of wobbles side to side as the rollerons stabilize the missile. The modern AIM-9X is insanely advanced, with a digital seeker head and all kinds of electronics, that combined with the thrust vectoring you spotted and helmet mounted sights used by the pilots, let the missile engage things "high off-boresight," up to 90 degrees away from the direction the missile/plane that is firing it is pointed. There are a few test videos on KZbin of them being fired against QF-4 target drones at insane angles while completely ignoring all the countermeasures the drones deployed.

[@nymalous3428]

It just occurred to me that maybe the AIM-9X has vectored thrust so that it can be launched in a vacuum. That gives me a little bit of the heebie geebies.

[@danielkemp4860]

As I understand, the USSR SA-7 Grail family of MANPADS used a similar tracking system, except, the fins spin the missile at a predictable rate, correction signal is sent to only 2 canard fins. The fins providing correction force 90 degrees off plane, causing precession of the whole missile!

[@11Tits]

@@nymalous3428 The AIM-9X was given thrust vector so it was able to pull its super sus close range off bore shots

[@Darthybuddy]

@@nymalous3428nah. It’s pretty much just to increase the turn rate of the missile. Same reason many countries put thrust vectoring on jets.

[@julianholstein3840]

I would agree with the comments before, but the trust vectoring of course helps to maintain high control authority in higher parts of the atmosphere where the fins become less effective.

[@joakimix1]

Destin, your energy is so captivating. I just wanted to say that I love your longer in depth videos, but I also love a short old-school type video like this one. Basically I'd watch anything you put out. You're the most genuine personality on youtube.

[@NochSoEinKaddiFan]

From what you said, the rollerons might not stabilise the rocket, but they only stabilise the little fin they are embedded in. But when the little fin is stabilised and the rocket rolls, it creates a surface to deflect air and that in turn stabilises the rocket. Looking at the outtro: excited engineers are always a little scary to the people around them... I am one myself, I would know xD

[@chrisl2656]

Yes, because the rotating elements are in counter-rotating pairs, they have no net direct mechanical/gyroscopic effect on the missile as a whole. Individually, in response to the missile orientation changing they will deflect the pivoting element, resulting in an aerodynamic correction.

[@ccorcos]

@@chrisl2656 I'm out of practice with the right hand rule, but I feel like this is a similar effect that causes a bicycle to correct itself. Though that could just be due to the caster angle...

[@jones1193]

That last sentence is so very very true. It's crazy how intense I can get when I get excited and go down the rabbit hole. And yes if I remember my lectures in Uni on guidance correctly you are right.

[@Nghilifa]

The rolling effect is why the missile is called the Sidewinder, since it looks similar to the "rolling" motion of a sidewinding rattlesnake whilst flying through the air.

[@JJFX-]

@@chrisl2656 I'm glad you said this because I was thinking, "Wait a minute, wouldn't they be spinning opposite to the opposing fin??". The net effect is a bit over my head but this makes a lot more sense!

[@OldBaldDad]

The guidance system was really clever. You should do a video on how that worked in the early versions of the AIM-9.

[@kevinbaird9763]

IIRC, the seeker head did not track well if the missle was rolling. To have the fins up front steer the missle and dampen the roll was more difficult.........might as well us those big fins at the back,

[@TheDevilWearsWill]

I've been working with the 3 missiles shown for the past 2 years and Thursday was my last day. It was cool to hear you talk about it. It's cool you got parts too! 😎

[@How_Many_Monkeys]

I like these short-format videos where Destin is just geeking out at some cool tech lol I like the long-format ones too, but peppering these short ones in between is really entertaining 👏

[@marserolin]

I used to load both these missiles on F-16s during my time as a weapons systems specialist in the USAF. Seeing this video definitely brought me back!

[@shivasirons6159]

Me too, A.O. Carrier.

[@fab4andthejkflipflops6]

Having worked with AIM-9 systems before, I think one of the most fascinating things about this missile is the way in which the system gets "Armed", its a purely mechanical system and is amazingly brilliant.

[@DanielMakaiBlanchard]

I love this shorter format! Longer is great too, but diving into cool, unique mechanics in smaller lunch-break-sized videos with your insight is wonderful. Keep it up! 👍

[@Roddohh]

As someone watching on their lu nch break, I agree!

