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Air-to-air rocket. Year: 1947. Family: Other Suborbital Vehicles. Country: USA. Popular Name: Holy Moses. High-Velocity Air Rocket. An unguided fighter weapon, it was later adapted for use by NACA in the early 1950's to boost subscale aerodynamic models to supersonic speed. Historical Essay on the Military Version - © Andreas Parsch
The 5-inch FFAR suffered from insufficient speed because of its small motor. Therefore the development of a larger rocket motor with 5-inch diameter was begun, and the first test firings occurred in December 1943. When fitted with the warhead of the 5-inch FFAR, the rocket achieved a velocity of 1530 km/h (950 mph), making it a very powerful weapon for its time. It was officially designated as 5-Inch HVAR (High-Velocity Aircraft Rocket), but often called Holy Moses. It became operational in July 1944, and was used by Army Air Force and Navy aircraft.
During World War II, two versions of Holy Moses were built, one general-purpose with base and nose fuzes, and one with a semi-armour-piercing warhead and a nose fuze only. Postwar developments added a shaped-charge anti-tank warhead, and a new general purpose type with a proximity fuze. More than one million Holy Moses HVARs were built until production ended in 1955. Manufacturer: NOTS. Launches: 24. Failures: 1. Success Rate: 95.83%. First Launch Date: 1947-05-01. Last Launch Date: 1957-02-15. Launch data is: incomplete. Apogee: 10 km (6 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 25.000 kN (5,620 lbf). Total Mass: 63 kg (138 lb). Core Diameter: 0.12 m (0.39 ft). Total Length: 1.83 m (6.00 ft). Standard warhead mass: 2.40 kg (5.20 lb). Maximum range: 1.50 km (0.90 mi). Boost Propulsion: Solid rocket. Guidance: Unguided. Maximum speed: 1,610 kph (1,000 mph).
HVAR Chronology 1947 May - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: HVAR. - FR-2 model test flight Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). References: 1713.
1948 Oct - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: HVAR. - E14 Model test flight Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). References: 1713.
1949 January 11 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: HVAR. - D13 model test flight Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). References: 1713.
1950 May 18 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: HVAR. - E2 Model test flight Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). References: 1713.
1950 August 24 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: HVAR. - D28 model test flight Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). References: 1713.
1950 September 15 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: HVAR. - D27 Model test flight Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). References: 1713.
1950 October 2 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: HVAR. FAILURE: Failure. - D35 Model test flight Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). References: 1713.
1950 December 1 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: HVAR. - Rascal Model test flight Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). References: 1713.
1950 December 19 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: HVAR. - D35 Model test flight Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). References: 1713.
1951 July 9 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: HVAR. - D27 Model test flight Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). References: 1713.
1951 July 27 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: HVAR. - Hermes A3A model test flight Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). References: 1713.
1951 August 22 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: HVAR. - D32 Model test flight Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). References: 1713.
1951 September 12 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: HVAR. - E2 Model test flight Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). References: 1713.
1952 May 16 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: HVAR. - D18 model test flight Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). References: 1713.
1952 June 3 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: HVAR. - F12 model test flight Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). References: 1713.
1952 September 5 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: HVAR. - Rascal Model test flight Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). References: 1713.
1952 November 24 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: HVAR. - D32 Model test flight Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). References: 1713.
1953 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: HVAR. - D32 Model test flight Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). References: 1713.
1953 October 7 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: HVAR. - D18 F8U-1 Model test flight Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 10 km (6 mi). References: 1713.
1953 November 3 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: HVAR. - D37 model test flight Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). References: 1713.
1954? - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: HVAR. - E14 Model test flight Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). References: 1713.
1954 January 21 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: HVAR. - Turbojet study Test mission Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). References: 1713.
1954 March 2 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: HVAR. - D18 F8U-1 Model test flight Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 10 km (6 mi). References: 1713.
1957 February 15 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: HVAR. - D27 Model test flight Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi). References: 1713.
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