RP-3
Sign in to saveThe RP-3 (from Rocket Projectile 3 inch) was a British air-to-ground rocket projectile introduced during the Second World War. The "3 inch" designation referred to the nominal diameter of the rocket motor tube. The use of a warhead gave rise to the alternative name of the "60-pound rocket". Though an air-to-ground weapon, it saw limited use in other roles. They were generally used by British fighter-bomber aircraft against targets such as tanks, trains, motor transport and buildings, as well as by Coastal Command and Royal Navy aircraft against U-boats and ships.
Key facts
- Weapon.name
- RP-3
- Weapon.image
- 3 in RP 60 pdr Loading On Typhoon.jpg
- Weapon.image_size
- 300
- Weapon.caption
- Loading of RP-3 rockets fitted with 60 lb semi-armour-piercing high-explosive warheads onto a Hawker Typhoon
- Weapon.origin
- United Kingdom
- Weapon.type
- Unguided air-to-surface rocket
- Weapon.is_missile
- yes
- Weapon.is_UK
- yes
- Weapon.service
- 1943–1968 (UK)
- Weapon.used_by
- Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, Royal Australian Air Force and others
- Weapon.wars
- World War II, Indonesian National Revolution, Malayan Emergency, Suez Crisis, Korean War, Aden Emergency
- Weapon.variants
- see variants
- Weapon.weight
- Mk 1 engine Mk 2, 3, 4 engine
- Weapon.length
- rocket warhead
- Weapon.diameter
- rocket body
- Weapon.filling
- TNT/RDX/Amatol
- Weapon.engine
- solid fuel rocket
- Weapon.fuel_capacity
- solid propellant
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
28 sectionsContents
- History
- Earlier systems
- Development
- Air-to-ground
- Design
- Service history
- Air-to-ground use
- Anti-submarine
- Ground-to-ground use
- Swedish service
- Variants
- Warheads
- Rocket engines
- Comparison
- Aircraft use in the Second World War
- RAF and Commonwealth air forces
- Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm
- Aircraft use post Second World War
- RAF and Commonwealth air forces
- RAAF, RAN
- Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm
- Swedish Air Force
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Citations
- Bibliography
- External links
The RP-3 (from Rocket Projectile 3 inch) was a British air-to-ground rocket projectile introduced during the Second World War. The "3 inch" designation referred to the nominal diameter of the rocket motor tube. The use of a warhead gave rise to the alternative name of the "60-pound rocket". Though an air-to-ground weapon, it saw limited use in other roles. They were generally used by British fighter-bomber aircraft against targets such as tanks, trains, motor transport and buildings, as well as by Coastal Command and Royal Navy aircraft against U-boats and ships.
Use continued post-war, with the last known major operational use being during the Aden Emergency in 1964, where Hawker Hunters flew 642 sorties and fired 2,508 RP-3s in support of Radforce. Use continued until the withdrawal from Aden Protectorate in November 1967, at which point the RP-3 was withdrawn from service in favour of the newer SNEB. Concerned about the possibility of shipboard radar setting off the SNEB's electrical ignition, the Royal Navy replaced their RP-3s with a new design, sometimes known as the 2-inch RP.