Curious question to the group.

"shiver" wrote in message
...
So.... I'm curious as to how the JATO rockets were developed and where
they were first used.

Looking at those famous pix of a HERC using them for takeoff assistance
made me kinda curious.

Now it is a bit of a trick question.... so have at it.

The "Hurricat" - Hurricane launched by rocket assistance from Merchant ships
as an escort stop gap measure on Atlantic convoys must surely be one of the
earliest uses.

JohnB

Well folks..... It's been an interesting series of comments.

The other day I was watching a program on the history channel.

It started off talking about Germanys rocket program and how at the end
of the war a very secret and well protected facility was discovered
where the Germans were working on the V-10. The big rocket that was
supposedly going to make it to New York.

In the process this program also talked about how a female photo
interpretor had discovered the rocket testing facility at
Peenemundie (SP) and how Churchill had ordered one of the largest
bombing raids ever to destroy this facility.

This destruction took over a year to rebuild and by then D-day had
occured and the allies where in Europe.

And the rest as they say is histoy.

Then the program started to discuss Dr. Goddard... the father of
American rocketry and how he toiled for years with no government help
on a budget of under two hundred thousands dollars that came from
friends and interested people who helped finance him.

He had approached the government numerous times but they saw no useful
military applications so they kept turning him away.

It was only when the Americans got involved in the war that they turned
to him for help and one of his contributions was the JATO rocket which
was used on the PBY to help get it airborne while fully loaded.

As a total irony it was discovered after the war the Germany had
received copies of all of Goddard's patents including technical
drawings etc, directly from the US patent office for the princely
sum of ten cents per patent and as a result they new exactly what the
Americans were up to as far as rocket experimentation was concerned
during the thirties right up to and possibly into WWII.

I thought some in the group might be interested in this piece of history
so there you go.

You may want to investigate further as it is very likely that they used
steam powered catapults, possible to reduce the chances of starting a fire
on board the passenger ships.

Gene


"John B" wrote in message
...

"shiver" wrote in message
...
So.... I'm curious as to how the JATO rockets were developed and where
they were first used.

Looking at those famous pix of a HERC using them for takeoff assistance
made me kinda curious.

Now it is a bit of a trick question.... so have at it.

The "Hurricat" - Hurricane launched by rocket assistance from Merchant
ships as an escort stop gap measure on Atlantic convoys must surely be
one of the earliest uses.

JohnB

"Gene S. Park" wrote in message
. ..
You may want to investigate further as it is very likely that they used
steam powered catapults, possible to reduce the chances of starting a fire
on board the passenger ships.

Gene


"John B" wrote in message
...

"shiver" wrote in message
...
So.... I'm curious as to how the JATO rockets were developed and where
they were first used.

Looking at those famous pix of a HERC using them for takeoff assistance
made me kinda curious.

Now it is a bit of a trick question.... so have at it.

The "Hurricat" - Hurricane launched by rocket assistance from Merchant
ships as an escort stop gap measure on Atlantic convoys must surely be
one of the earliest uses.

JohnB


Hurricats were only used on merchantmen - normally tankers - not passenger
ships. They were rocket assisted - see photo at;

http://www.geocities.com/usarmyaviat...jsfspecops.htm

JohnB

"shiver" wrote in message
...
So.... I'm curious as to how the JATO rockets were developed and where
they were first used.

Looking at those famous pix of a HERC using them for takeoff assistance
made me kinda curious.

Now it is a bit of a trick question.... so have at it.

adelsonsl said the following on 29/05/07 16:21:

"shiver" wrote in message
...
So.... I'm curious as to how the JATO rockets were developed and where
they were first used.

Looking at those famous pix of a B-47 using them for takeoff assistance
made me kinda curious.

Now it is a bit of a trick question.... so have at it.

That picture interests me as we saw them all day and every day at Brize
Norton, when we were kids. Some were carried externally but some had
them carried internally. Why apart from developmental reasons ?




--
"Initiative is punishable."
Russian business saying.

The Germans experimented with them.
It is my understanding that JATO (or RATO) first used on an Ercoupe.
A picture of it in action was posted on this NG some months ago.
Alan
"Richard Brooks" wrote in message
...
adelsonsl said the following on 29/05/07 16:21:

"shiver" wrote in message
...
So.... I'm curious as to how the JATO rockets were developed and where
they were first used.

Looking at those famous pix of a B-47 using them for takeoff assistance
made me kinda curious.

Now it is a bit of a trick question.... so have at it.

That picture interests me as we saw them all day and every day at Brize
Norton, when we were kids. Some were carried externally but some had
them carried internally. Why apart from developmental reasons ?




--
"Initiative is punishable."
Russian business saying.

Alan said the following on 30/05/07 01:46:
"Richard Brooks" wrote
in message ...
That picture interests me as we saw them all day and every day at
Brize Norton, when we were kids. Some were carried externally
but some had them carried internally. Why apart from developmental
reasons ?
The Germans experimented with them.
It is my understanding that JATO (or RATO) first used on an Ercoupe.
A picture of it in action was posted on this NG some months ago.
Alan

Sorry, I meant specifically on the B-47.


Richard.
--
"Initiative is punishable."
Russian business saying.

"shiver" wrote in message
...
So.... I'm curious as to how the JATO rockets were developed and where
they were first used.

Looking at those famous pix of a HERC using them for takeoff assistance
made me kinda curious.

Now it is a bit of a trick question.... so have at it.