POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Rocket Research test vehicle.

Object No. B1464

This is a Rocket-Research test vehicle (RTV) made in about 1954 and used at the Woomera Rocket Range in South Australia. It is a model 1e, a variant of the RTV 1 rocket, a British rocket originally developed near the end of World War 2 as a surface to air missile under the name of LOPGAP (Liquid Oxygen and Petrol Guided Anti-aircraft Projectile). It was soon realised that the small LOPGAP missile was ideally suited for research work as a 'flying testbed' for the development of larger, longer range missiles and by 1948, LOPGAP had become the RTV 1 (Research Test Vehicle 1). RTV 1s were among the first rockets fired at the Woomera Rocket Range in South Australia, with the first trials commencing there in 1949. RTV 1 rockets were used for a range of tests on different aspects of missile technology development, but their most significant long-term research programme was connected with the development of 'beam riding'. This is a technique for guiding missiles to their targets in which the missile 'rides' a radar beam that is tracking the target and thus accurately guides them to interception. While the concept sounds straightforward, it took many years of research to ensure that the guidance equipment on board the missile would properly detect and follow the radar signal and steer correctly to its intended target. While earlier RTV 1s were built in the UK or assembled in Australia from British-made parts, about 40 of the RTV 1e version was manufactured in Australia, providing valuable experience and developing local expertise in missile production that would be particularly useful in the later development of Australia's own sounding rocket and missile programmes. Australian-built RTV 1e rockets were fired at Woomera between 1954 and 1956, when the RTV 1 program was terminated.

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Summary

Object Statement

Rocket-Research test vehicle 1(e), various makers, Woomera Rocket Range, South Australia, Australia, c. 1954

Physical Description

Rocket-Research test vehicle 1(e), various makers, Woomera Rocket Range, South Australia, Australia, c. 1954 A liquid propelled Rocket-Research test vehicle used for research and development into problems associated with beam riding missiles. The rocket is the second stage, the operational stage, of the complete RTV 1e. Stage one of the operational stage being a booster stage consisting of a cluster of seven 5" solid propellant motors. There are seventeen parts comprising the vehicle including the nose cap, spare motor, four copper arms for Doppler unit and motor covers.

DIMENSIONS

Height

51816 mm

Diameter

2413 mm

PRODUCTION

Notes

This Rocket-Research test vehicle was made in South Australia, c 1954.

HISTORY

Notes

This RTV 1e was originally donated to the Museum in 1961, one of several Australian-made RTV 1e rockets that were surplus when the research project concluded in 1956: it never actually made a test flight. The Weapons Research Establishment, which managed the Woomera Rocket Range and Australia's defence science programme at that time, decided to donate these surplus rockets to museums, where they could be used to help educate the public in the basics of modern rocket technology (the Space Age having commenced in 1957 and with it a strong public interest in rockets and space technology). The rocket arrived at the museum on April 5, 1961 and was sectioned for display in the museum's workshop before being placed on exhibition in the old Harris St, Ultimo building later that year.

SOURCE

Credit Line

Gift of Dr H A Wills, 1961

Acquisition Date

29 June 1961

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