List of rocket planes

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Rocket planes or rocket aircraft can be subdivided by the few rocket powered aircraft to have existed. Some early attempts at flights used engines that might be considered the first 'rocket' powered aircraft. By the time rocket engines were more refined, jet engines had taken over much the roles they might have filled with aircraft. Since most rocket powered planes have limited fuel capacity they also tend to have to function as gliders. The many experimental rocket aircraft have contributed a great deal to aviation. Rocket powered aircraft have a reasonbly bright future in the form of space planes such as those made for the ANSARI X PRIZE. In high-speed ultra fast flight they are experiencing some competition from ramjets however, and in human spaceflight they will always have competition from capsule designs.

The majority of rocket planes that have been built have been for experimental use, as interceptor fighters, and space plane.

Not all rocket planes are of the conventional takeoff like "normal" aircraft. Some types have been air-launched from another plane, while other types have taken off vertically - nose in the air and tail to the ground ("tail-sitters"). It is also possible, that rocket planes launch vertically without changing their orientation.

This is an incomplete listing, loosely chronological sorted by type used for launch (please correct, if necessary), of some aircraft that used rocket propulsion:

Contents

[edit] Spaceplanes

Spaceplanes are aircraft that are able to reach the edge of space.

[edit] Rocket planes with conventional take off

[edit] Air launched rocket planes

[edit] Rocket planes taking off vertically

[edit] Mixed power rocket planes

All conventional take off designs.

[edit] See also


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