Engineering:Rocket sled

Short description: Test platform with rails pushed by rockets

Lt. Col. John P. Stapp rides the rocket sled at Edwards Air Force Base

A rocket sled is a test platform that slides along a set of rails, propelled by rockets.

Sonic Wind No 1. This rocket sled was ridden by John Paul Stapp in the 1950s.

As its name implies, a rocket sled does not use wheels and differs from a rocket car for this reason as it runs on rails. Instead, it has sliding pads, called "slippers", which are curved around the head of the rails to prevent the sled from flying off the track. The rail cross-section profile is that of a Vignoles rail, commonly used for railroads. Wheels cannot be used on rocket sleds as the high velocities experienced will result in the wheels spinning to pieces due to extreme centrifugal forces.

A rocket sled holds the land-based speed record for a vehicle, at Mach 8.5.

Usage

The vehicle that achieved Mach 8.5

The Holloman Air Force Base track

A rocket sled is reported to have been used in the closing days of World War II by the Germans to launch a winged A4b strategic rocket from a tunnel on March 16, 1945.

Rocket sleds were used extensively early in the Cold War to accelerate equipment considered too experimental (hazardous) for testing directly in piloted aircraft. The equipment to be tested under high acceleration or high airspeed conditions was installed along with appropriate instrumentation, data recording and telemetry equipment on the sled. The sled was then accelerated according to the experiment's design requirements for data collection along a length of isolated, precisely level and straight test track. Testing ejection seat systems and technology prior to their use in experimental or operational aircraft was a common application of the rocket sled at Holloman Air Force Base . Perhaps the most famous, the tracks at Edwards Air Force Base were used to test missiles, supersonic ejection seats, aircraft shapes and the effects of acceleration and deceleration on humans. The rocket sled track at Edwards Air Force Base was dismantled and used to extend the track at Holloman Air Force Base, taking it to almost 10 miles (16 km) in length.

Unmanned rocket sleds continue to be used to test missile components without requiring costly live missile launches. A world speed record of Mach 8.5 (6,416 mph / 10,325 km/h) was achieved by a four-stage rocket sled at Holloman Air Force Base on April 30, 2003, the highest speed ever attained by a land vehicle.

Murphy's law first received public attention during a press conference about rocket sled testing.

