RATO or “Rocket Assisted Takeoff” is a type of assisted takeoff to help aircraft get airborne. Similarly, JATO stands for “Jet Assisted Takeoff”. In the RATO system, “bottle” rockets are mounted on aircraft and used only during takeoff. After use, they are jettisoned.
The engines in the first B-47 “Stratojet” bombers did not develop sufficient thrust at low speeds and needed help to take off when fully loaded. As a result, early B-47s had provisions for fitting 18 solid-fuel rocket assisted takeoff (RATO) rockets with 1,000 lbr of static thrust each. Mounts for nine such units were built into each side of the rear fuselage, arranged in three rows of three bottles.
The engines in the first B-47 “Stratojet” bombers did not develop sufficient thrust at low speeds and needed help to take off when fully loaded. As a result, early B-47s had provisions for fitting 18 solid-fuel rocket assisted takeoff (RATO) rockets with 1,000 lbr of static thrust each. Mounts for nine such units were built into each side of the rear fuselage, arranged in three rows of three bottles.
