Aerobee Sounding Rocket

I have been trying to find drawings or photos of a particular Aerobee
research rocket without success. In Willy Ley's "Rockets, Missiles, and
Space Travel" (1959 edition), on page 285, figure 48, is a line drawing of
an Aerobee having swept-back fins with an overall length of the second stage
given as 226 inches.

Does anyone know if this particular design was ever flown (with these
swept-back fins) and where I might find some photos and/or diagrams?

I'm just starting to get into high-powered rocketry and am considering
building a flyable scale model of this particular design configuration.

C. Newport

C. Newport wrote:
I have been trying to find drawings or photos of a particular Aerobee
research rocket without success. In Willy Ley's "Rockets, Missiles, and
Space Travel" (1959 edition), on page 285, figure 48, is a line drawing of
an Aerobee having swept-back fins with an overall length of the second stage
given as 226 inches.

Does anyone know if this particular design was ever flown (with these
swept-back fins) and where I might find some photos and/or diagrams?

I'm just starting to get into high-powered rocketry and am considering
building a flyable scale model of this particular design configuration.

C. Newport


Is this the fin arrangement you mean?

http://users.ev1.net/~txhipowr/Rocketry/Aerobee170/

This was used, I beleive, on the 150A, 170, and 200. There was a
*very, very* nice model of the 150A at the NARAM in 2000 or 20001.

The Aerobee 350 used fins with more taper, but still swept (and to
be technical, the standard Aerobee fins were clipped deltas, and thus
the 1/4 chord line was swept, too).

As Always (pun intended), "Rockets of the World" is the definitive
reference.

Brett

Brett:

Yes, the second stage had three very steeply swept back fins, that from the
visual standpoint, make it a very attractive design. However, I'm not sure
whether or not this line drawing represents a concept, or a design that
actually flew. The only image I've been able to find of this particular
Aerobee was in Ley's book, which I first read when I was 10 years old or so.

Any help would be appreciated,

C. Newport

"Brett Buck" wrote in message
...
C. Newport wrote:
I have been trying to find drawings or photos of a particular Aerobee
research rocket without success. In Willy Ley's "Rockets, Missiles, and
Space Travel" (1959 edition), on page 285, figure 48, is a line drawing
of
an Aerobee having swept-back fins with an overall length of the second
stage
given as 226 inches.

Does anyone know if this particular design was ever flown (with these
swept-back fins) and where I might find some photos and/or diagrams?

I'm just starting to get into high-powered rocketry and am considering
building a flyable scale model of this particular design configuration.

C. Newport


Is this the fin arrangement you mean?

http://users.ev1.net/~txhipowr/Rocketry/Aerobee170/

This was used, I beleive, on the 150A, 170, and 200. There was a
*very, very* nice model of the 150A at the NARAM in 2000 or 20001.

The Aerobee 350 used fins with more taper, but still swept (and to
be technical, the standard Aerobee fins were clipped deltas, and thus
the 1/4 chord line was swept, too).

As Always (pun intended), "Rockets of the World" is the definitive
reference.

Brett

On Mon, 29 Sep 2003 16:47:04 -0400, "C. Newport"
wrote:

I'm just starting to get into high-powered rocketry and am considering
building a flyable scale model of this particular design configuration.

....Drat. I thought you were about to go searching for them off the
Snark-infested waters :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)


OM

--

"No ******* ever won a war by dying for | http://www.io.com/~o_m
his country. He won it by making the other | Sergeant-At-Arms
poor dumb ******* die for his country." | Human O-Ring Society

- General George S. Patton, Jr

In article ,
C. Newport wrote:
Yes, the second stage had three very steeply swept back fins, that from the
visual standpoint, make it a very attractive design. However, I'm not sure
whether or not this line drawing represents a concept, or a design that
actually flew...

Careful here. Close inspection of the drawing (at least, in my edition of
the book, which is the slightly later "Rockets, Missiles, and Men in Space")
reveals that the second-stage fins are almost exactly the same shape as the
first-stage fins. What seem, at first glance, to be the edges of very long,
very highly swept fins are, in fact, wire radio antennas running from the
forward fuselage to the tips of the second-stage fins.

