The Rocket in Britain 1900-1939

Paper number

IAC-18,E4,2,3,x42771

Author

Mr. John Becklake, United Kingdom

Coauthor

Ms. Mali Perera, United Kingdom, The British Interplanetary Society

Year

2018

Abstract

Following a century of rocket development in the 19th century, termed the First Golden Age of Rocketry by Frank Winter in which Britain played a major role, the first four decades of the 20th century saw relatively little original rocket activity in this country.
 
Certainly when compared with rocket  development in Germany, USA and the Soviet Union, Britain’s contribution in the period under consideration was minor, but there were pockets of activity and a surprisingly amount of rocket work  took place  in certain fields.

This paper will look at the use in Britain of rockets in life saving and in postal rockets with the work of Zucker from Germany which raised the ire of British officialdom.  Also covered will be the work of a small number of amateur experimenters – some linked to the British Interplanetary Society which was formed in 1933 – as well as the large scale development of the solid fuel cordite rockets, code named UPs, which saw major use as anti-aircraft and mass bombardment missiles during WW2.

Abstract document

IAC-18,E4,2,3,x42771.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-18,E4,2,3,x42771.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.