Controlled Recoverable Ramjet Test Vehicle (CRRTV) was a Bristol test vehicle to be used to test ramjets. It is most associated with the M3 ramjet programme. Usually know as Bobbin, it was dropped from Lincoln bombers over Woomera as well as ground launched. The idea was that Bobbin could be recovered with minimum damage on completion of its test flight. To this end Bobbin was fitted with a parachute and a long spike on its nose.
After the flight test was completed, the parachute lowered Bobbin to the ground. This was not slow enough to prevent damage, so the spike was used to absorb some of the impact as it penetrated the earth.
Bobbin was fitted with a standard
Thor "hack" ramjet on one side, but a variety of test engines could be fitted on the other side. Bobbin was superceded by the XTV.9 test vehicle that was a developed Bobbin fitted with an improved Thor that could accelerate the vehicle to M2.5. This was fast enough for the M3 test engine to start up and accelerate to the required M3.XTV.9 itself evolved into the BET.9 (Blue Envoy Test) vehicle that could be used for testing even more powerful ramjets including the Napier NRJ.2.
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