Characteristics of the Rocket Motor Unit Based on the Theory of Perfect Gases

Philadelphia: The Franklin Institute, 1940. First Edition. Cloth. Very Good. First Edition. [2], 806 pages. 8vo. Brown buckram with gilt title and volume numbers to spine panel. Journal of the Franklin Institute, Volume 230 (July-December 1940), entire volume offered. The Malina article is found on pages 433-54. Library bookplate to front pastedown, bindery ticket to front pastedown, ink stamp on page one. Properly deaccessioned. A bright clean copy. Cloth. Frank Malina was an early rocket pioneer whose name is not nearly as well known as Goddard or von Braun, but whose work contributed significantly to advancements in early theory and practice. Among his many contributions, Malina (with Rocket Research Project of GALCIT engineers) developed "red fuming nitric acid (RFNA) and aniline, a propellant combination that achieved great use in American rocketry" (previously Goddard had used liquid oxygen which was hard to handle and store). Malina, with H.S. Tsien continued a "theoretical study of the thermodynamic characteristics of rocket motors", which research was used in 2 American firsts: the first successful American use of solid fuel JATOs (jet assisted take-offs) and a JATO of an American bomber.

"Malina made a number of other important contributions to rocketry during his career. With von Kármán, he developed in 1940 the theory of constant-thrust long-duration solid fuel rocket motors. In 1942 he and another associate, Mark Mills, designed and patented a safety pressure relief valve for solid propellant rocket motors. In 1943, with Martin Summerfield, Malina introduced and patented improvements in methods of applying rocket propulsion to flying boats. In 1946 they formulated the 'Malina-Summerfield Criterion' for step-rockets. This criterion stated that each step of the optimum step-rocket has an equal ratio between its payload mass and the total mass of the step-rocket propelling that payload."

"As an early pioneer in the field of rocketry and propulsion, Malina made many valuable contributions. His innovations in long-duration propulsion and solid and liquid fuel propellants were particularly important. According to a 1958 letter to Malina from Rear Admiral D. S. Fahrney, U.S.N. (retired), 'It was based on your findings that we produced the first jet propelled guided missile in this country.'" (see American National Biography online for quotation citations) The present work is a further study of the general theory of operation of the constant pressure rocket motor unit, and references work done by Goddard and others. These theoretical studies were undertaken before practical trials were undertaken due to the high costs of building and testing actual rockets. Much of this research resulted in the practical development of solid-fuel rocket motors.

Among the many other technical articles in this volume is a two part paper by H. L. Hazen and G. S. Brown on the "Cinema Intergraph." (See pages 19-44 and 183-205).