APL DRED (Ducted Rocket Engine Development) Program

Bill S

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In searching through the SP site this was the closest topic I could find to post these images.
These came from the Vought Heritage Archives in a negative folder simply titled "DRED" dated 1978.
It appears to be an AMRAAM type design, however I could be very wrong.


Any additional information is welcomed and if these need to be moved to a different topic please do so.

bill
 

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Fascinating - Sea Sparrow, in its dotage, has morphed into a shrunken version of Standard!! So that's how they fit four to a cell...
 
pathology_doc said:
Fascinating - Sea Sparrow, in its dotage, has morphed into a shrunken version of Standard!! So that's how they fit four to a cell...

Uhm. . .that would be ESSM. ;)
 
http://www.google.co.nz/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=ducted+rocket+DRED#q=ducted+rocket+DRED&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbo=u&tbm=bks&source=og&sa=N&tab=wp&ei=WMaAT5fsJKW0iQe0yOjaBA&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=20513dcf5d981f09&biw=1920&bih=912


"Also in late 1977, CSD was awarded an Air Force contract to develop a solid-fuelled, ducted-rocket propulsion system. Called DRED (Ducted Rocket Engine Development), the system will be applied to high- performance, advanced air-to-air"


"Ducted-rocket work is aimed principally at application to air-to-air missiles. There is a program for a ducted-rocket engine demonstrator (DRED) in which one of the two contracted engines will be demonstrated in 10-12 flights"
 
Overscan thanks for identifying the shots and sorting out the posting.


bill
 
You were correct in that the program was aimed at developing technologies for air-to-air missiles.
 
In 1977 APL initiated the Ducted
Rocket Engine Development Program
(DRED) to develop a fixed flow
hydrocarbon gas generator engine design
which would meet the tactical air-to-air
requirements. The DRED program
produced Arcadene 399, the industry's first
truly demonstrated reduced smoke propellant
with low temperature sensitivity and a low
burn rate exponent. In the same time frame,
RPL conducted several programs to develop
a reduced smoke nozzleless booster which
was compatible with the DRED ramburner.
In 1979 APL awarded the Ducted
Rocket-Propulsion Technology Validation
Program (DR-PTV). The contractor team
was made up of Hughes Missile Systems
Company (Prime), Atlantic Research
Corporation (Gas Generator), Marquandt
(Inlets)^and UTC/CSD (Propulsion
Integration). The program objective was to
integrate the selected DRED engine
configuration into a flight test vehicle which
was compatible with the AMRAAM AIM
120 design and interface requirements. The
configuration utilized a fixed flow gas
generator with Arcadene 399 fuel to feed the
dual air inlet ramburner combustion
chamber. Both direct-connect and freejet
engine tests were conducted to demonstrate
sustainer and boost-sustainer transition
performance. The freejet tests were
conducted in the Air Force's AEDC/APTU
faculty in Tullahoma, Tennessee, Figure 6.
Nozzleless booster development was
conducted by RPL under contract to Atlantic
Research Corporation. Unfortunately,
funding for the planned flight test program
never materialized.
 
found no hard facts ... yet
 
from of all things, 'Future Fighters' :-


"Typical future long-range AAMs will use air-breathing propulsion. Some such weapons are being designed to use ramjets; an alternative is the CSD DRED (ducted rocket engine development). This is fired as a solid-fuel rocket, accelerating rapidly away from the launch aircraft. The fuel produces an over rich gas which is then diluted by fresh air rammed in through the inlet. This the burns as a very efficient ramjet, giving full thrust propulsion which can be throttled over a thrust range from 18 to 1, giving flexible propulsion for all conceivable future AAM missions, and with thrust duration typically 6 to 8 times as long as for todays rocket motors."


Caption to the attached image reads :- "Artwork by the CSD (chemical systems division) of United Technologies shows the appearance of a typical vehicle in the DRED (ducted rocket engine development) project."


cheers,
Robin.
 

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Interesting concept. I wonder if this could be scaled up to boosters for a space rocket.
 
It appears the same concept was pitched to the US Army as the TDR "Throttled Ducted Rocket" in 1979
Here are a few slides from a presentation on that potential product.


Vought Aircraft Heritage Foundation is the source.


bill
 

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