Flight performance of a small, low-altitude rocket

Small rockets can inexpensively aid a number of scientific and operational requirements, such as meteorological sampling, payload component tests, tracking and telemetry systems checkout, and training in the launching and tracking of sounding rockets. The 2.75-in.-diam Folding Fin Aircraft Rocket (FFAR)¹has served as a ground-launched radar test rocket for several years at the NASA Wallops Station. The standard inert rocket head has been modified to carry pyrotechnic flares and a smoke-producing chemical to aid radar acquisition using a manual optical sight. In addition, the rocket has been flown with low-drag nose cones, rocket heads weighing 3.8 to 25 lb, and l-in.-diam separable darts. Other organizations have used it for component tests²and as a booster for nonthrusting darts and powered stages^3,4.