Aerojet General X-8

Infobox Aircraft
name = X-8 Aerobee

---

caption = Aerojet X-8 rocket
type = Upper Atmospheric Research Vehicle, X-plane
manufacturer = Aerojet General
first flight = 2 December, 1949cite book|first=Jay|last=Miller|title=The X-Planes: X-1 to X-45|chapter=Aerojet General X-8A, X-8B, X-8C, and X-8D Aerobee|isbn=1857801091|publisher=Midland|location=Hinckley, UK|date=2001|]
introduction =
retired =
status =
primary user = NACA/NASA
more users = United States Air Force United States Navy
produced =
number built = 108
program cost =
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles = Aerobee

The Aerojet General X-8 was an unguided, spin-stabilized sounding rocket designed to launch a convert|150|lb|kg|0|abbr=on payload to convert|200000|ft|km|1. The X-8 was later spun-off into the prolific Aerobee rocket.

Operational history

At launch, an convert|18000|lb-f|kN|0|abbr=on thrust Aerojet solid rocket booster fired for 2.5 seconds. After booster jettison, a convert|2600|lb-f|kN|0|abbr=on thrust RTV-N10 liquid fuel rocket burned for up to 40 seconds (depending on desired apogee). The spent rocket then fell back in a ballistic arc, the payload returning to Earth via parachute. The baseline X-8 measured convert|20.2|ft|m|1|abbr=on in length and measured convert|5.25|ft|m|1|abbr=on across the fins. In testing, a maximum altitude of convert|138|mi|km|1 and a speed of Mach six was achieved.

Variants

*X-8 - 68
*X-8A - 34
*X-8B - 1
*X-8C - 2
*X-8D - 3

pecifications (general)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=neither

ref=The X-Planes: X-1 to X-45
crew= unmanned
capacity=
length main= 20ft 1.5in
length alt=
span main= 5ft 3in
span alt=
height main= 15in
height alt=
area main= 36ft²
area alt=
airfoil=
empty weight main= 135lb
empty weight alt=
loaded weight main= 1,097lb
loaded weight alt=
useful load main= 150-300lb
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=

engine (jet)= rocket
type of jet=
number of jets=
thrust main=
thrust alt=
thrust original=
afterburning thrust main=
afterburning thrust alt=

max speed main= 3490 knots
max speed alt= 4,020mph
range main= 18+nm
range alt= 20+mi
ferry range main=
ferry range alt=
ferry range more=
ceiling main= 800,000ft
ceiling alt=
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=

armament= None
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
see also=
related=
* Aerobee
similar aircraft=
lists=

References

External links

* [http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/n-2.html Aerojet General RM-84/PWN-2 Aerobee-Hi (and earlier Aerobee variants)]