[@FlyHighAndFar]

... a deep dive video into how these "rollerons" really work would be awsome 😍

[@dwrabauke]

I love how you have kept your enthusiasm and appreciation for genius engineering and the ability to see it everywhere and share it with your viewers.

[@Schoenbaum_Paul]

Our family, 9, was in China Lake and then Ridgecrest. I heard so many stories about the first Sidewinder. Then I watched the Story of The Sidewinder on UTube and low and behold there was my father holding , his favorite topic, the gyroscope. We are up to the Aim9, amazing!! Love this channel!!

[@jcstudios7099]

Destin, awesome video, I love to see how excited you get about life and the things we humans create. To answer your question about rollerons, they provide stability primarily with aerodynamics. The gyroscopic stabilization acts on the flight surface more so than the missile as a whole. The cool thing is, it's completely passive. While in flight, as you said, the flywheels spin up and the movable tabs are locked in place to prevent tab movement while the aircraft is maneuvering. When the missile is released, those tabs unlock and become free to move. Because they are held in space by the spinning flywheels, as the missile rolls, those tabs will remain on the axis of the flywheels. Like a trim tab on an aileron, it will aerodynamically counteract any roll induced during the weapon's flight. I hope this helps you understand rollerons better. PS. I can't wait to see you experiment on those newly acquired fins. Hint: Air compressor and hearing protection. 😁

[@Rattiar]

I have seen a couple videos about how Sidewinders work (shout-out Curious Droid!) but hadn't heard the details of either the rollerons or the expanding circle of "bad-day" steel in the warhead! I can't wait to hear more. Thanks!

[@hunterdan2002]

Wonder what kind of watch list you get on when you buy missile parts 🤣. Either way, it's fun to watch Destin nerd out on stuff like this, and I completely appreciate when he does. I have the same kind of love for learning new things like this all the time.

[@hugoknight1]

I was thinking the same thing. I also wonder if I'm now on a watch list for watching it! 😬

[@hunterdan2002]

@@hugoknight1 doesn't help I immediately went on ebay and found said parts, and apparently you can buy nearly complete replicas for about 5k. Even one guy selling them as running boards for trucks...

[@alex0589]

all of them.

[@RossReedstrom]

Sure, he gets on the list, then they say "Hey look, it's Dustin ... Loved good nuke sub videos. " And they delete him.

[@nanaki-seto]

You would be surprised what you can legally purchase and the why of it Basically if it is not classified and not dangerous you can buy it I sold it because i was offered allot but i had a 500 pounder an-m64a1 (casing only) I paid 200 bucks for it a buddy offered me 700 i sold it lol easy money For the missal you wont be able to get the engine the war head or any internals but fins casing dummy war head etc no problem

[@TrevorDennis100]

Many many years ago I was on my way home from a late shift at work riding my Honda VFR750 motorcycle. It was 1am, and I was the only vehicle on the dual carriageway I was on, so went for bust. I rode this road every day and knew it well, and considered the gentle curve I was approaching as inconsequential, but this time I was doing 140mph as I tried to lay the bike over to take the curve. I got the fright of my life because the bike didn't want to tip in, and I had to use a lot of strength to force it. I later realized this was the gyroscopic effect of the front wheel making it want to maintain its orientation. That memory was bought back by Dustin describing how those tiny stabilizers worked. 100,000rpm! That's amazing.

[@NothingToProve]

More simple short videos like this please! Love'em!

[@alexio5498]

No, long form videos are way better to understand complex subjects, go back to your public TV if you want just bites of informations and incomplete facts

[@Vidar_Odinson]

I would love more in-depth videos on how missiles work like this one! It's rare for me to see them up close like that, really neat stuff. And I have also loved the idea of the rollerons once I figured out what they were. Assembling models as a kid and seeing pictures in books they looked so weird since no other missile had those rollerons (except the AA-2 Atoll which was just a reverse engineered AIM-9).

[@kevinsorensen367]

I love your deep dive series, but I've got a special love for these little videos! Thanks Destin!

[@gflaig9131]

The ir guidance system on there is also genius: because of the technological restriction of the time, it had to be fully analog. What they did for the sideweinder was to place a rotating disc divided into sixteen sections, with one in two section beeing opaque, and one in two being transparent. Behing the disc was the ir sensor. When the ir signature of the airplane moved across the disc, the sensor would output different frequencies, as the the black and tranparent sections were blocking/letting through a diferent amount of light at different frequencies depending of the position of the ir signature. The outut frequencies could then be analyzed and the missile would try and correct until the output frequency matched the one that would mean the target is centered. Pureley genius!!

