Bell 8000
Engine
Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.
Bell Nitric acid/UDMH rocket engine family. Derived from an engine developed originally for the B-58 Hustler bomber's cancelled rocket pod, it was adapted for use with Lockheed's Agena upper stage for use with the deep black Corona spy satellite.
Subtopics
- Hustler APU Aerojet isopropylnitrate monopropellant rocket engine. B-58. Development begun 1953. APU for the Hustler 'controlled bomb pod', which was really a long range air to surface strategic missile
- Bell 8247 Bell Nitric acid/UDMH rocket engine. Out of Production. Version of Agena engine for the Gemini-Agena Target Vehicle. Minimum capability of five restarts and a demonstrated capability of fifteen restarts. First flight 1963.
- Bell 8081 Bell Nitric acid/UDMH rocket engine. Out of production. Used on Agena B stage atop Thor and Atlas. First flight 1960.
Bell 8096 Bell Nitric acid/UDMH rocket engine. Out of production. Used in Agena stage on top of Thor, Atlas, and Titan launch vehicles. First flight 1963.
Bell 8048 Bell Nitric acid/UDMH rocket engine. Out of production. Used on Agena A, derived from Rascal engine. Regeneratively cooled; used drilled holes to create the same effect as more costly stacked spaghetti rubes. First flight 1959.- LR65 Bell rocket engine for the X-9 Shrike, an experimental prototype of the Rascal air-to-ground missile.
- LR67 Bell rocket engine. Rascal GAM-63. Harry Meyers made a major contribution to the development of Bell's Rascal engines. The engine was made of aluminum, using the "spaghetti tube" concept of brazed tubes for thrust chamber cooling.