RS-82 rocket
Encyclopedia
RS-82 and RS-132 were unguided rocket
s used by Soviet military aircraft in World War II
.
, and including Vladimir Artemiev, Boris Petropavlovsky, Yuriy Pobedonostsev, and others. The 82 mm (3.2 in) and 132 mm (5.2 in) diameters were chosen because the standard smokeless gunpowder charge used at the time was 24 mm (0.94 in) in diameter and seven of these charges fit into an 82 mm cylinder. First test-firing was done in November 1929
. In 1937
, aerodynamically-efficient RO-82 rail launchers were designed for mounting these weapons on the aircraft.
in the use of air-launched rocket armament in World War I, done in 1916 with Halberstadt D.II biplane fighters of the Imperial German Luftstreitkräfte
, the earliest known use by the Soviet Air Force
of aircraft-launched unguided anti-aircraft rockets
in combat against heavier than air aircraft took place in August 1939
, during the Battle of Khalkhin Gol
. A group of Polikarpov I-16
fighters under command of Captain N. Zvonarev were using RS-82 rockets against Japanese aircraft, shooting down 16 fighters and 3 bombers in total. Six Tupolev SB
bombers also used RS-132 for ground attack during the Winter War
. RS-82 and RS-132 officially entered service in 1940
.
Like most unguided rockets, RS suffered from poor accuracy. Early testing demonstrated that, when fired from 500 m (1,640 ft), a mere 1.1% of 186 fired RS-82 hit a single tank and 3.7% hit a column of tanks. RS-132 accuracy was even worse with no hits scored in 134 firings during one test. Combat accuracy was even worse since the rockets were typically fired from even greater distances. To further complicate the matters, RS-82 required a direct hit to disable light German armor with near-misses causing no damage. RS-132 could defeat medium German armor with a direct hit but caused almost no damage to light or medium armor with a near-miss. Best results were usually attained when firing in salvos against large ground targets.
Almost every Soviet military aircraft of World War II
was known to carry RS-82 and RS-132, often using field-made launchers. Some Ilyushin Il-2
were field-modified to carry up to 24 rockets although the added drag and the weight made this arrangement impractical.
RS-derived M-8 and M-13 rockets were used by the famous Katyusha rocket artillery
Rocket (weapon)
A rocket is a self propelled, unguided weapon system powered by a rocket motor.- Categorisation :In military parlance, powered munitions are broadly categorised as follows:* A powered, unguided munition is known as a rocket....
s used by Soviet military aircraft in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Development
Design work on RS-82 and RS-132 rockets began in the early 1930s, by a team led by Georgy LangemakGeorgy Langemak
Georgy Erikhovich Langemak was a Soviet rocket designer of German/Swiss background.Beginning in 1928, he worked at the Soviet Gas Dynamics Laboratory along with several other notable Soviet rocket scientists, and they developed rocket projectiles that used smokeless powder...
, and including Vladimir Artemiev, Boris Petropavlovsky, Yuriy Pobedonostsev, and others. The 82 mm (3.2 in) and 132 mm (5.2 in) diameters were chosen because the standard smokeless gunpowder charge used at the time was 24 mm (0.94 in) in diameter and seven of these charges fit into an 82 mm cylinder. First test-firing was done in November 1929
1929 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1929:- Events :* Greatest number of fatal civil aircraft crashes in US history.* Cubana de Aviación begins service.* Pan American World Airways begins service.* The Canadian Siskins aerobatic team is formed....
. In 1937
1937 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1937:- Events :* The Hawker Hurricane enters service as the Royal Air Forces first monoplane fighter....
, aerodynamically-efficient RO-82 rail launchers were designed for mounting these weapons on the aircraft.
Operational history
Follwing the pioneering experiments of Rudolf NebelRudolf Nebel
Rudolf Nebel was a spaceflight advocate active in Germany's amateur rocket group, the Verein für Raumschiffahrt in the 1930s and in rebuilding German rocketry following World War II....
in the use of air-launched rocket armament in World War I, done in 1916 with Halberstadt D.II biplane fighters of the Imperial German Luftstreitkräfte
Luftstreitkräfte
The Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte , known before October 1916 as Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches , or simply Die Fliegertruppen, was the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I...
, the earliest known use by the Soviet Air Force
Soviet Air Force
The Soviet Air Force, officially known in Russian as Военно-воздушные силы or Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily and often abbreviated VVS was the official designation of one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces...
of aircraft-launched unguided anti-aircraft rockets
Air-to-air rocket
An air-to-air rocket or air interception rocket is an unguided projectile fired from aircraft to engage other flying targets. They were used briefly in World War I to engage enemy observation balloons and in and after World War II to engage enemy bombers...
in combat against heavier than air aircraft took place in August 1939
1939 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1939:-Events:* Kawasaki Heavy Industries transfers its aircraft engine production business to its subsidiary, the Kawasaki Aircraft Engineering Company Ltd....
