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The Rheinmetall-Borsig RI 502 solid-fuel JATO rockets were shipped in pairs and are shown here in their original German Air Ministry shipping crate. The RI 502 was specifically designed as a JATO for large troop-carrying gliders, notably the Gotha Go 242, and was manufactured in large quantities at the end of the war. Fueled with a single stick of dyglycol "smokeless" propellant, the RI 502 burned for about six seconds at a nominal thrust of 600 kg (1,300 lb.) but an actual thrust that peaked as high as 900 kg (2,000 lb.). Similar or identical motors were used as boosters for test missiles and as aircraft JATOs in place of the standard liquid-fuel hydrogen-peroxide models.

These rockets were captured at the end of the war and shipped to Freeman and Wright Fields in the Midwest U.S. before being transferred to the Smithsonian by the U.S. Air Force in 1949.

 Display Status

This object is on display in Rockets & Missiles at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA.

Rockets & Missiles
Object Details
Country of Origin Germany Type PROPULSION-Rocket Engines Manufacturer Rheinmetall-Borsig
 Dimensions Overall: 4 ft. 2 in. long x 6 1/2 in. diameter (127 x 16.51cm)
 Materials Steel, plastic
 Alternate Name RI 502 JATO Rockets Inventory Number A19602002000 Credit Line Transferred from the U.S. Air Force Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.