Test vehicle. Country: UK. Status: Retired 1972. Single stage vehicle consisting of a Rook solid rocket motor. Used initially for supersonic tests of aircraft models.
The Rook motor was 0.43 m in diameter and 5.28 m long. It contained a case-bonded charge of 846 kg of non-aluminized plastic propellant giving a total impulse of 1760 kN-seconds in 5.6 seconds; with a maximum thrust of 323 kN and a specific impulse of 213 seconds. The motor was capable of withstanding the 40g acceleration it provided during firing. It was employed as the first propulsion stage of the Leopard and Jaguar (Jabiru) supersonic test vehicles, and by itself in single-stage test applications.
Manufacturer: RAE. Launches: 25. Failures: 2. Success Rate: 92.00%. First Launch Date: 1959-06-29. Last Launch Date: 1972-06-22. Launch data is: complete. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 0 N ( lbf). Total Mass: 1,200 kg (2,600 lb). Core Diameter: 0.44 m (1.44 ft). Total Length: 5.00 m (16.40 ft).
- Stage1: 1 x Rook II. Gross Mass: 1,057 kg (2,330 lb). Empty Mass: 186 kg (410 lb). Motor: 1 x Rook. Thrust (vac): 300.000 kN (67,440 lbf). Burn time: 5.50 sec. Length: 5.40 m (17.70 ft). Diameter: 0.44 m (1.44 ft). Propellants: Solid.
Version: Rook IIIA.
Launches: 10. First Launch Date: 1965-05-12. Last Launch Date: 1971-07-03. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 0 N ( lbf). Total Mass: 1,200 kg (2,600 lb). Core Diameter: 0.44 m (1.44 ft). Total Length: 5.00 m (16.40 ft).
- Stage1: 1 x Rook IIIA. Gross Mass: 1,057 kg (2,330 lb). Empty Mass: 186 kg (410 lb). Motor: 1 x Rook. Thrust (vac): 300.000 kN (67,440 lbf). Burn time: 5.50 sec. Length: 5.40 m (17.70 ft). Diameter: 0.44 m (1.44 ft). Propellants: Solid.
Rook Chronology
1959 June 29 - Aberporth -. FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: RAE. Apogee: 0 km ( mi).
1959 July 7 - Aberporth -. FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: RAE. Apogee: 0 km ( mi).
1960? - Woomera LA2. Rook R1J Test mission Agency: RAE. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
1960 July 14 - Aberporth -. Rook R1H Test mission Agency: RAE. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
1960 November 17 - Aberporth -. Rook R1I Test mission Agency: RAE. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
1961 April 26 - Aberporth -. Rook R1K Test mission Agency: RAE. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
1961 August 24 - Aberporth -. Ranger test Agency: RAE. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
1961 August 24 - Aberporth -. Rook Ra23 Ranger 23 test Agency: RAE. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
1962 January 19 - Aberporth -. Rook Ra26 Ranger 26 test Agency: RAE. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
1962 September 1 - Woomera LA2. Rook Bo1 Bonorong 1 test Agency: RAE. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
1964 December 10 - Aberporth -. Rook Ra28 Ranger 28 test Agency: RAE. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
1965 May 12 - Aberporth -. Rook IIIA Ly4 Lynx 4 test Agency: RAE. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
1965 July 23 - Aberporth -. Rook Ra30 Ranger 30 test Agency: RAE. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
1967 May 1 - Woomera LA2. Test mission Agency: RAE. Apogee: 30 km (18 mi).
1967 July 11 - Aberporth -. Rook IIIA Ly6 Lynx 6 test Agency: RAE. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
1967 August 1 - Woomera LA2. Rook IIIA Ob1 Oberon 1 test Agency: RAE. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
1967 September 7 - Aberporth -. Rook Ra32 Ranger 32 test Agency: RAE. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
1968 October 1 - Woomera LA2. Rook IIIA Ob2 Oberon 2 test Agency: RAE. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
1969 July 3 - Aberporth -. Rook IIIA Ly5 Lynx 5 test Agency: RAE. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
1969 November 26 - Woomera LA2. Rook IIIA Ob3 Oberon 3 test Agency: RAE. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
1970 February 5 - Aberporth -. Rook IIIA Ly8 Lynx 8 test Agency: RAE. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
1971 June 22 - Aberporth -. Rook IIIA Ori23 Test mission Agency: RAE. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
1971 July 1 - Woomera LA2. Rook IIIA F1 FFARV test Agency: RAE. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
1971 July 3 - Aberporth -. Rook IIIA Ly7 Lynx 7 test Agency: RAE. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
1972 June 22 - Aberporth -. Rook Ba5 Badger 5 test Agency: RAE. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
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