Nativ Credit - via Peter Alway

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).

Manufacturer: North American. Launches: 4. Failures: 2. Success Rate: 25.00%. First Launch Date: 1948-05-26. Last Launch Date: 1948-11-01. Launch data is: complete. Apogee: 19 km (11 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 11.600 kN (2,608 lbf). Total Mass: 600 kg (1,320 lb). Core Diameter: 0.46 m (1.50 ft). Total Length: 4.10 m (13.40 ft). Span: 1.31 m (4.29 ft). Maximum range: 65 km (40 mi). Development Cost $: 679.800 million. in: 1956 average dollars. Total Number Built: 7.

1946 July 26 - Launch Vehicle: Navaho SSM-A-2, Nativ.

• MX-770 fixed price contract finalized. Nation: USA. Program: Navaho. The payload requirement was increased to 1360 kg. North American was also to be provided with captured V-1 or American-built JB-1 Loon cruise missiles, Wasserfall or American Hermes C-2 missiles, and captured V-2 missiles. The company was also to produce as part of its development program an Americanised subscale V-2, the Nativ.References: 44.

• MX-770 Phase 2 Nation: USA. Program: Navaho. Component development for the MX-770 missile begins. North American had spent $3.9 million to date on the project. Construction of the launch site for the Nativ test vehicle is begun at Holloman AFB in New Mexico. References: 221.

• Nativ first attempted launch Nation: USA. Program: Navaho. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 1.00 km (0.60 mi). First launch attempt of MX-770 technology demonstrator. Seven rockets were built in total. There is very inconsistent information on the flight series. One source speaks of six launches, another of four, and a third of three. It seems that there were six launch attempts, three of which never made it very far off the pad, two made it some distance aloft, and only one was considered somewhat successful (reaching Mach 2.23 and an altitude of 18 km).References: 733.

• Nativ Launch Nation: USA. Program: Navaho. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 15 km (9 mi). On the most successful Nativ launch, the missile reached Mach 2.23 and an altitude of 18 km. References: 1854.

• Final Nativ launch Nation: USA. Program: Navaho. Agency: USAF. References: 1854.

• McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page, Harvard University, 1997-present. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited and over 20,000 rocket launches Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.

• Parsch, Andreas, DesignationSystems.Net, . Outstanding, unique reference for aircraft, missiles, propulsion, and avionics systems. Accessed at: http://www.designation-systems.net/.