[@Mike__B]

Oh dang, I think I just had one of those inspirations moments you have when figuring something out with those rollerons. So each of the 4 will have an angular momentum vector but the vector will be in the same tangential direction (clockwise as viewed from the back) around the missile (via the right hand rule) so the vector pointing directions are very important. Now it's doubtful conservation of angular momentum of those relatively small pieces alone will be enough to prevent a rocket moving at a high rate of speed from rotating, however as the rocket rotates that little piece on a hinge tries do try to conserve angular momentum so the flaps do move, and they move in the same tangential direction to the rocket's radius this is basically creating flaps which absolutely do create a counter drag to the rotation preventing it from spinning widely out of control. Now if this is common knowledge, I'm sorry, but yeah I just got a very inspirational "OH SHOOT I FIGURED IT OUT!" moment which kind of gave me a little tingly feeling. Thanks for making these videos.

[@SubstationAlpha]

Amazing video! My last duty station in the Navy was at NAWS China Lake and I was attached to VX-31 "Dust Devils". You brought back some fond memories of the old dust bowl. 😆

[@argothgames8545]

This is why I subscribe to your channel. It is so clear and obvious that you just love learning and sharing that learning with others. Anyone else would have gone through google or one of your many contacts to find out exactly what the pivots on the rollerons do before even attempting to make this video, but the vibe this gives off is that you just saw something as you were walking past it and wondered how it works so you made a video. Thank you for all that you do.

[@jimharris5616]

On the AIM-9M there is a latch on the back of the rolleron that unlocks from the g-forces of launch. Then the gyro part is free to swing from side to side to stabilize the missile. The AIM-9M and X uses the same warhead, rocket motor and active optical target detector (AOTD). The guidance is totally different between them.

[@pb68slab18]

Last Sidewinder I loaded in my days as a Navy AO was the AIM-9L! IYAOYAS!!!

[@scaneagle62]

There is a interesting story about the guy who came up with that idea. He was a newbe in a design team and they were stuck with the problem of instability for months. The new guy was home playing with his son with some toy and he had a light bulb moment and came up with those rolerons. Really cool story.

[@NathanLewisVideos]

I love this style of video. Also super glad the animation was there even though I could see it in my head. It was too cool not to make sure everyone understood it. More videos like this!

[@Badweather12]

These casual walk up videos are some of my favorite. Please keep doing them.

[@Hagemann666]

Awesome video, Destin! I enjoy your channel immensely and it LITERALLY makes me smarter every time I watch it. As a military aviation aficionado I found this short video incredibly engaging. I never knew about rollerons! What a clever solution to a very difficult problem that must have really vexed those engineers back in the 1960s before we had accurate gyros and accelerometers that can fit on integrated chips. I also never knew about the expanding rod warhead. The way you described it made sense to me but the animation you provided really brought it home. Just keep doing what you do!

[@Subanator]

Such a random but extremely interesting topic! You don’t learn too much about these types of subject matters usually due to them being classified.

[@FezCaliph]

Not as random when you know what his career was

[@skepticalbadger]

All this information has been freely available for a long time.

[@cfranko1860]

@@skepticalbadger yeah lmao heatseeking missiles aren’t really classified at all

[@ZKern7]

Nah its just rocket science

[@slightlyirradiatedmuffin3257]

@@FezCaliph Also not random when you consider this missile was just used against the UFOs and Balloons

[@MarcosProjects]

I'm always blown away by how you seem to know so much about so many different things. Made a bit more sense that you might have just learned about rollerons from the informational plaques around (unless you already knew about them?!) but I'm still blown away by the fact that you noticed the tiny divots and knew what they were and why they were there. Great video, thanks Destin!

[@FishFind3000]

He did work for the government doing weapons testing

[@RobertLowery]

I believe Destin used to work on engineering weapons systems for military aircraft.

[@ryanrobinson5903]

He worked on Military R and D basically. He has a cool video on it

[@johnlucas6683]

He has a vid on his channel where he revealed his background as something related to military weapons testing. Something like that. He's really cool.

