Rockaire home
topic index
Sounding rocket. Family: Air-Launched. Country: USA. Status: Retired 1956.

This USAF version of the Navy Rockair (research rocket launched from aircraft) vehicle consisted of a Deacon rocket launched from an F-86D Sabrejet fighter.

From NASA SOUNDING ROCKETS, 1958-1968 - A Historical Summary, NASA SP-4401, 1971, by William R. Corliss

If balloons were so useful in stretching rocket performance, why not try high-altitude aircraft? Thus, the "rockaire" concept was born. Actually the rockaire concept was first suggested by Hermann Oberth in his 1929 classic Wege zur Raumschiffahrt. The Air Force studied the idea on and off from 1947 on. The Navy did the same and finally tried the idea out on August 16, 1955, using a Navy F2H2 aircraft off Wallops Island. An altitude of 54 864 m (180 000 ft) was reached with a 69.9-mm (2.75-in.) folded-fin aerial rocket (FFAR) of Korean vintage. The Air Force launched theirs in 1956. In general, however, the rockaire concept never achieved the popularity of the rockoon. Apparently no important scientific rocket research was carried out with rockaires, in contrast to the hundreds of rockoons fired during the 1950s.

Manufacturer: NRL. Launches: 4. Success Rate: 100.00%. First Launch Date: 1956-12-13. Last Launch Date: 1956-12-19. Launch data is: complete. Apogee: 40 km (24 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 30.000 kN (6,744 lbf). Total Mass: 100 kg (220 lb). Core Diameter: 0.16 m (0.52 ft). Total Length: 2.70 m (8.80 ft).

  • Stage0: 1 x F-86D. Propellants: Air/Kerosene.
  • Stage1: 1 x Double HPAG Deacon-2. Gross Mass: 100 kg (220 lb). Empty Mass: 24 kg (52 lb). Motor: 1 x X-220. Thrust (vac): 26.000 kN (5,845 lbf). Burn time: 3.00 sec. Length: 2.80 m (9.10 ft). Diameter: 0.17 m (0.55 ft). Propellants: Solid.
Rockaire Chronology

1956 December 13 - Holloman -. Rockaire RA-1? Rockair 2710 test Agency: USAF. Apogee: 44 km (27 mi).

1956 December 14 - Holloman -. Rockaire RA-2 Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 42 km (26 mi).

1956 December 17 - Holloman -. Rockaire RA-3 Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 43 km (26 mi).

1956 December 19 - Holloman -. Rockaire RA-4 Test mission Agency: USAF. Apogee: 45 km (27 mi).

Bibliography:
Contact us with any corrections, additions, or comments.
Conditions for use of drawings, pictures, or other materials from this site..
To contact astronauts or cosmonauts.

© Mark Wade, 1997 - 2008 except where otherwise noted.