• Source: Rocketdyne AR2

The Rocketdyne AR2, also known by the military designation LR42, was a family of liquid-fuelled rocket engines designed and produced in the United States (US) during the 1950s and 1960s.




Design and development


The Rocketdyne division of North American Aviation developed a relatively small liquid-fuelled rocket engine for thrust augmentation of manned aircraft during the late 1950s. The AR2 is a single-chamber rocket engine burning kerosene (JP-4 or JP-5) jet fuel, oxidised with 90% High Test Peroxide (H2O2 / HTP), allowing the engine to use the same fuel as an aircraft fuel system. The variable-thrust AR2 is a direct development of the fixed thrust AR1, which was given the military designation LR36.
The AR2-3 had variable-thrust and single lever throttle control, regulating flow of oxidiser to the turbo-pump gas-generator and thus flow of propellants to the combustion chamber.




Operational history


Initial flight trials were carried out attached to the belly of North American F-86F-30-NA Sabre (52-4608 / FU-608) re-designated F-86F(R), boosting performance to a top speed of M1.22 at 60,000 ft (18,288 m).
The AR2-3 was evaluated in 1999 as part of the Future-X Demonstrator Engine project, for possible use in the Boeing X-37 Reusable Upper Stage Vehicle at a thrust of 6,600 lbf (29.34 kN), with a specific impulse of 245 seconds.




Variants


AR-1
(YLR36-NA-2) Initial fixed-thrust variant.
AR2-1
(YLR42-NA-2) prototype, test and development variable-thrust engines.
AR2-2
test and development engines.
AR2-3
Production engines for research and development projects like the NF-104A.




Applications


North American F-86F(R)
Lockheed NF-104A




Specifications (AR2-3)


Data from Astronautix : AR2-3 and Aircraft engines of the World 1964/65.




= General characteristics

=

Type: liquid-fuelled rocket engine
Length:
Diameter:
Dry weight:

Fuel: Kerosene (JP-4 / JP-5)
Oxidiser: High-test peroxide (H2O2)




= Components

=

Pumps: turbopumps driven by High-test peroxide (H2O2) decomposed by a catalyst




= Performance

=

Thrust: 3,000 lbf (13.34 kN) to 6,000 lbf (26.69 kN)
Combustion chamber temperature: 4,600 °F (2,811 K; 2,538 °C)
Combustion chamber pressure: 560 psi (3,861 kPa)
Specific impulse: 245 seconds
Burn time:




References






External links


Media related to Rocketdyne AR2 at Wikimedia Commons

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Boeing X-37
• Rocketdyne AR2
• North American F-86 Sabre
• Lockheed NF-104A
• List of aircraft engines
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• Boeing X-37