Rocket Sled Tracks

Name	Location	Co-ordinates	Country	Length	Gauge	Rail Type	Welded/ Segmented	Opened	Renovated	Closed	Notes
Holloman High Speed Test Track (HHSTT) Rails 1&2	Holloman Air Force Base , Alamogordo, NM	[ ⚑ ] 32.8881°N 106.1502°W / 32.8881; -106.1502	USA	50,971 ft (15.536 km)	84 in (2.1 m)	171	Welded	1950	1956, 1957, 1974, 2000, 2002		Runs North-South
Supersonic Naval Ordnance Research Track (SNORT)	NAWC-WD Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake, CA	[ ⚑ ] 35.7047°N 117.7408°W / 35.7047; -117.7408	USA	21,550 ft (6.568 km)	56.5 in (1.435 m)	171	Welded	1953	2006		North-South
Holloman High Speed Test Track (HHSTT) Rail 3	Holloman AFB, Alamogordo, NM	[ ⚑ ] 32.9687°N 106.15688°W / 32.9687; -106.15688	USA	20,200 ft (6.157 km)	26.3 in (0.67 m)	171	Welded	1974			North-South
Extended High-Speed Rocket Sled Track	Edwards AFB, Edwards, CA	[ ⚑ ] 34.81485°N 117.9084°W / 34.81485; -117.9084	USA	20,000 ft (6.096 km)	56.5 in (1.435 m)	171	Welded	1949	1959	1963	Also known as South Base Sled Track (SBST). Rails used to lengthen HHSTT
Rail Track Rocket Sled Test Facility	Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory Range, Ramgarh, Haryana	[ ⚑ ] 30.641470°N 76.922399°E / 30.641470; 76.922399	India	3.8 km (12,467 ft)	0.7–4.86 m (28–191 in)			1988	2014		5 rails North/South
Supersonic Military Air Research Track (SMART)	Aircraft Interior Products Propulsion Systems, Hurricane Mesa, UT	[ ⚑ ] 37.2384°N 113.22037°W / 37.2384; -113.22037	USA	12,000 ft (3.658 km)	56.5 in (1.435 m)	105	Welded	1955		1961*	*Now Privately Owned & Operational. North-South
Sandia 2	Technical Area III, Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, NM	[ ⚑ ] 34.9992°N 106.55646°W / 34.9992; -106.55646	USA	10,000 ft (3.048 km)	0.56 m (22 in)			1966	1985		North-South
Rocket rail track 3500, FKP GkNIPAS	Beloozyorsky	[ ⚑ ] 55.48677°N 38.49836°E / 55.48677; 38.49836	Russia	3.5 km (11,480 ft)			Segmented		2014		Formerly RD-2500. Used by Zvezda for ejection seat testing
RT-2650, FKP NII Geodeziya	Krasnoarmeysk	[ ⚑ ] 56.11901°N 38.20345°E / 56.11901; 38.20345	Russia	2,650 m (8,694 ft)		R-75		1956	1984
TsKP MIK of RFNC-VNIIEF	Sarov	[ ⚑ ] 54.8212°N 43.2530°E / 54.8212; 43.2530	Russia	3.0 km (9,843 ft)
B-4 Transonic Test Track	NAWC-WD Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake, CA	[ ⚑ ] 35.7063°N 117.80516°W / 35.7063; -117.80516	USA	6,800 ft (2,073 m)	56.5 in (1.435 m)	75	Welded	1940
Martin-Baker Langford Lodge	Langford Lodge, Northern Ireland	[ ⚑ ] 54.62581°N 6.29895°W / 54.62581; -6.29895	UK	6,200 ft (1,890 m)	30 in (0.762 m)	80		1971			Privately Owned & Operated by Martin-Baker
Pendine Long Test Track (LTT)	QinetiQ, Pendine, Wales	[ ⚑ ] 51.73801°N 4.49680°W / 51.73801; -4.49680	UK	1,500 m (4,921 ft)	12 in (0.305 m)	103		1956
Centre D'essais Des Landes Single Rail R1	Biscarrosse	[ ⚑ ] 44.34641°N 1.23640°W / 44.34641; -1.23640	France	2.0 km (6,562 ft)	Monorail	Square Beam	Segmented	1968			(Foundation for 2nd rail in place)
G-4 Exterior and Terminal Ballistics Test Track	NAWC-WD Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake, CA	[ ⚑ ] 35.86793°N 117.73071°W / 35.86793; -117.73071	USA	3,000 ft (914 m)	33.875 in (0.860 m)	171	Welded	1954
ETTC KEMTF sled track	Test Area C-74, Eglin AFB, Ft. Walton Beach, FL	[ ⚑ ] 30.68503°N 86.32713°W / 30.68503; -86.32713	USA	2,000 ft (610 m)	56.5 in (1.435 m)	171	Welded	1956
