Rocket assisted: ever used in service?

[teeteringhead]

Or in the words of the song:

"Don't give me an F-84
'Cos she's just a ground-loving wh*re
She'll whine and she'll wheeze
And head straight for the trees
So don't give me an F-84!"

[yowie]

Thanks ORAC,thats the one.
(not that one,the other one!)

[atb1943]

Rather JATO then RATO, I recall TWA's C-82 Packet at Heathrow, registered ET-T-12, with a couple of pods on top. They used it for carting spare engines around.

Also a Noratlas at Blackbushe during one Farnborough week, I believe F-BFRG, similarly equipped, in the colours of Kalinga Airlines. Shortlived, no doubt.

atb

[Tim Inder]

ZELL F-104

Here are some pics I found - I remember as a young'un I used to subscribe to 'Aircraft modelworld' in the 1980s and one issue had an article or pics of this beast. I'm pretty sure it was in grey-green camo though.
http://frhewww.physik.uni-freiburg.d...104/r/r049.jpg
these ones seem to prove the camo, although it may have been added later?:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?i...RFP&photo_nr=1
http://www.bredow-web.de/Luftwaffenm...arfighter.html

[irishair2001]

Rocket assisted takeoff

I remember seeing a photo of an Ethiopian Airlines CV-240 using jato,If I recall correctly ET did actually use the system for their CV-240s on regular flights out of Adis Ababa's hot and high airport.