5-Inch Forward Firing Aircraft Rocket
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| 5-Inch Forward Firing Aircraft Rocket | |
|---|---|
| 300px
FFARs being loaded
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| Type | Air-to-surface rocket |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| Used by | United States military |
| Production history | |
| Produced | 1943-1945 |
| Specifications (5-inch FFAR) | |
| Weight | 80 pounds (36 kg) |
| Length | 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m) |
| Diameter | Warhead: 5 inches (130 mm) Motor: 3.5 inches (89 mm) |
| Warhead | High explosive |
| Warhead weight | 45 pounds (20 kg) |
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| Engine | Solid-fuel rocket |
|
Operational
range |
1 mile (1.6 km) |
| Speed | 485 miles per hour (781 km/h) |
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Guidance
system |
None |
The 5-inch Forward Firing Aircraft Rocket or FFAR was an American rocket developed during World War II for attack from airplanes against ground and ship targets.
Operational history
The first FFARs were developed by the U.S. Navy and introduced in June 1943. They had a 3.5-inch diameter and a non-explosive warhead, since they were used as an aircraft-launched ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) rocket and worked by puncturing the hull. It was accurate enough for use against surface ships and land targets, but these missions required an explosive warhead.[1] A 5-inch anti-aircraft shell was attached to the 3.5-inch rocket motor, creating the 5-Inch FFAR, which entered service in December 1943. Performance was limited because of the increased weight, limiting speed to 780 km/h (485 mph).[2] The High Velocity Aircraft Rocket, or HVAR, was developed to fix this flaw.[2]
A list of aircraft that used FFAR:
- Douglas SBD Dauntless - dive bomber
- Vought F4U Corsair - carrier based fighter
See also
References
- Citations
- Bibliography
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External links
Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons
