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Aviation History
1965
1965 - 0024.PDF
14 FLIGHT International, 7 \anuary 1965 BLACK BRANT Canadian Bristol Aerojet's Family of Sounding Rockets First launch of the two-stage Block Brant IVA from Churchill, Manitoba, on June 24, 1964 A PROMISING family of single-stage and two-stagesounding rockets has been developed and is now beingflight-tested by Canadian Bristol Aerojet of Winnipeg. As well as the development of the rockets themselves, the pro- gramme has provided a joint Government/industry rocket-propellant facility and a number of by-products such as research instrument- ation now adopted for other programmes. The project began in 1958, when the Winnipeg factory of Bristol Aircraft (Western) Ltd decided to enter the space field. One reason for this was a desire to utilize the specialist techniques and skills in working with high-tensile and heat- and corrosion-resistant metals that had been acquired in the company's aircraft and missiles programmes. Canadian sounding-rocket background included the successful development by the Canadian Armament Research and Development Establishment (CARDE) of a solid-fuel engine (15K.S25OOO) which was later used in both the Black Brant I pro- pellant test vehicle and the Black Brant UA research rocket. Hardware for the Black Brant I had been supplied by Bristol's Third launch of the single-stage Black Brant III from Wallops Island, Virginia, on June 19, (962 Canadian and UK companies. At that time, also, Canadian scientists were planning an increased activity in upper-atmosphere research, since many typss of measurement could be made more effectively from Canadian soil than from any other region, because of the proximity of the North Magnetic Pole. Following an extensive market survey by both Government (Department of Defence Production) and Bristol (Winnipeg) personnel, in which the available technical support in Canada and the potential market in Canada and USA were examined, a proposal for the development of a new family of sounding rockets was made to the Canadian Government in November 1959. A contract was issued in December 1960, and design and development work began in earnest. The contract listed three rockets which were to be designed and developed to the prototype stage in the following sequence. First, Black Brant III, capable of launching a 401b payload to a height of 110 miles. Secondly, Black Brant IV, a two-stage rocket carrying 401b to 600 miles. Thirdly, Black Brant V, a large single-stage vehicle to carry 1501b to a height of more than 200 miles. This work was subsequently transferred to Canadian Bristol Aerojet, a new company formed to develop and produce rockets, solid fuel and rocket devices. The Black Brant* programme has had a relatively low-cost and short development history. One of the reasons was the technical support available in Canadian Government departments and establishments. CARDE was to contribute its experience in the development of two types of engines, aeroballistic tests, design assistance, environmental test and other rocket checkout facilities, range support, data-reduction assistance and technical guidance in the design and operation of the solid-propellant plant which the company set up. The Radio and Electrical Engineering Division of the National Research Council undertook to design a number of telemetry devices for use with the rockets, and to provide further checkout and data-reduction facilities. As well as general design assistance on flutter and aero-elastic criteria, the National Aero- nautical Establishment completed supersonic wind-tunnel tests of Black Brant models. The National Research Council's Division of Pure Physics and the Defence Research Telecommunications Establishment gave guidance on user requirements and instrument- ation aspects. In the design of the three vehicles, the basic requirements stemmed * The rocket is named after the black brant, one of several species ofgeese of the genus Branta and commonly found on the eastern coasts of North America.
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