RIM-24 Tartar SAM (Scale Model)

Summary

This is a scale model of the General Dynamics RIM-24 Tartar, a medium-range naval surface-to-air missile (SAM). As one of the earliest guided missile systems to equip United States Navy warships, it served as a primary point-defense weapon for decades.

This model has been designed for easy printing and assembly, making it an ideal project for naval history, scale model collectors, and enthusiasts of Cold War military technology.

Background Information

The General Dynamics RIM-24 Tartar is a medium-range, naval surface-to-air missile (SAM) that commenced service with the United States Navy during the early 1960s. It was a constituent of the "Terrier, Talos, Tartar" missile family, which collectively constituted the primary air defense capability of the U.S. Navy's surface fleet for a significant portion of the Cold War. While its counterparts provided long-range area defense, the Tartar was a more compact system designed for point-defense, protecting individual ships from immediate aerial threats.

The Tartar compact dimensions permitted installation on smaller combatants, such as destroyers and frigates, which lacked the capacity for the larger area-defense missile systems. Guidance was achieved through a semi-active radar homing system, with propulsion provided by a dual-thrust solid-fuel rocket motor. The operational success and design principles of the Tartar program directly influenced the development of its successor, the RIM-66 Standard Missile family.

This model is a personal hobby project based entirely on publicly available imagery and general information; no proprietary, sensitive, or classified technical data was used in its creation. It is not affiliated with, nor endorsed by, any defense organization, manufacturer, or the creator's professional or academic work. This is a static, non-functional scale model intended for display and educational purposes only. It is not a weapon and cannot be made to function as one.

Disclaimer

This model is a personal hobby project based entirely on publicly available imagery and general information; no proprietary, sensitive, or classified technical data was used in its creation. It is not affiliated with, nor endorsed by, any defense organization, manufacturer, or the creator's professional or academic work. This is a static, non-functional scale model intended solely for display and educational purposes. It is not a weapon and cannot be made to function as one.