Sparoair

{{Short description|Air-launched sounding rocket developed by the United States Navy between 1950 and 1960}}

{{Infobox rocket

|image = Sparoair II.jpg

|caption = Sparoair II on F4D

|function = Sounding rocket

|manufacturer = Naval Missile Center

|country-origin = United States

|height = {{convert|12|ft|1|in|disp=flip|abbr=on}}

|diameter = {{convert|8|in|disp=flip|abbr=on}}

|mass = {{convert|315|lb|disp=flip|abbr=on}}

|stages = Two

|capacities =

{{Infobox rocket/Payload

|location = {{convert|65|nmi|km|disp=flip|abbr=on}}

|kilos = {{convert|40|lb|disp=flip|abbr=on}}

}}

|status = Retired

|sites = Point Mugu

|launches =>14

|success =

|fail =

|first = 1960

|last = 26 May 1966

}}

Sparoair was a family of air-launched sounding rockets developed by the United States Navy in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Based on the Sparrow air-to-air missile, three versions of the rocket were developed;{{Cite web |title=Sparoair I |url=http://www.astronautix.com/s/sparoairi.html |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=www.astronautix.com}}{{Cite web |title=Sparoair II |url=http://www.astronautix.com/s/sparoairii.html |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=www.astronautix.com}}{{Cite web |title=Sparoair III |url=http://www.astronautix.com/s/sparoairiii.html |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=www.astronautix.com}} all launches were from Point Mugu and although some were successful, the system did not enter operational service.

Versions

= Sparoair I and II =

Sparoair was developed by the Naval Missile Center, as a two-stage development of the Sparrow III air-to-air missile.{{Cite FTP |last=Bolster|first=W.J.|author2=G. C. Googins |year=1969|title=Design, Development and Testing of a Series of Air-Launched Sounding Rockets|volume=6|issue=4|pages=460–465|url=ftp://124.42.15.59/ck/2011-04/165/032/874/240/Design,%2520development,%2520and%2520testing%2520of%2520a%2520series%2520of%2520air-launched%2520sounding%2520rockets..pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgijevDEFpqL4j5TPfnH229Ieu-9WeKmDFisUxBOe2_4zZiRZxq2C01DL7CDNkVG5vuUKp9X4pwgqUgDjSlGmQP4E8uzMK6TOQYdRElRyOXD4TZ9nzUNcce5AoXVnIFyuyfbxKa&sig=AHIEtbS1jwZkZeUWKh9dX8QLa3LPsiWL7g&pli=1|accessdate=2 December 2011|bibcode = 1969JSpRo...6..460B |server=American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics|url-status=dead|doi = 10.2514/3.29679 }} Propelled by two Sparrow rocket motors mounted in tandem,{{cite book|editor=Jung, Philippe|title=History of Rocketry and Astronautics: proceedings of the Twenty-seventh History Symposium of the International Academy of Astronautics|series=AAS History Series|volume=22|year=1998|publisher=American Astronomical Society|isbn=978-0-87703-444-5|page=74}} the Sparoair could be launched from F3H (F-3) Demon and F4D (F-6) Skyray fighter aircraft, and was capable of lifting a {{convert|40|lb}} payload to an apogee of {{convert|65|nmi}}.{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ywn0AAAAMAAJ&q=%22Sparoair%22|title=Missiles and Rockets , Volume 21, Part 1|year=1967|publisher=American Aviation Publications|accessdate=2 December 2011}}{{cite journal|last=Pfeiffer|first=Marie|date=September 1962|title=Rockets Probe Mysteries of Upper Air|journal=Naval Aviation News|publisher=Navy Department|location=Washington, D.C.|page=19|url=http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1960s/1962/sep62.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040302092731/http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1960s/1962/sep62.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 March 2004|accessdate=4 December 2011}}

The Sparoair I was the original version of the rocket, launched using an ejection system and a lanyard for firing; after that proved unreliable in flight testing, the Sparoair II was developed that utilised a rail launch with ignition prior to release from the aircraft. Eight launches of Sparoair II vehicles had been conducted by 1961. Each Sparoair II rocket cost US$6,000.

= Sparoair III =

Sparoair III utilised a redesigned second-stage motor, and could be launched from the F-4 Phantom II; however, any aircraft capable of launching the Sparrow III AAM could launch the Sparoair.

The Sparoair III utilised the aircraft's Low Altitude Bombing System (LABS) circuits to initiate launch; the second stage was ignited via a mechanical device armed by the acceleration of the first stage.

The first Sparoair III was launched on 8 July 1965; it proved a partial failure as the second stage failed to ignite. The second launch on 26 May 1966 failed after six seconds of second-stage burn when the vehicle exploded. No further launches were undertaken.{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.astronautix.com/fam/sparoair.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101026084852/http://www.astronautix.com/fam/sparoair.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 October 2010|title=Sparoair|editor=Wade, Mark|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Astronautica|accessdate=2 December 2011}}