Object Details
- Manufacturer
- Reaction Motors Div., Thiokol Chemical Corp.
- Physical Description
- Cylindrical, long, with slightly flared exhaust nozzle at end, and propellant inlet pipes alongside combustion chamber; with three wire strands, 34in. long each, plastic insulated, red, black, and green, from solenoid valve at right angle of combustion chamber; small turbopump attached to back of combustion chamber by two propellant inlet pipes; cartridge starter cylinder alongside top of pump and in axis of motor overall; overall, painted glossy gray except for aluminum parts; slight corrosion on line or pipe from starting cartridge cylinder; aluminum line alongside chamber; triangular, sky blue, white, and black decal on lower half of combustion chamber, letters RMI (for Reaction Motors, Inc.), and stylized rocket in middle, flying up; decal with registered tradmark sign (letter "R" in circle); note that this decal was an old RMI company logo whereas the Corvus XLR-48-RM-2 engine development was developed by the firm when it when it was still RMI but its development continued into 1960 after RMI became a Division of Thiokol Chemical Corp. (in the Spring of 1958) and was known as RMD after that date.
- Summary
- This is the pre-packaged liquid fuel Patriot rocket motor for the planned air-to-surface long range (75 miles) Corvus missile for the U.S. Navy, to be launched by carrier-borne aircraft against enemy ships or tactical land targets. The motor, of 1,030 pounds of thrust, was developed by the Reaction Motors Division of the Thiokol Chemical Corporation (RMD).
- The pre-packaged motor concept was pioneered by RMD by the mid-1950's and used storable, hypergolic (self-igniting) propellants. It was thus a simple system but much more powerful than comparable-sized solid-fuel motors. Test flights were made in 1960, but Corvus was cancelled four months later. This object was donated to the Smithsonian in 1977 from the Thiokol Chemical Corp.
- Credit Line
- Gift of Thiokol Chemical Corporation
- Inventory Number
- A19771232000
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Type
- PROPULSION-Rocket Engines
- Materials
- Overall, steel; aluminum propellant and other lines; plastic insulated wires
- Dimensions
- Overall: 11 in. wide x 3 ft. 4 3/4 in. long x 5 1/4 in. diameter (27.94 x 103.51 x 13.34cm)
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- See more items in
- National Air and Space Museum Collection
- Location
- Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA
- Exhibit Station
- Rockets & Missiles
- National Air and Space Museum
- Record ID
- nasm_A19771232000
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv94e216ec0-43fe-489c-ab16-4172374a3a82
