Civil passenger aircraft with JATO

[bafanguy]

Originally Posted by ResBunny

Beech 18. Some were offered with a JATO option giving a few seconds of emergency power in the event of an engine failure during takeoff.

Emergency use indeed. Flew DC3s with JATO bottles. Fortunately, never saw one used "in anger". I think they had a use-by expiration date.

[Cubs2jets]

Originally Posted by Owen Self

Thinking of a civil passenger flight out of Washington, DC in 1969 that had what appeared to be a JATO take off, something that surprised me for a rather small passenger plane that had a capacity of maybe forty passengers.
Has anyone ever heard of a civil passenger plane equipped with JATO?

During that time frame there would have been Convair 240/340/440 and Martin 202/404 operating out of Washington DC. Neither manufacturer mentions the inclusion of RATO in the specifications. There may well have been smaller Beechcraft 18 and derivatives operating as "commuter" airline equipment. Some of these came factory equipped with RATO for critical engine out situations. Spent about 30 min searching for B-18 RATO installation pics with no luck.

As for "regular" use of RATO in civil (esp airline) service, I am quite skeptical due to expense and danger.

C2j

[sandringham1]

You could buy a Trislander with with 350 lb rocket. Seem to remember it was for a customer operating hot and high to get you out of trouble following an engine failure. Probably really needed a fourth engine but then it wouldn't be a Trislander.

[Compass Call]

TURIN
I have to agree with you.
Why is it called JATO when no jets are involved, just rockets?
RATO - in my opinion - is the correct term!

[Spooky 2]

Mexicana had a Boeing OEM JATO system on their 727-200ADV. As I recall it was armed prior to TO by the FE with a key that was inserted into a slot of the FE panel.

https://www.reddit.com/r/aviation/co...00_taking_off/

[bafanguy]

Overseas National Airways, a US supplemental, had JATO on its DC9-30s. Don't bet money on my recollection of the numbers but I think it got a 5K increase in max T/O weight.

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by Compton3fox

The only 5 engined jet airliner....

Strange, I only remember counting 4.

[treadigraph]

APU as well?

[Fareastdriver]

What we are talking about is this!



They were the days of real flying.

[Airbubba]

Originally Posted by West Coast

Metro liner turboprop

Yep, the Swearingen Metroliner had a JATO option in the early days. The claim was that it would give you enough time to raise the gear with an engine failure on takeoff.

[Spooky 2]

I think the Queen Air model 65 had JATO as well.

[Less Hair]

How did this work in real life? You had a rocket like a bomb in the hangar all the time? Was it ready to be fired anytime or secured somehow? Solid fuel rockets burn out whenever they are activated. And do you drop them after use? Glowing hot parts? This sounds more like a project, did anybody ever actually use it, get a demo or similar?
I only know the military JATO/ATO and they treat it with ultimate respect because it is so dangerous.

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by treadigraph

APU as well?

Well if you count the APU as an engine, you can hardly call the Trident 3 "the only 5-engined airliner" - that description would also apply to most of the 4-holers built in the last 50-odd years !

[Jhieminga]

How about ‘the only five-engined trijet’?

[Spooky 2]

Originally Posted by Less Hair

How did this work in real life? You had a rocket like a bomb in the hangar all the time? Was it ready to be fired anytime or secured somehow? Solid fuel rockets burn out whenever they are activated. And do you drop them after use? Glowing hot parts? This sounds more like a project, did anybody ever actually use it, get a demo or similar?
I only know the military JATO/ATO and they treat it with ultimate respect because it is so dangerous.

Nothing dropped off the airframe after firing as it remained place until it was in a place where it could be replaced.

[treadigraph]

Originally Posted by DaveReidUK

Well if you count the APU as an engine, you can hardly call the Trident 3 "the only 5-engined airliner" - that description would also apply to most of the 4-holers built in the last 50-odd years !

I never reall considered the Trident 3 as anything other than three engined!

Originally Posted by Spooky 2

I think the Queen Air model 65 had JATO as well.

Never heard that one, as a test airframe?

[FL235]

JATO in PNG

A 600. Lb. Thrust bottle was required for DC3 ops at Wau, as an engine failure on T/O was likely to be dire. As far as I know never used in anger, but were fired off when timexpired. Carried on many ? DC3s.

Supposed to replace failed engine for 12 sec , I think

[TURIN]

Some photos and video here of the 727 RATO .

https://aviation.stackexchange.com/q...-runway-length

[JanetFlight]

During the 60's Puerto Rico CARIBAIR Convairs used the JATO help to get rid of mountains in case of an EFATO after T/O from St Thomas and neighborhoods...nice pic by W. Sierra.

[West Coast]

Can’t have a thread about JATO/RATO bottles without this.

You Tube