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Jaguar vehicles

Jaguar I Jaguar I

In the late 1950s, some rockets were specifically designed for the study of aerothermal heating occurring at hypersonic speeds, and more particularly during the atmospheric re-entry of military warheads. In Europe, there was Bérénice in France and Jaguar in the United Kingdom. This vehicle, designed by the British RAE Supersonics Department as part of the HRV (Hypersonic Research Vehicle) program, was a co-operative venture between them and the Australian WRE.
The Jaguar, also called Jabiru, has been used from 1960 to 1974 under different versions. All versions used a Rook motor (Royal Ordnance) as first stage. It was a fast-burning version of the Skylark's Raven motor, 44 cm in diameter, weighing 1057 kg including 871 kg of propellant, and giving a total impulse of 1720 kNs during 5,5 seconds.

The first version, Jaguar Mk1, comprised two upper stages using Gosling and Lobster motors. Gosling measured 26 cm in diameter and gave 380 KNs in 2.5 sec while Lobster measured 18 cm in diameter. The first stage, fired from a short inclined ramp, made the upper composite to coast on to a height of 24 km. The remaining stages accelerated the experimental payload downwards, so as to reach speeds up to 11000 km/h. Ten Jaguar Mk1 were launched since October 1960. This rocket, 11.9 m high and weighing 1680 kg at takeoff, would have been able to send a 9 kg payload to an altitude of more than 800 km.

A more powerful version, using the Goldfinch motor as second stage and Gosling as third stage was introduced in October 1964. This vehicle had an overall length of 12.5 m and weighed about 2040 kg. Goldfinch, used later as booster for the Skylark rocket, measured 44 cm in diameter and provided 700 KNs in 3.7 sec. Jaguar/Jabiru Mk2 could thus carry 90 kg payloads. Twelve rocket of this type, that proven more reliable than the precedent, were launched until December 1971.

Although the HRV program has come to an end in April 1970, the Jaguar/Jabiru rocket was used until November 1974 for others aerothermal experiments. The Mk3 version, the most powerful, comprised only two Rook stages. Five launches had been made.

Note : Rook started its career as a motor for projecting models of supersonic aircrafts. The first launches occurred in June 1959 from Aberporth. It was then used as booster for the two-stage Leopard rocket, the upper stage being Goslings. Rook was fired 70 times altogether, in 65 flights and 16 different vehicle design. It was also proposed as booster for the Skylark 14 and 15 sounding rockets, but these projects were never born.

Tables
a/ Jaguar/Jabiru rockets evolution
b/ Rook-based rockets launches

Links
Australian Space Research Institute (ASRI) - Australian Launch vehicles


Jaguar/Jabiru rockets evolution

VersionYear1st stage2nd stage3rd stage
11960Rook IIGosling IILobster I
21964Rook IIIAGoldfinch IIGosling IV
31973Rook IIIARook IIIB-


Rook-based rockets launches
Listing by John Harlow

DateSiteVehicleMissionResults
29 Jun 1959ABPRook F
07 Jul 1959ABPRook F
22 Oct 1959ABPLeopard (1-st)Leopard 2bF
02 Jan 1960ABPLeopard (1-st)Leopard 1bF
07 Jan 1960ABPLeopard (1-st)Leopard 1cF
23 Feb 1960ABPLeopard (1-st)Leopard 1dS
29 Apr 1960ABPLeopard (1-st)Leopard 1eS
29 Apr 1960ABPLeopard (1-st)Leopard 1fS
05 May 1960ABPLeopard (1-st)Leopard 1gS
27 May 1960ABPLeopardLeopard 3 
14 Jul 1960ABPRookRook 1h 
12 Jul 1960ABPLeopardLeopard 4 
17 Aug 1960ABPJaguar (2-st)Jaguar G1S
?? ??? 1960WOORookRook 1jS
17 Nov 1960ABPRookRook 1iS
15 Dec 1960WOOJaguarJaguar 1S
21 Apr 1961WOOJaguarJaguar 2S
26 Apr 1961ABPRookRook 1kS
20 Jul 1961ABPLeopardLeopard 5S
26 Jul 1961WOOJaguarJaguar 3F
24 Aug 1961ABPRookRanger 23 
24 Aug 1961ABPRookRanger 
?? Nov 1961WOOJaguarJaguar 4S
19 Jan 1962ABPRookRanger 26 
04 Apr 1962WOOJaguarJaguar 5S
26 Jun 1962WOOJaguarJaguar 6S
?? Sep 1962WOORookBonorong 1 
?? Aug 1962WOOJaguarJaguar 7S
30 Nov 1962ABPLeopardLeopard 6S
27 Mar 1963WOOJaguarJaguar 8S
12 Feb 1964WOOJaguarJaguar 9S
02 Oct 1964WOOJabiru 2Jabiru 201S
10 Dec 1964ABPRookRanger 28 
12 May 1965ABPRookLynx 4 
23 Jul 1965ABPRookRanger 30 
25 Aug 1965WOOJabiru 2Jabiru 202S
10 Aug 1966WOOJabiru 2Jabiru ???S
?? Nov 1966WOOJabiru 2Jabiru 204S
?? May 1967WOORookRook (IIIA) 
11 Jul 1967ABPRookLynx 6 
?? Aug 1967WOORookOberon 1 
07 Sep 1967ABPRookRanger 32 
07 Dec 1967WOOJabiru 2Jabiru 205S
18 Jul 1968WOOJabiru 2Jabiru 206S
?? Oct 1968WOORookOberon 2 
?? Apr 1969WOOJabiru 2Jabiru 207S
?? May 1969WOOJabiru 2Jabiru 202-2S
03 Jul 1969ABPRookLynx 5 
16 Jul 1969WOOJabiru 2Jabiru 208S
16 Oct 1969WOOJabiru 2Jabiru 209S
26 Nov 1969WOORookOberon 3 
05 Feb 1970ABPRookLynx 8 
01 Apr 1970WOOJabiru 2Jabiru 210S
22 Jun 1971ABPRookOrion 23 
03 Jul 1971ABPRookLynx 7 
?? Jul 1971WOORookFFARV 
20 Oct 1971WOOJabiru 2Jabiru J-1S
04 Dec 1971WOOJabiru 2Jabiru J-2S
22 Jul 1972ABPRookBadger 5 
14 Nov 1973WOOJabiru 3Jabiru J-3S
06 Dec 1973WOOJabiru 3Jabiru J-4S
05 Sep 1974WOOJabiru 3Jabiru J-5S
31 Oct 1974WOOJabiru 3Jabiru J-6S
20 Nov 1974WOOJabiru 3Jabiru J-7F
Notes: ABP: Aberporth, UK; WOO: Woomera, Australia


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Please contact Jean-Jacques Serra <JJ.Serra@wanadoo.fr> for comments, corrections or questions