Pioneering American Rocketry: The Reaction Motors, Inc. (RMI) Story,

Transcription

1 Pioneering American Rocketry: The Reaction Motors, Inc. (RMI) Story, by Frank H. Winter and Frederick I. Ordway, III with James H. Wyld, John Shesta and Philippe Cosyn Rick W. Sturdevant, Series Editor AAS History Series, Volume 44 A Supplement to Advances in the Astronautical Sciences

2 Copyright 2015 by AMERICAN ASTRONAUTICAL SOCIETY AAS Publications Office P.O. Box San Diego, California Affiliated with the American Association for the Advancement of Science Member of the International Astronautical Federation First Printing 2015 ISSN ISBN (Hard Cover) ISBN (Soft Cover) Published for the American Astronautical Society by Univelt, Incorporated, P.O. Box 28130, San Diego, California Web Site: Printed and Bound in the U.S.A. iv

3 Contents Page Foreword vii Introduction and Acknowledgments Sketches of the Founders Lovell Lawrence, Jr James Hart Wyld John Shesta Hugh Franklin Pierce Chapter1. TheRootsofRMI: James H. Wyld and His Regeneratively Cooled Rocket Motor Introduction Background Childhood Wyld s Introduction to Rocketry Background of the Regenerative Motor Goddard s Regeneratively Cooled Rocket Motors The Evolution of Wyld s Regenerative Cooled Motor Toward the Construction The Motor Tests Formation of Reaction Motors, Inc References and Notes Chapter 2. Reaction Motors, Inc.: A Memoir, by John Shesta Introduction The American Rocket Society (ARS) Earliest Years of RMI Early Success Developing JATOs JATO Flight Tests Work Towards the 6000C-4 for Bell X Viking and other Later Rocket Engines RMI becomes Reaction Motors, Division of Thiokol References and Notes ix

4 Chapter 3. Reaction Motors, Inc.: A Corporate History, Introduction Founding the Enterprise The Four Founders The JATO Endeavor Early Expansion Rocket Companies Make Poor Neighbors Move to Lake Denmark The Rockefeller Connection TheOlin-MathiesonArrivalontheScene The Thiokol Merger References and Notes Chapter 4. Reaction Motors, Inc.: Projects, Introduction JATOs Principal Power for Aircraft Rocket Planes Test and Sounding Rockets, and also Early Missile Power Plants. 115 Lark LR2-RM-12 and XLR-6-RM4 Engines MX-774 s XLR-35-RM-1 Engine The Viking XLR-10-RM-2 Engine Other Important Developments Miscellaneous Projects References and Notes Chapter 5. Reaction Motors Division: A Corporate History, Introduction Transition from RMI to RMD Division Management Facilities Division Capabilities Project Developments Propulsion for X-15 Research Airplane Packaged Liquid Rocket Engines for Small Missiles Sparrow III The Bullpup Corvus Air-to-Surface Missile Missile A/Missile B/Lance Activities Condor Air-to-Air Missile Supporting Work Small Vernier and Attitude Control Rockets C-1 Common Engine The NERVA Nuclear Rocket Project x

5 Steam Generators Components Other Projects Other Activities The Evolution of the Division s Fortunes The End References and Notes Other Sources Chapter 6. Reaction Motors Division: Projects, Introduction Sparrow III Bullpup Corvus and Condor The X-15 Engine Lifting Bodies Surveyor Vernier, TD Conclusion References Notes Chapter 7. RMI s Most Famous Project: Black Betsy, The 6000C-4 Engine Part Introduction Background The Douglas and Goddard Connections Switch to the XS-1 Project Technical Development of the 6000C Advanced X-1 Aircraft References and Notes Chapter 8. RMI s Most Famous Project: Black Betsy, The 6000C-4 Engine Part Introduction The D Skyrocket The XF The MX Miscellaneous Early 6000C-4 Projects The X Lifting Bodies Sonic Wind References and Notes xi

6 Chapter 9. Last Major Triumph: The XLR-99 Rocket Engine Introduction Laying the Background The XLR X-15 Engine Competition Results XLR-99 Growing Pains Flight Status and Post-Script References and Notes Chapter 10. The Liquid-Propellant Rocket by James H. Wyld Introduction Background Other Early Proposals Goddard s Experiments with Liquid Propellants Rocket-Propelled Automobile Experiments German Army Takes Over Experimental Work V-2 Rocket Comes into Being Details of the A-4 Motor Development of the American Rocket Society Reaction Motors Firm Organized Multi-Cylinder Rocket Engine for Aircraft German Hydrogen-Peroxide Motors Trends in Rocket-Motor Research Rocket-Motor Structural Problems Research Required in Fuel Injection Modern Propellants Needed Speculation on Nuclear Energy as Power Source References Appendix1. TypicalEarlyRMIRocketMotors (Arranged by Dates of Uses) Appendix 2. Reaction Motors, Inc./Reactions Motors Division Artifacts within the National Air and Space Museum (NASM), Washington, D.C. (Status as of 12 December 2014) Appendix 3. XLR-11s and XLR-8s in Other Museums (as of 7 February 2015) Appendix 4. XLR-99 or Pioneer Motors in Other Museums (as of 12 January 2015) xii

7 Back Notes Chapter 2: Reaction Motors, Inc.: A Memoir Chapter 3: Reaction Motors, Inc.: A Corporate History, Chapter 4: Reaction Motors, Inc.: Projects, Chapter 5: Reaction Motors Division: A Corporate History, Chapter 6: Reaction Motors Division: Projects, Chapter 7: RMI s Most Famous Project: Black Betsy, Part Chapter 8: RMI s Most Famous Project: Black Betsy, The 6000C-4 Engine Part Chapter9:LastMajorTriumph:TheXLR-99RocketEngine Chapter 10: The Liquid-Propellant Rocket Index AAS History Series xiii