Clausen Rolling Platform
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The Clausen Rolling Platform was a missile launching platform, built at the coastal missile test range of RAE Aberporth, West Wales, in the 1950s. It used a floating platform in a pool of water to simulate the rolling of a ship at sea, without the drawbacks and costs of going to sea. The Platform was first used for development trials of the Seaslug missile.
Most of the Aberporth site is on a plateau above 450 foot cliffs. The platform was a 750 ton circular steel caisson floating in a diamond-shaped pool, on a concrete platform just above sea level. The pool was 20 metres (66 ft) across and 13 metres (43 ft) deep. Access down the cliffs was made by a cable funicular, taking 11 minutes to descend with a loaded 20 ft long, two-ton missile.
The action of the platform was controlled by actuators fixed to the land. They could move the caisson in both 20° roll and 10° pitch axes independently. Variable water ballast within the caisson allowed its dynamic behaviour and period of oscillation to be adjusted. Its movement could be so violent as to induce seasickness in even experienced sailors, leading to its informal name of 'HMS Rock'n'Roll'.
The platform was fitted with a triple launcher for the missiles and a mounting for the Type 901 fire-control radar. Both of these mounts were stabilised and held a constant direction as the platform rolled beneath them. The radar mount tracked the position constantly, the missile launcher moved in discrete steps.
The Type 901 radar provided the beam-riding guidance for the missile. This tracked the missile and broadcast control signals to it. Separate radars were used to search for targets, track them and estimate their height. At Aberporth these were provided by existing radar equipment, not dedicated to the platform, mounted on top of the cliff. Additional radio equipment was used to control the target drones used, and to receive telemetry from test missiles.
The first Seaslug launch was made from the platform in April 1954. Further tests of the complete system were made from the dedicated missile trials ship HMS Girdle Ness, off the coast of Aberporth and in the Mediterranean around Malta, beginning from the summer of 1957. Testing at Aberporth continued for the improved Seaslug GWS.2 until 1968. The solid-fuel Gosling rocket boosters for Seaslug GWS.1 were produced at RNPF Caerwent in South East Wales. Caerwent also carried out motor trials on these. The last Gosling was produced there on 14 June 1966.
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