[@jn-ny8bh]

It's called being an engineer

[@tjschramm8555]

SO fun to have you just stop by on something and casually talk about and think about how it works. This video is unlike your others which are a bit more polished but that is ok because it allows me as a fellow engineer to appreciate and relate to how you think about things just in your everyday life.

[@EGL24Xx]

When I was in a rocket club, we considered adding hinged fins with rollers. The reason is that when the rocket rolls, the fins will move to oppose the rotation. That's what the sidewinder missile is doing too. It's just a passive way to stop roll.

[@NeverlostatBSgaming]

My grandpa worked on the electrical power systems for the sidewinder, he’s no longer with us but any time I see that missile I remember how he taught me to enjoy science, so thank you Destin for bringing that joy to many others

[@cyh4031]

So sorry for your loss! God bless you and yours!!!

[@cameron5802]

Rollerons were always super fascinating to me. I desperately want a surplus sidewinder fin with one attached, they're just very iconic and were rather little known about from the general person (until recent times, especially after this video, lol)

[@norrinradd8952]

Ebay, AIM 9 Sidewinder missile kit

[@500spyder]

Your description of the expanding rod warhead makes it clear why these missiles are effective against the recent UAPs. I was wondering how they could be shot with a missle but recovered and now blown to bits!

[@aktormey]

My grandfather, after completing service aboard the SS375 Macabi during WWII, went to work for Ford Philco and eventually participated in the design of this weapons system. He was a life member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and was a member of the Associations of Old Crows (Electronic Warfare Organization), Armed Forces Communications Association, Air Force Association, Association of the United States Army, the American Space Foundation and the US Naval Institute. Thank you Destin for this video. How proud we are of his patriotism in the defense of our country through engineering.

[@richarddickjohnson516]

Never heard of the "expanding rod warhead" before, but I love the brief explanation and the simple animation helps a lot! Keep up the amazing work Destin, I look forward to the next video 👍👍

[@rubberbandman200]

Expanding rods have been in use since Vietnam area warheads

[@richarddickjohnson516]

@@rubberbandman200 I figured as much, it's just that most resources fail to mention that aspect of the warhead, so it's news to me.

[@rubberbandman200]

@richarddickjohnson516 oh. I didn't mean it in a talking down to you way. I said that just as a fun fact.

[@richarddickjohnson516]

@@rubberbandman200 lol it's all good, just clarifying in any case. I appreciate the friendly reply, thanks

[@Justbmoretransparent]

I wish you would do more stuff like this. Make quick think , see & share videos about things you come across on the day to day .

[@bristolee27]

Absolutely love and appreciate what this man does on his channel

[@peter-radiantpipes2800]

My uncles worked for Raytheon most of their careers from 70’s-2000’s and did a lot of missile guidance. My cousin has done fire suppression in tanks and nuclear detonation detection underwater. Also worked at Sonos / L7 but I don’t know much. I almost took a project manager position at Sonos in my late 20’s. Wished I had. Man I wished I’d gone Mechanical Engineering or another similar. Uncle also worked on FLIR. Funny early stories about testing it outside and catching people farting. 😂

[@shaneelson]

It always amazes me how ingenious the human mind can be when it comes to rendering other human beings into the smallest possible pieces.

[@annabellethepitty]

We have been at it for thousands of years.

[@MrPanama9red]

I've loaded MANY Aim 9's and Aim 7's on the F-4 Aircraft. After loading we did a functional check on the weapons system. We removed the nose cover of the AIM-9 and used a flashlight, for heat, to check the guidance system. Yes, the heat of a flashlight, it was that sensitive. You could see its response by it following your movement. Lethal.

[@Jason608]

If I'm not mistaken, the rolleron's gyroscopic motion isn't trying to stabilize the whole missile by itself, but rather just that little pivoting section, which acts like (and well IS) a control surface. The control surface is what confers the stability to the fuselage.

[@raghotrod86]

I love watching your content. I got excited with you when you showed the parts at the end of the video. You really do make it feel like you’re taking me on an adventure every time I watch your videos!

[@Reavenk]

Very simple production, but amazing content! Can't wait to see what happens with the purchased missile parts.

[@geoduet5461]

The 360 camera startled me at first, I though Destin was standing before a 3D model of an F-18 and I wondered "why didn't he go for the real thing ?" and then I realised, and thought "Of course he had a real Sidewinder on the side, just for show". Awesome short video !

