&sq=&lang=&file=File:Private_F_with_booster.jpg) Private F | |
| Function | Experimental rocket |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratory |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Size | |
| Height | 2.34 metres (7 ft 8 in) |
| Diameter | 240 millimetres (9.6 in) |
| Width | 0.86 metres (2 ft 10 in) finspan |
| Mass | 240 kilograms (529 lb) |
| Stages | Two |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Retired |
| Launch sites | Camp Irwin, Fort Bliss |
| Total launches | 41 |
| First flight | December 1, 1944 |
| Last flight | April 13, 1945 |
| Booster stage – T22 | |
| Powered by | 4 |
| Maximum thrust | 24.5 kN (5,500 lbf) each |
| Burn time | 0:00.2 seconds |
| Propellant | Solid |
| Sustainer stage | |
| Powered by | 1 |
| Maximum thrust | 4.4 kN (990 lbf) |
| Burn time | 0:30 seconds |
| Propellant | Solid |
Private was an experimental rocket developed by the California Institute of Technology on behalf of the United States Army. Tested in two different configurations, it provided the proof of concept that a fin-stabilised ballistic missile was technologically feasible, and led to the development of the Corporal ballistic missile. The Private was the first in a series of JPL rocket designs for the US Army, whose names correspond to the progression in Army enlisted ranks, leading to WAC Corporal, Corporal E, MGM-5 Corporal and finally Sergeant.