NATIV

As part of its effort to develop what started out as an American version of the A9 boost-glide rocket, North American Aviation built seven Nativ subscale technology demonstrators.

There is barely any information on what this rocket was like, and even very inconsistent information on the flight series. One source says it had the configuration of the German Wasserfall, but photographs and a North American drawing shows it to be unwinged, with larger aft tail surfaces like the A9. It is not even known what kind of rocket engine powered the vehicle (perhaps a version of the 14.7 kN test engine developed by North American and used in tests in the company parking lot). One source speaks of six launches, another of three, but the North American chart mentions four. It seems that there were perhaps six launch attempts, two of which never made it very far off the pad, three that made it some distance aloft, and only one that was considered somewhat successful (reaching Mach 2.23 and an altitude of 18 km).

Development Cost $: 679.800 million in 1956 dollars. Maximum range: 65 km (40 mi). Total Number Built: 7.