Date: ca. 1944-1955
Country of Origin: United States of America
Dimensions:
Overall: 5 ft. 7 1/2 in. long x 5 in. diameter x 1 ft. 3 5/8 in. wing span (171.45 x 12.7 x 39.62cm)
Materials:
Steel overall, with simulated propellant of wood; three felt rings, two outer and one inner, to cushion the fuze/igniter.
This is a cutway of the 5-inch caliber HVAR (High Velocity Aircraft Rocket), also called the Holy Moses. It was an effective U.S. Navy air-to-surface missile against land and sea targets that began service in World War II and continued to be operational until 1955. The missile was primarily carried by Navy airplanes like the F4U Corsair, but was first used by the Army Air Forces against German targets near Lo, France, in 1944.
About a million HVARs were manufactured. The launch weight was 134 pounds, including 7.8 pounds of high explosive. Its speed was 950 miles per hour, and it had a maximum range of about three miles. This object was found in the collections of the Smithsonian.