[@atcy2634]

uh.. i dont have literally any experience with military aircraft or anything, but i saw a video where it stated: "if a missile has a blue stripe, its unarmed. if it has a green or YELLOW stripe, it's armed." if you search up (this is not where i heard it): "does a yellow stripe on a aim-9x missile mean its armed", it will show exactly what i'm trying to say. if i am correct, destin is 'playing' with a live AIM-9X missile. please correct me if i have made any mistakes now, i havent found any direct information, but i do believe that you cannot blow up the missile if you are touching it with your bare hands, so destin is not in serious danger

[@notonlyhuman6073]

This is so cool! I love finding out how stuff like this works! This is the kinda stuff I would have never even known to look up a “how it works” video on. Keep it up! Love gettin smarter every day!

[@davemcddd]

We need a LOT more of these simple 8 minute videos!

[@djAnakin]

OMG! I literally work across the street from this lab. Now i'm sad that I missed Destin here! :( Looks like leaves are still on the trees so this was months ago. Hopefully you have more videos at China Lake!

[@dougwilliams7641]

Destin, The Sidewinder mounted in the static display aircraft had its rollerons caged. Early development Sidewinder models had un caged rollerons and pilots could feel them fighting control inputs. Caged rollerons are released by launching G forces which flip back the small grey tab at the back of the wing. Earlier rollerons wer caged by tying opposing rollerons together with a nylon line under tension. top to bottom and left to right. On that model the front control surfaces are called Canards and the rear, with rollerons, are called wings. Sparrow Missiles have front wings and rear fins. The aircraft mounted Sidewinder could be detonated 2 ways. First by a contact fuse if impacting another aircraft and second by the Influence Fuse (Chinese Balloon Fuse), the silver cylinder behind the anodized control section which detonated the warhead in the event of a near miss. I’m a former USAF 31651L Missile Maintenance Technician. Love the Channel. Change of topic and Suggestion, find a working Linotype machine to be fascinated, also a Hammond Tone Wheel Generator which mechanically created musical notes covering nearly the entire human audible range. I have a spare Tonewheel generator you are welcome to, heavy and fragile so if you cruise I-95 through NC I’m at mile marker 73. Cheers.

[@jasondomican1991]

Genuinely love your excitement and enthusiasm towards learning man, it's so encouraging! 🤜❤️🤛

[@colinkulasik1128]

Destin, it looks like those flywheel gyro things on the tail of the missile are controlling aileron controls in a mechanical capacity. Really cool to see these things up close. Thank you for all you do to make us smarter! Lord knows we need it....

[@SimplyV3rna]

Just a fun thing to note: Those Rollerons are already spinning the moment the aircraft is in flight. Imagine how those need to be really balanced and durable to last many trips without breaking.

[@Nr15121]

While flying at supersonic speed

[@fredericborloo1910]

Destin, the roll motion is stopped by the gyroscopes precessing under roll and thereby deflecting the aerodynamic surfaces to which they are attached. It is not so much the rigidity in space of the gyroscopes doing the work as the deflection of the surfaces.

[@alsmith2764]

This video took such a hard left turn. Parts 1-4; here’s a pretty innocuous discussion on the engineering of this weapon. Epilogue; we bought a missile y’all. Love it. Thanks for what you do destin!

[@marcg.3333]

This is awesome because it ties everything together. As a Dutch guy I ended up in Alabama because of the space and rocket related industry. Some of my training for the Hawk Missile system was at Redstone. (many years ago). Hitting a target flying faster than the speed of sound is truly a marvel of engineering! I As a Radar specialist I loved that part of my job. Thanks for this video Destin.

[@OnePilot12222]

How incredible! You really do learn something new everyday! I really never new that the AIM-9 has Rollerons. Thank you very much for your effort in this and every other video you make Destin. 👍

[@bigdarbs19]

I used to test rocket motors with Royal Ordnance in the UK. I had a rolleron in its housing sat on my desk, and I can recall chatting on the phone spinning the rolleron like a toy. I also cut my fingers on it, the edgs of the disc are very finely machined angles!

[@korican64]

being prior military as an aviation electronics technician, I worked on the F/A-18 platform troubleshooting the weapons systems, such as the AIM-9X on the aircraft and more. This video definitely made me learn more about the fascinating nature of the sidewinder and brought back some good memories. Thank you!

