Date: 1952-1953
Country of Origin: United States of America
Dimensions:
Overall: 343 5/8 in. long x 54 in. tall x 102 in. wide , 4335 lb. (872.75 x 137.16 x 259.08cm, 1966.3kg)
Other (without JATOs): 2700 lb. (1224.7kg)
Overall (JATOs): 1635 lb. (741.6kg)
Materials:
Frame work, steel; body, sheet aluminum, apparently 6064-T4; clamps for holding rocket motors, stainless steel; nose, fiberglass; rail slippers, steel.
This is the Sleighride rocket sled, which was used at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, in 1952-1953 for testing the impact behavior of timers, batteries, fuses, and other components of missiles and bombs. Additionally, it tested the effect of rain against bomb and missile radomes during simulated high speed flights. The rains in the tests were simulated by sprinklers. The sled is fitted with a radome in front and five inert 2.5-KS-18,000 Aerojet-General solid fuel JATO (Jet-Assisted-Take-Off) rocket motors which produced a total of 90,000 pounds of thrust for 2.5 seconds.
The Sleighride was transferred to the Smithsonian in 1967 by the U.S. Army.
Transferred by the U.S. Army
