I was just wondering if there is any technical info available online, on JATO unit models currently used by the U.S. military?
I’d info on things like weight, thrust, etc.
Info about older, no longer in service JATOs would be welcome, too.
Well, thanks for your patience…
Ranchoth
I tried googling [jato thrust specification] and http://www.hilltoptimes.com/archive/20000914/10.html gives you a good start.
They’re essentially obsolete, but put out 1000# of thrust per unit. USAF has suddenly decided they might need to make some more.
Thinking of attaching one to your car, eh Ranchoth?
Your best bet is to find out which contractor makes them (Thiokol, Alliant, Boeing?) and where (Magna UT, Huntsville AL, or the CA desert), and start filing Freedom of Information Act requests.
You can also use any of the excellent textbooks on solid rocket motors available at a college engineering library to come up with thrust, Isp, and burn time numbers based on the diameter and weight.
The inventor of the predecessor to the original JATO bottle was Jack Parsons; if you research his life (and try to weed out the bits about his Satanism) you’ll get some good starting points, especially on the JATOs we don’t use anymore.
Oh, and you wouldn’t happen to be trying to use physics to prove or disprove the oh-so-popular urban legend about the JATO car, would you?