[@CheeseWithMold]

Interesting! I didn't really understand how some missiles actually worked. I guess I always assumed they all exploded on impact, but the use of side proximity sensors make a lot more sense! That way you only need to get close and don't need a direct hit. Very cool.

[@SeanBZA]

Impact requires a very accurate hit, but for disabling an aircraft just merely blowing up near is good enough, and you ensure with a large shrapnel field expanding out in a cone that you will very likely impact the aircraft, taking important parts out in the process. If you blow up as you are closing, so the cone expanding will cover the aircraft, you are a lot more effective, and those IR sensors are passive, looking for a large temperature change against the background of sky, which means there is an airframe close by, and thus on target.

[@spudgamer6049]

Air burst shells go at least to the interwar period. Guns like the German 88L71 and American 5/38 relied on air burst for their use in the AA role. Early on in WW2, these were timed fuses, where the fire control would estimate the flight time of the shell to where it would intercept the aircraft's flight path, then the gun crew, or sometimes on ships a fuse setting device, would set the fuse as they were loading, and the timer would start with the initial G load of firing. Later on, the western allies had VT fuses, which were based on a concept from the British and made practical in US which used a built in radar to detect and detonate near aircraft, so that the gunners no longer had to set the timer. Course, timed fuses rather than impact fuses on shells go back even further than that. "Bombs bursting in air" is a reference to a rather old form of timed fuse, after all, the ones referenced being those with a bit too short of a fuse.

[@peterbaljet2636]

“Sidewinder - Missile Development at China Lake” by Ron Westrum is a book about the development of the missile. One of the best engineering stories I have ever read and talks specifically how they came up with the rollerons. Goes to show what happens when you have smart people on a close knit team and give them freedom to tinker. Nobody thought it would work initially and almost scrapped multiple times.

[@qazwsxqaz3163]

Большое спасибо за информацию!!!

[@blue72nova]

This video brings me back to my time in engineering school and the discussion of angular velocity. Then teaching us kids the oh-so-fun right-hand rule. Watching people work through problems while checking their right hand as they mimic rotation to confirm the direction of the angular vector will always make me chuckle.

[@casedistorted]

This stuff is cool, I always loved the name Sidewinder as a kid playing my video games. I also have always wondered if there’s a known time in military history where two fighter jets have shot sidewinder missiles at each other that we know about. Seems like it might be pretty rare

[@3g2i63]

I was the equivalent of an Aviation Ordnanceman for a bit. At least as far as the pre-X versions go, you have to be somewhat behind your opponent for it to work. It's a heat seeking missile so it doesn't pick much from the front. It makes the probability of two planes shooting sidewinders at each others very low. I don't know all the details of the AIM-9X but they can be pre-guided by the plane/pilot (helmet aim), they have vector thrusting wich gives them incredible manoeuvrability, plus their sensor and guidance system are MUCH more advanced so they can be shot and VERY quickly turn to go like the opposite direction of the plane, then try to pick some heat and aim on their own, trying not to find only heat but a plane shape, rendering the "flares" countermeasures much less effective. They are awesome and terrifying.

[@arapahoetactical7749]

Great video. Eric Manwill is dead on with his explanation of the rolleron. That pivot is necessary to allow the missile body to make the turn induced by the forward fins of the guidance section. Without that pivot, the roller gyros would be fighting the guidance fins every time it tried to turn to maintain a lock on the target. That hinge allows the gyro action of the roller to move the pivoting body to act like an aileron, essentially a passive control surface for the tail. I studied these in my Air Force Tech School for Munitions loading back in the late 70's.

[@BarrettCharlebois]

Destin, can you do more of these? I’d love to see a second channel with more casual but frequent military topics like this video was. I could listen to you narrate all day long about different sidewinder generations

[@Hraesvelgr44]

That was an awesome, concise and easy-to-understand explanation. Interesting video!

[@rozyllo]

On the next episode of Smarter Every Day: Destin builds a Sidewinder Missile from spare parts. Stay tuned!

[@monroejosh]

"How to Light a Bonfire with a Sidewinder Missile"

[@donstevenson3960]

"How to attract the interest of the FBI"

[@AddlerMartin]

In a cave

[@Kroitk]

@@AddlerMartin with a BOX OF SCRAPS!!

[@mrichardsonmobile]

How many baseball mitts does it take to catch a sidewinder missile at 64,000fps