Export restricted (ITAR), sale only to US Citizens and Organizations. Cutaway display of a 10^7 gyroscope built by the AC Spark Plug Division of General Motors for use in the guidance systems of the PGM-17 Thor ballistic missile. The gyroscope measures 9.5″ in length and 5″ in diameter, and includes its original clear plastic stand with engraved logos and text: “10 (7) Gyro, AC Spark Plug.” In fine condition, with light wear.
Named after the Norse god of thunder, the PGM-17A Thor was the first operational ballistic missile of the United States Air Force. 65 feet tall and 8 feet wide, Thor was deployed in the United Kingdom between 1959 and September 1963 as an intermediate-range ballistic missile with thermonuclear warheads. The missile's lasting legacy continued as the Thor and later Delta families of space launch vehicles used boosters derived from the initial Thor missile and continued on into the 21st century. A very early example of ballistic missile inertial guidance.
