Pioneering American rocketry : the Reaction Motors, Inc. (RMI) story, 1941-1972 / by Frank H. Winter and Frederick I. Ordway, III with James H. Wyld, John Shesta and Philippe Cosyn.
Publisher:
Published for the American Astronautical Society by UniveltIncorporated,
Each chapter is a paper or re-edited version of a paper previously presented at a conference. Includes bibliographical references and index.
Contents:
Introduction and acknowledgments -- Sketches of the founders. Lovell Lawrence, Jr. ; James Hart Wyld ; John Shesta ; Hugh Franklin Pierce -- pt. I. The roots of RMI : James H. Wyld and his regeneratively cooled rocket motor. Introduction ; Background ; Childhood ; Wyld's introduction to rocketry ; Background of the regenerative motors ; Goddard's regeneratively cooled rocket motors ; The evolution of Wyld's regenerative cooled motor ; Toward the construction ; The motor tests ; Formation of Reaction Motors, Inc. ; References and notes -- pt. II. Reaction Motors, Inc. : a memoir, by John Shesta. Introduction ; The American Rocket Society (ARS) : Earliest years of RMI ; Early success developing JATOs ; JATO flight tests ; Work towards the 6000C-4 for Bell X-1 ; Viking and other later rocket engines ; RMI becomes Reaction Motors, division of Thiokol ; References and notes -- pt. III. Reaction Motors, Inc. : a corporate history, 1941-1958. Introduction ; Founding the enterprise ; The four founders ; The JATO endeavor ; Early expansion ; Rocket companies make poor neighbors ; Move to Lake Denmark ; The Rockefeller connection ; The Olin-Mathieson arrival on the scene ; The Thiokol merger ; References and notes -- pt. IV. Reaction motors, Inc. : projects, 1941-1958. Introduction JATOs ; Principal power for aircraft-rocket planes ; Test and sounding rockets, and also early missile power plants. Lark LR2-RM-12 and XLR-6-RM4 engines - MX-774's XLR-35-RM-1 engine - The Viking XLR-10-RM-2 engine ; Other important developments ; Miscellaneous projects ; References and notes -- pt. V. Reaction Motors division : a corporate history, 1958-1972. Introduction ; Transition from RMI to RMD ; Division management ; Facilities ; Division capabilities ; Project developments. Propulsion for X-15 research airplane - Packaged liquid rocket engines for small missiles - Sparrow III ; The Bullpup - Corvus air-to-surface missile - Missile A / missile B / lance activities - Condor air-to-air missile - Supporting work - Small Vernier and attitude control rockets - C-1 common engine ; The NERVA nuclear rocket project - Steam generators - Components - Other projects - Other activities ; The evolution of the division's fortunes ; The end ; References and notes. Other sources -- pt. VI. Reaction Motors division : projects, 1958 - 1972. Introduction ; Sparrow III ; Bullpup ; Corvus and Condor ; The X - 15 engine ; Lifting bodies ; Surveyor Vernier, TD-339 ; Conclusion References ; Notes -- pt. VII. RMI's most famous project : "Black Betsy," the 6000C-4 engine - part I. Introduction ; Background ; The Douglas and Goddard connections ; Switch to the XS-1 project ; Technical development of the 6000C-4 ; Advanced X-1 aircraft ; References and notes -- pt. VIII. RMI's most famous project : "Black Betsy," the 6000C-4 engine - part 2. Introduction ; The D-558-2 skyrocket ; The XF-91 ; The MX-774 ; Miscellaneous early 6000C-4 projects ; The X-15 ; Lifting bodies ; Sonic wind ; References and notes -- pt. IX. Last major triumph : the XLR-99 rocket engine. Introduction ; Laying the background ; The XLR-30 ; X-15 engine competition results ; XLR-99 growing pains ; Flight status and post-script ; References and notes -- pt. X. The liquid-propellant rocket by James H. Wyld. Introduction ; Background ; Other early proposals ; Goddard's experiments with liquid propellants ; Rocket-propelled automobile experiments ; German army takes over experimental work ; V-2 rocket comes into being ; Details of the A-4 motor ; Development of the American Rocket Society ; Reaction motors firm organized ; :Multi-cylinder rocket engine for aircraft ; German hydrogen-peroxide motors ; Trends in rocket-motor research ; Rocket-motor structural problems ; Research required in fuel injection ; Modern propellants needed ; Speculation on nuclear energy as power source ; References -- Appendix I. Typical early RMI rocket motors (arranged by dates of uses) -- Appendix II. Reaction Motors, Inc. / Reaction Motors division artifacts within the National Air and Space Museum (NASM), Washington, D.C. (status as of 12 December 2014) -- Appendix III. XLR-11s and XLR-8s in other museums (as of 7 February 2015) -- Appendix IV. XLR-99 or Pioneer Motors in other museums (as of 12 January 2015) -- Back notes.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.