5-Inch Forward Firing Aircraft Rocket

For a more recent rocket with the same acronym, see Mk 4/Mk 40 Folding-Fin Aerial Rocket.

5-Inch Forward Firing Aircraft Rocket
FFARs being loaded
Type	Air-to-surface rocket
Place of origin	United States
Service history
Used by	United States military
Production history
Produced	1943-1945
Specifications (5-inch FFAR)
Weight	80 pounds (36 kg)
Length	5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m)
Diameter	Warhead: 5 inches (130 mm) Motor: 3.5 inches (89 mm)
Warhead	High explosive
Warhead weight	45 pounds (20 kg)

Engine	Solid-fuel rocket
Operational range	1 mile (1.6 km)
Speed	485 miles per hour (781 km/h)
Guidance system	None

The 5-inch Forward Firing Aircraft Rocket or FFAR was an American rocket developed during World War II for attack from airplanes against ground and ship targets.

Operational history

The first FFARs were developed by the U.S. Navy and introduced in June 1943. They had a 3.5-inch diameter and a non-explosive warhead, since they were used as an aircraft-launched ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) rocket and worked by puncturing the hull. It was accurate enough for use against surface ships and land targets, but these missions required an explosive warhead.^[1] A 5-inch anti-aircraft shell was attached to the 3.5-inch rocket motor, creating the 5-Inch FFAR, which entered service in December 1943. Performance was limited because of the increased weight, limiting speed to 780 km/h (485 mph).^[2] The High Velocity Aircraft Rocket, or HVAR, was developed to fix this flaw.^[2]

A list of aircraft that used FFAR:

Douglas SBD Dauntless - dive bomber
Vought F4U Corsair - carrier based fighter

References

Citations

↑ Parsch 2004
1 2 Parsch 2006

Bibliography

Parsch, Andreas (2004). "Air-Launched 3.5-Inch Rockets". Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles. designation-systems.net. Archived from the original on 15 December 2010. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
Parsch, Andreas (2006). "Air-Launched 5-Inch Rockets". Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles. designation-systems.net. Archived from the original on 15 December 2010. Retrieved 2011-01-24.

External links

Media related to FFAR rockets at Wikimedia Commons

World War II rockets of the United States

Air-to-ground rockets	2.25" SCAR 3.5" FFAR 4.5" M8 4.5" T22 5" FFAR 5" HVAR 7.2" Retrorocket 11.75" Tiny Tim

Surface-to-surface rockets	2.36" Bazooka 3.5" GPSR 4.5" M8 4.5" M16 4.5" Old Faithful 5" HVSR 7.2" Mousetrap 7.2" Demolition Rocket

Training rockets	3.25" M2

Types of missile

By platform	Air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM) Air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) Air-to-air missile (AAM) Air-to-surface missile (ASM) Ballistic missile Cruise missile Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) Shoulder-fired missile Submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) Submarine-launched cruise missile (SLCM) Surface-to-air missile (SAM) Surface-to-surface missile (SSM)

By target type	Anti-ballistic missile (ABM) Anti-satellite weapon (ASAT) Anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) Anti-ship missile (AShM) Anti-submarine missile Anti-tank missile (ATGM) Land-attack missile (LACM)

By guidance	Active radar guidance Semi-active radar guidance Passive homing Track-via-missile Anti-radiation Command to line-of-sight guidance Command off line-of-sight guidance Pursuit guidance Beam riding Infrared guidance Laser guidance Unguided rockets Wire guidance TERCOM DSMAC Inertial guidance Astro-inertial guidance Satellite guidance Compass

Lists	List of military rockets List of missiles List of missiles by country List of anti-ship missiles List of anti-tank missiles List of ICBMs List of surface-to-air missiles

See also: Sounding rocket

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5-Inch Forward Firing Aircraft Rocket

Operational history

See also

References

External links