RTV-G-4 Bumper

Bumper
Bumper 5, launched February 24, 1949
FunctionSounding rocket
ManufacturerArmy Ballistic Missile Agency
Country of originGermany/United States
Size
Height62 feet (19 m)
Diameter5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m)
Launch history
StatusRetired
Launch sites
Total launches8
First flightMay 13, 1948
Last flightJuly 29, 1950
First stage - V-2 rocket
Thrust27,200 kgf (267,000 N; 60,000 lbf)
Burn time60s
Propellant
Second stage Wac Corporal
Thrust6.7 kN
Burn time47s
PropellantAerojet liquid-fuel

The RTV-G-4 Bumper was a sounding rocket built by the United States. A combination of the German V-2 rocket and the WAC Corporal sounding rocket, it was used to study problems pertaining to two-stage high-speed rockets. The Bumper program launched eight rockets between May 13, 1948 and July 29, 1950.[1] The first six flights were conducted at the White Sands Missile Range; the seventh launch, Bumper 8 on July 24, 1950, was the first rocket launched from Cape Canaveral.[2]

  1. ^ "Bumper Project". White Sands History – Fact Sheets and Articles. US Army. Archived from the original on 2008-01-10. Retrieved 2007-12-02.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Cape was invoked but never defined (see the help page).