| 5-Inch Forward Firing Aircraft Rocket | |
|---|---|
 FFARs being loaded | |
| 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) | |
| Mass | 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) |
|
| |
| Engine | Solid-fuel rocket |
Operational range | 1 mile (1.6 km) |
| Maximum speed | 485 miles per hour (781 km/h) |
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
- Parsch, Andreas (2004). "Air-Launched 3.5-Inch Rockets". Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles. designation-systems.net. Archived from the original on 15 December 2010. http://web.archive.org/web/20101215203911/http://designation-systems.net/dusrm/app4/35in-rockets.html. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
- Parsch, Andreas (2006). "Air-Launched 5-Inch Rockets". Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles. designation-systems.net. Archived from the original on 15 December 2010. http://web.archive.org/web/20101215185408/http://designation-systems.net/dusrm/app4/5in-rockets.html. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to FFAR rockets. |
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The original article can be found at 5-Inch Forward Firing Aircraft Rocket and the edit history here.