2.75" / 70mm Mark 66 Mod 2 Hydra Rocket Motor
$895.00
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2.75" / 70mm Mark 66 Mod 2 Hydra Rocket Motor
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Own the heart of the Hydra 70 rocket system with this restored Mk 66 Mod 2 rocket motor, a safe, museum-grade display. This is a genuine U.S. military 2.75" rocket motor shell—no propellant, no initiator, no energetic components—preserved to show the distinctive look of the modern wrap-around fin aerial rocket that has armed U.S. helicopters and jets from the Cold War's later years through the Global War on Terror and beyond.
The Hydra 70 Workhorse Motor
The Hydra 70 family traces its lineage back to the 2.75" Folding-Fin Aerial Rocket (FFAR) of the late 1940s, which saw extensive service in Korea and Vietnam. The Hydra upgrade centered on the new Mk 66 rocket motor, which replaced the older Mk 4/Mk 40 motors with:
- A more powerful, smokeless propellant for greater range and accuracy
- A longer motor tube and redesigned nozzle
- Wrap-around fins (WAFAR) that hug the rocket body in the launcher and spring out on launch
- Canted nozzles to impart spin while still in the tube, improving stability
Hydra 70 rockets powered by the Mk 66 motor have been fired from platforms including the AH-64 Apache, AH-1 Cobra/Viper, UH-1 Huey, OH-58 Kiowa, UH-60 Black Hawk, A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-16 Fighting Falcon, and F/A-18 Hornet, among many others in U.S. and allied service.
Mk 66 Mod 2 – Navy and Air Force HERO-Safe Variant
The Mk 66 Mod 2 is a refined version of the baseline Mk 66 motor, developed specifically for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force as a HERO-safe (Hazards of Electromagnetic Radiation to Ordnance) design. Full-rate production began in the mid-1980s, giving carrier- and air-base-operated aircraft a rocket motor better suited to complex RF and shipboard environments.
Key characteristics of the Mk 66 series include:
- Caliber: 2.75" / 70mm
- Length (motor only): approx. 41.7 in (about 1,060 mm)
- Weight (typical Mk 66 motor): around 13–14 lb
- Burn time: just over 1 second
- Average thrust (Mod 2/3): approx. 1,335 lbf
- Launch spin: ~10 rps at tube exit, increasing in flight
The Mk 66 Mod 2 has been mated with a wide family of warheads—M151 HE "10-pounder," M255E1 flechette, M274 practice, M257/M278 illumination, M282 multipurpose penetrator, and more—making it a core building block of modern close-air-support ordnance.
About This Specific Item
- Genuine Mk 66 Mod 2 Rocket Motor
- Real U.S. service Mk 66 Mod 2 motor body, professionally restored for display
- External details such as the nozzle, wrap-around fin assembly area, and motor tube are restored for aesthetic appeal
- Demilitarized & Completely Inert
- No solid propellant
- No igniter, squib, or initiator
- No HERO filter wiring suitable for firing—this is a non-functional, inert display motor only
- Historically Correct Look
- Ideal companion piece for M151 HE, flechette, or practice warhead displays
- Perfect for mounting with a launcher section, aircraft pylon mock-up, or as a standalone conversation piece
Ideal For
- Restoring gunship and CAS aircraft displays (Apache, Cobra, Huey, Kiowa, etc.)
- Museum exhibits illustrating the evolution from FFAR to Hydra 70
- High-end inert ordnance collections focusing on modern rotary- and fixed-wing weapons
- Aviation-themed offices, shops, and man-caves that need a visually impressive but safe centerpiece
This restored Mk 66 Mod 2 rocket motor is an outstanding way to showcase the technology behind the Hydra 70 system—authentic hardware, historically grounded, and ready for safe display.
Approx length 42", Approx width 2.75", Approx height 2.75", Approx weight 6lbs.
Pictures are stock images of our inventory. Unless otherwise noted, you will not be receiving the exact item shown in the pictures. The pictures are representative of the item's general condition. The item you receive might be slightly better, or worse, condition than was shown in the pictures.
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