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RTV-A-2

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MX-774 Credit: Ronald Wade

AKA: MX-774. Status: Retired 1948. First Launch: 1948-07-14. Last Launch: 1948-12-02. Number: 3 . Thrust: 35.00 kN (7,868 lbf). Gross mass: 1,300 kg (2,800 lb). Height: 9.60 m (31.40 ft). Diameter: 0.76 m (2.49 ft). Apogee: 50 km (31 mi).

The Air Force contracted for ten MX-774 vehicles, in three phases. Stage A, the Teetotaler, was a sub-sonic, self-guided cruise missile. Stage B, the Old Fashioned, was a test missile using V-2 technology but incorporating new concepts planned for the next phase. Stage C, the Manhattan, was to be an ICBM. The MX-774 was cancelled by the Air Force in 1947 due to budget restrictions and continued Air Force skepticism. Using residual contract and corporate funds, Bossart was able to launch three stage B test vehicles from White Sands after the cancellation.

While none of the launches were completely successful, they did demonstrate Bossart's innovative design concepts including pressurized monocoque propellant tanks. Despite the heavy investment of company funds, the Air Force later directed Bossart to sell the MX-774 development package to TRW for a song. TRW in turn delivered it, in total, to Douglas and Martin to assist them in design of their competing Thor and Titan missiles. There were many hard feelings at Convair about that.

Photo Gallery

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MX-774 Credit: © Mark Wade

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MX-774 MX-774 in its gantry. Credit: Ronald Wade

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• MX-774 Flight 1 - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 1.00 km (0.60 mi). First Convair MX-774 (RTV-A-2) test rocket was successfully launched, first demonstrating use of gimballed engines and design features later incorporated in the Atlas ICBM. This was the first of three Convair-sponsored test flights..

• MX-774 Flight 2 - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 47 km (29 mi). Second Corvair MX-774 test rocket fired. Shut down at 15 km; reached 65 km before malfunction of unknown origin caused self-destruction..

• MX-774 Flight 3 - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 50 km (31 mi). Third (last) MX-774 launched, WSPG; shut down at 51 seconds attaining an altitude of 48 km. Self-destructed at high altitude..