Peter Alway's "Rockets of the World", 3rd ed, shows the wires in one of
the several configurations drawn for the "Standard Aerobee", the original
Aerobee.
--
MOST launched 1015 EDT 30 June, separated 1046, | Henry Spencer
first ground-station pass 1651, all nominal! |

"C. Newport" wrote in message
...
I have been trying to find drawings or photos of a particular Aerobee
research rocket without success. In Willy Ley's "Rockets, Missiles, and
Space Travel" (1959 edition), on page 285, figure 48, is a line drawing of
an Aerobee having swept-back fins with an overall length of the second
stage
given as 226 inches.

Does anyone know if this particular design was ever flown (with these
swept-back fins) and where I might find some photos and/or diagrams?

I'm just starting to get into high-powered rocketry and am considering
building a flyable scale model of this particular design configuration.

C. Newport


Curt -

More than 800 examples of the first Aerobee versions (basic Aerobee,
Aerobee-Hi and Aerobee 150/150A)
were built and flown by the U.S. military services and NASA between 1947 and
1985
(when the last Aerobee 150 was launched by NASA).
It was the first American general purpose high-altitude sounding rocket.

Since 1968 Aerojet developed the Aerobee into several significantly enlarged
rockets
like the Aerobee 170, Aerobee 300, Aerobee 350 and the Astrobee family

As part of historical research a few years ago, I was looking into the
development of Aerobee and who made significant contributions to some of the
designs.

Specifically Bob Truax and James Van Allen.
Bob Truax retired as a Navy Captain in 1959, and went to work for Aerojet
(who developed the Aerobee)
where he headed the Advanced Development Division until leaving in 1967.
In 1960 developed a "proof of principle" See Bee rocket from a surplus
Aerobee.
http://www.astronautix.com/lvfam/truax.htm

James Van Allen was working with Office of Naval Research launching Rockoon
(balloon-launched rocket)
from the USS Staten Island, USS Plymouth Rock & USS Glacier (Glacier was for
IGY) for military and scientific research.

Van Allen's contribution appears to have been with the Aerobee-Hi and/or
Aerobee 150
(I forgot to ask Jim when I saw him in 1999).

An e-mail to Bob Truax received a polite reply, but no specifics on his
contribution to the Aerobee program.

Some of this is now on Encyclopedia Astronautica
http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/aerobee.htm

Since you mentioned a 1959 photo, then it would NOT be later versions
(Aerobee 170, 200, 350, etc.)

There are few photos on the Internet of these late 1940s and 1950s launches
(a historic loss)

G. Beat

Henry:

Ah yes, now I see what you're talking about. I agree, the drawing is
deceiving in that what looks like swept back fins, are in fact the antennas
you're talking about. Now it all makes sense. It was the dimension line
that threw me.

Thanks a lot,

C. Newport


"Henry Spencer" wrote in message
...
In article ,
C. Newport wrote:
Yes, the second stage had three very steeply swept back fins, that from
the
visual standpoint, make it a very attractive design. However, I'm not
sure
whether or not this line drawing represents a concept, or a design that
actually flew...

Careful here. Close inspection of the drawing (at least, in my edition of
the book, which is the slightly later "Rockets, Missiles, and Men in
Space")
reveals that the second-stage fins are almost exactly the same shape as
the
first-stage fins. What seem, at first glance, to be the edges of very
long,
very highly swept fins are, in fact, wire radio antennas running from the
forward fuselage to the tips of the second-stage fins.

Peter Alway's "Rockets of the World", 3rd ed, shows the wires in one of
the several configurations drawn for the "Standard Aerobee", the original
Aerobee.
--
MOST launched 1015 EDT 30 June, separated 1046, | Henry Spencer
first ground-station pass 1651, all nominal! |

On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 06:58:46 -0400, C. Newport wrote:

Ah yes, now I see what you're talking about. I agree, the drawing is
deceiving in that what looks like swept back fins, are in fact the antennas
you're talking about. Now it all makes sense. It was the dimension line
that threw me.


As you know Curt, sometimes you have to dive a little deeper to ferret out
the facts! G