Meeks (sounding rocket), W.A. Sandburg and W.B. Barry (launcher and WAC nose), S.J. Goldberg (field tests) and H.J. Stewart (external ballistics) and G, Emmerson (photography). For propulsion, the 38ALDW-1500 Aerojet liquid-fueled engine was chosen, which had been developed as a JATO system for Navy flying boats. The 38ALDW-1500 was modified for hypergolic propellants, with red fuming nitric acid as the oxidizer and furfuryl alcohol as the fuel. The WAC Corporal was intended to use a booster derived from the Tiny Tim air-to-ground attack rocket to gain sufficient velocity along a launch tower for the Corporal's three tail fins to provide passive stability. Despite the emphasis upon a theoretical approach, it was deemed necessary to empirically prove the Corporal's aerodynamics, especially the three fin configuration, so a solid propellant one-fifth scale model called the Baby WAC was tested from a scaled-down launcher in July 1945. Four Baby WACs were flown. The design of the WAC Corporal was innovative in that main structure containing the oxidizer, fuel, and pressurizing air tanks was of monocoque design, and that it had only three stabilizing fins, rather than the four that the Army preferred. Since the WAC Corporal was conceived as an atmospheric sounding rocket to be utilized in part near populated locations, it was provided with a parachute recovery system for the rocket itself, along with a separate system for recovering the Signal Corps radiosonde payload. The production of the WAC Corporal was by Douglas Aircraft Corporation with critical parts supplied by JPL and the engines by Aerojet. Testing The WAC Corporal test program began at White Sands Proving Grounds in late September 1945 with a series of booster tests lofting dummy upper stages. These were the first missiles launched at White Sands. They were launched from what became LC-33, which was also the launch site for many other early missiles such as the V-2, Viking and Hermes. These first launches tested not only the booster, but the launcher and firing controls, as well as providing practice for the radar and camera crews. October saw two launches of the WAC Corporal with one-third propellant load followed by six fully-fueled flights. Several of these flights reached altitudes of approximately . Performance varied because of several factors, including variation in the gross weight from , with empty weights from . The missions flown during the WAC Corporal first series were: 2 Booster tests on September 26,