Sandia 1	Technical Area III, Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, NM	[ ⚑ ] 34.98955°N 106.54407°W / 34.98955; -106.54407	USA	2,000 ft (610 m)	56.5 in (1.435 m)			1951			North-South
Edwards North Base Track "G-Whiz"	Edwards AFB, Edwards, CA	[ ⚑ ] 34.99641°N 117.85798°W / 34.99641; -117.85798	USA	2,000 ft (610 m)			Welded	1944		1953	Also known as North Base Sled Track (NBST). East-West
Redstone Test Center Sled Track 1	Test Area 1, Redstone Arsenal, AL	[ ⚑ ] 34.60375°N 86.64504°W / 34.60375; -86.64504	USA	1,900 ft (579 m)	Monorail			1956			Formerly Redstone Technical Test Center
Pendine Impact Test Track	QinetiQ, Pendine, Wales	[ ⚑ ] 51.74125°N 4.50728°W / 51.74125; -4.50728	UK	400 m (1,312 ft)	56.5 in (1.435 m)
Centre D'essais Des Landes Single Rail R2	Biscarrosse	[ ⚑ ] 44.35312°N 1.23039°W / 44.35312; -1.23039	France	400 m (1,312 ft)		Square Beam		1967			Former HB3 track, moved from CIEES Colomb-Béchar, Algeria
Redstone Test Center Sled Track 2	Test Area 1, Redstone Arsenal, AL	[ ⚑ ] 34.60173°N 86.63935°W / 34.60173; -86.63935	USA	1,200 ft (366 m)	Monorail						Formerly Redstone Technical Test Center
New Mexico Tech/EMRTC Sled Track	Socorro, NM	[ ⚑ ] 34.02348°N 106.97819°W / 34.02348; -106.97819	USA	1,000 ft (305 m)	Monorail	171					Privately owned & operated. North-South
Pendine Short Test Track (STT)	QinetiQ, Pendine, Wales	[ ⚑ ] 51.74375°N 4.50908°W / 51.74375; -4.50908	UK	200 m (656 ft)
General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems	Rock Hill, FL	[ ⚑ ] 30.61492°N 86.09640°W / 30.61492; -86.09640	USA	656 ft (200 m)		I-Beam					Privately Owned & Operated
Alkantpan Rocket Sled Range	Alkantpan Test Range, Copperton, Northern Cape	[ ⚑ ] 29.94715°S 22.22665°E / -29.94715; 22.22665	South Africa	200 m (656 ft)	0.5 m (19.7 in)	Single or Double I-beam	Segmented	1985	1999		Runs East to West Subsonic and supersonic testing
Holloman Maglev Track	Holloman AFB, Alamogordo, NM	[ ⚑ ] 33.01975°N 106.16086°W / 33.01975; -106.16086	USA	2,100 ft (640 m)							North-South
Germany			Germany			I-Beam
Bundeswehr WTD 91 rocket sled track	Meppen	[ ⚑ ] 52.8631°N 7.4084°E / 52.8631; 7.4084	Germany	830 m (2,723 ft)
AVIC ALI track	Xiangyang	[ ⚑ ] 32.3939°N 112.1386°E / 32.3939; 112.1386	China	6.0 km (19,685 ft)	1.435 m (56.5 in)			1993	2006
Muroran Institute of Technology APReC HSTT	Shiraoi	[ ⚑ ] 42.5358°N 141.2558°E / 42.5358; 141.2558	Japan	300 m (984 ft)	1.435 m (56.5 in)			2009
Muroran Institute of Technology APReC SSTT	Shiraoi	[ ⚑ ] 42.5357°N 141.2552°E / 42.5357; 141.2552	Japan	100 m (328 ft)	0.128 m (5.04 in)			2008
TÜBİTAK SAGE HABRAS	Karapınar	[ ⚑ ] 37.6212°N 33.4634°E / 37.6212; 33.4634	Turkey	2.0 km (6,562 ft)				2017

Other former rocket sled tracks include those at the following locations:

• Peenemünde, Germany (V-1 launch ramp)
• Colomb-Béchar, Algeria (HB3 rail of CIEES)
• PISQ, Salto di Quirra, Sardinia, Italy
• Satory, France
• Istres-Le Tubé Air Base, France (used by René Leduc for the SE 1910)
• Cazaux Air Base, France
• Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, USA
• Institute of Aviation Medicine, Farnborough, UK

See also

• Index of aviation articles
• Land speed record for railed vehicles
• Land speed record
• List of vehicle speed records
• Rocket sled launch

External links

• Holloman High Speed Test Track
• Sandia Sled Tracks
• Redstone Technical Test Center Test Area 1
• Langford Lodge Martin Baker Track
• New Mexico Tech EMRTC Sled Track
• Improbable Research
• Airmen "Crash" on Rocket Sled, March 1950, Popular Science large article