, during the Battle of Khalkhin Gol
Battle of Khalkhin Gol
The Battles of Khalkhyn Gol was the decisive engagement of the undeclared Soviet–Japanese Border Wars fought among the Soviet Union, Mongolia and the Empire of Japan in 1939. The conflict was named after the river Khalkhyn Gol, which passes through the battlefield...
. A group of Polikarpov I-16
Polikarpov I-16
The Polikarpov I-16 was a Soviet fighter aircraft of revolutionary design; it was the world's first cantilever-winged monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear. The I-16 was introduced in the mid-1930s and formed the backbone of the Soviet Air Force at the beginning of World War II...
fighters under command of Captain N. Zvonarev were using RS-82 rockets against Japanese aircraft, shooting down 16 fighters and 3 bombers in total. Six Tupolev SB
Tupolev SB
The Tupolev ANT-40, also known by its service name Tupolev SB , and development co-name TsAGI-40, was a high speed twin-engined three-seat monoplane bomber, first flown in 1934....
bombers also used RS-132 for ground attack during the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
. RS-82 and RS-132 officially entered service in 1940
1940 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1940:- Events :* The worlds first high-performance, purpose-built night fighter, the British Bristol Beaufighter, enters combat.* The Consolidated Aircraft Corporation absorbs the Hall Aluminum Aircraft Corporation....
.
Like most unguided rockets, RS suffered from poor accuracy. Early testing demonstrated that, when fired from 500 m (1,640 ft), a mere 1.1% of 186 fired RS-82 hit a single tank and 3.7% hit a column of tanks. RS-132 accuracy was even worse with no hits scored in 134 firings during one test. Combat accuracy was even worse since the rockets were typically fired from even greater distances. To further complicate the matters, RS-82 required a direct hit to disable light German armor with near-misses causing no damage. RS-132 could defeat medium German armor with a direct hit but caused almost no damage to light or medium armor with a near-miss. Best results were usually attained when firing in salvos against large ground targets.
Almost every Soviet military aircraft of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
was known to carry RS-82 and RS-132, often using field-made launchers. Some Ilyushin Il-2
Ilyushin Il-2
The Ilyushin Il-2 was a ground-attack aircraft in the Second World War, produced by the Soviet Union in very large numbers...
were field-modified to carry up to 24 rockets although the added drag and the weight made this arrangement impractical.
RS-derived M-8 and M-13 rockets were used by the famous Katyusha rocket artillery
Variants
- RS-82 and RS-132 - high-explosive warhead
- BRS-82 and BRS-132 - armor-piercing warhead
- ROFS-132 - fragmentation warhead
- M-8 - improved RS-82 with a much larger warhead (0.64 kg (1.4 lb) of explosives) and rocket motor for BM-8 Katyusha
- M-13 - improved RS-132 with a much larger warhead (4.9 kg (10.8 lb) of explosives) and rocket motor for BM-13 Katyusha, could also be carried by Ilyushin Il-2Ilyushin Il-2The Ilyushin Il-2 was a ground-attack aircraft in the Second World War, produced by the Soviet Union in very large numbers...
Specifications (RS-82)
- Body diameter: 82 mm (3.2 in)
- Wingspan: 200 mm (8 in)
- Length: 600 mm (24 in)
- Weight: 6.8 kg (15 lb)
- Explosive weight: 0.36 kg (0.8 lb)
- Fragmentation radius: 7 m (23 ft)
- Maximum speed: 340 m/s (1,115 ft/s)
- Range: 6.2 km (3.9 mi)
- Spread: 16 angular milAngular milAn angular mil, also mil, is a unit of angle. All versions of the angular mil are approximately the same size as a trigonometric milliradian.-History:The milliradian was first identified in the mid nineteenth Century...
Specifications (RS-132)
- Body diameter: 132 mm (5.2 in)
- Wingspan: 300 mm (11 in)
- Length: 845 mm (33 in)
- Weight: 23.0 kg (50 lb)
- Explosive weight: 0.9 kg (2 lb)
- Fragmentation radius: 10 m (33 ft)
- Maximum speed: 350 m/s (1,150 ft/s)
- Range: 7.1 km (4.4 mi)
- Spread: 16 angular milAngular milAn angular mil, also mil, is a unit of angle. All versions of the angular mil are approximately the same size as a trigonometric milliradian.-History:The milliradian was first identified in the mid nineteenth Century...