Aug. 08, 1954 - Demonstration of the U.S. Army's new 75 MM Skysweeper anti -...

Aug. 08, 1954 - Demonstration of the U.S. Army's new 75 MM Skysweeper anti - aircraft gun: The United States Army's new 75 mm Skysweeper, a large caliber automatic anti-aircraft artillery weapon, was fired at radio controlled and towed targets before high ranking British Army officials and members of the press, at Weybourns, Norfolk, today. The new gun which can find and track approaching aircraft as far away as 15 miles, is capable of firing on and defeating air targets as far away as four miles. The weapon, equipped with radar, computer, and gun all on one carriage, operates day on night regardless of weather conditions, even when aircraft are invisible in a blanketing fog. Photo shows An American soldier starts up the engine of the radio-controlled target plane ready for launching from the ramp. These target planes have a 75.h.p. engine and travel at a speed of 225 mph for a duration of just over an hour and can be made to emulate aircraft movements, such as diving, banking etc