Sparoair
Air-launched sounding rocket developed by the United States Navy between 1950 and 1960
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sparoair was a family of air-launched sounding rockets developed by the United States Navy in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Based on the Sparrow air-to-air missile, three versions of the rocket were developed;[1][2][3] all launches were from Point Mugu and although some were successful,[4][1][2][3] the system did not enter operational service.
Sparoair II on F4D | |
| Function | Sounding rocket |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Naval Missile Center |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Size | |
| Height | 3.68 m (12 ft 1 in) |
| Diameter | 200 mm (8 in) |
| Mass | 143 kg (315 lb) |
| Stages | Two |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to 120 km (65 nmi) | |
| Mass | 18 kg (40 lb) |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Retired |
| Launch sites | Point Mugu |
| Total launches | >14 |
| First flight | 1960 |
| Last flight | 26 May 1966 |
Versions
Sparoair I and II
Sparoair was developed by the Naval Missile Center, as a two-stage development of the Sparrow III air-to-air missile.[5][6] Propelled by two Sparrow rocket motors mounted in tandem,[7] the Sparoair could be launched from F3H (F-3) Demon and F4D (F-6) Skyray fighter aircraft, and was capable of lifting a 40 pounds (18 kg) payload to an apogee of 65 nautical miles (120 km; 75 mi).[8][6]
The Sparoair I was the original version of the rocket, launched using an ejection system and a lanyard for firing; after that proved unreliable in flight testing, the Sparoair II was developed that utilised a rail launch with ignition prior to release from the aircraft.[5] Eight launches of Sparoair II vehicles had been conducted by 1961.[5] Each Sparoair II rocket cost US$6,000.[6]
Sparoair III
Sparoair III utilised a redesigned second-stage motor, and could be launched from the F-4 Phantom II; however, any aircraft capable of launching the Sparrow III AAM could launch the Sparoair.[5]
The Sparoair III utilised the aircraft's Low Altitude Bombing System (LABS) circuits to initiate launch; the second stage was ignited via a mechanical device armed by the acceleration of the first stage.[5]
The first Sparoair III was launched on 8 July 1965; it proved a partial failure as the second stage failed to ignite. The second launch on 26 May 1966 failed after six seconds of second-stage burn when the vehicle exploded.[5] No further launches were undertaken.[4]
Version table
The following table summarizes the different configurations:[4][1][2][3]
| Version | Aircraft | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | First Launch | Last Launch | Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sparoair I | F3H (F-3) Demon, F4D (F-6) Skyray | Sparrow | Sparrow | 1960 | 1964-01-18 | 4 |
| Sparoair II | F3H (F-3) Demon, F4D (F-6) Skyray | Sparrow | Sparrow | 1961 | 1961 | >8 |
| Sparoair III | F-4 Phantom II | Sparrow | 22.6KS1245 | 1965-07-08 | 1966-05-26 | 2 |