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Two Rheinmetall-Borsig RI 502 solid-fuel Jet-Assisted Take-Off (JATO) rockets were shipped to German Luftwaffe units in this original German Air Ministry shipping crate. The RI 502 was specifically designed as a JATO for large troop-carrying gliders, notably the Gotha Go 242, and was manufactured in large quantities at the end of the war. Similar or identical motors were used as boosters for test missiles, and as aircraft JATOs in place of the standard liquid-fuel hydrogen-peroxide models. As it was standard to mount two JATOs on most non-glider aircraft, these rockets were shipped in pairs.

This case containing two rockets was captured at the end of the war and shipped to Freeman and Wright Fields in the Midwest U.S. before being transferred to the Smithsonian by the U.S. Air Force in 1949.

 Display Status

This object is on display in Rockets & Missiles at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA.

Rockets & Missiles
Object Details
Country of Origin Germany Type EQUIPMENT-Miscellaneous Manufacturer Unknown
 Dimensions 3-D (Box): 134.6 x 53.3 x 30.5cm (53 x 21 x 12 in.)
Other (Lid): 2.5cm (1 in.)
 Materials Wood, iron or steel fittings
 Inventory Number A19602002002 Credit Line Transferred from the U.S. Air Force Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.