NAF China Lake F6F Hellcat (BuNo unknown,) China Lake, circa 1948. Back row L-r: Barry Sherman, (New Mex), unknown, Bill Lengacher (Ohio), Frank Bostok, Bill Mertzel (Wis), __ld Bri__er (Ohio), unknown, Thomas Schnieder (Minn), Robert J. __uland (Ohio), Ray E. Plummer, Texas), unknown and Oscar P__sby (Ind). Front row L-r: McAllister, Morgan, Ed Bernier (Conn), two unknown, ___ B Tren__, illegible, H.A. Ripa (NJ), Geo Beutler (Wash), Bill N__and (Ariz) and Sea__right.

Rocket display, Michelson Laboratory, China Lake, 1948. 11.75-inch Tiny Tim in foreground; 5-inch Holy Moses, 5.0- and 3.5-inch aircraft rockets, and 2.25-inch subcaliber aircraft rocket (L-R) on stands in center; Mousetrap antisubmarine rocket in right background; and barrage rockets in launcher in right foreground. Official U.S. Navy photo, China Lake archives.

An early wheeled rocket sled during tests on the Transonic (B-4) Track, 194

Michelson Lab Main Machine Shop, China Lake, 26 January 1948. Note the HVAR on the table in the foreground. Official U.S. Navy photo.

Tiny Tim rocket being readied on 1,500 foot K-2 track, China Lake, 26 January 1948. LIFE photo by J.R. Eyerman.

Tiny Tim rocket is mounted on steel tracks of the ramp by three range workmen and made ready to fire, K-2 track, China Lake, 26 January 1948. LIFE photo by J.R. Eyerman.

Tiny Tim rocket spewing flame, heading down 1,500 foot K-2 track serving as wind tunnel on which rocket performance is studied and recorded, K-2, China Lake, 26 January 1948. LIFE photo by J.R. Eyerman.

Tiny Tim rocket is observed by mirrors as it heads down the 1,500 K-2 track, China Lake, 26 January 1948. LIFE photo by J.R. Eyerman.

Southern CA Deserts in vicinity of Inyokern proving ground, China Lake, 26 January 1948. LIFE photo by J.R. Eyerman

Southern CA Deserts in vicinity of Inyokern proving ground, China Lake, 26 January 1948. LIFE photo by J.R. Eyerman

Southern CA Deserts in vicinity of Inyokern proving ground, China Lake, 26 January 1948. LIFE photo by J.R. Eyerman

China Lake Pilot Plant propellant processing buildings located about half a mile to the east and half a mile north of the Pilot Plant gate, 26 January 1948. LIFE magazine photo by J.R. Eyerman.

China Lake Pilot Plant looking north up the 12" extrusion press line and the 18" press line. The vertical presses are in the tall buildings at the base of the hills. The closer buildings are all support buildings for processing the propellant grains made by the extrusion presses (such as machining, inhibiting, packing, etc., 26 January 1948. LIFE magazine photo by J.R. Eyerman.

China Lake Pilot Plant vertical presses building at the base of the hills, 26 January 1948. LIFE magazine photo by J.R. Eyerman.

Possibly Gerry Makepeace leaving a revetted operating building at the China Lake Pilot Plant, 26 January 1948. LIFE magazine photo by J.R. Eyerman.

Five-inch spinner rockets, LSMR ship to shore, Outdoors at Building 69, China Lake Pilot Plant, perhaps Ruth Tedrick, 26 January 1948. LIFE magazine photo by J.R. Eyerman.

Loading propellant grain into 5-inch spinner rocket, inside Building 69, China Lake Pilot Plant, 5" grain going into a standard 5" case w/ 5AR lugs - HVAR or early HPAG, 26 January 1948. LIFE magazine photo by J.R. Eyerman.

China Lake Pilot Plant propellent processing control panel, 26 January 1948. LIFE magazine photo by J.R. Eyerman.

China Lake Pilot Plant vertical press, 26 January 1948. LIFE magazine photo by J.R. Eyerman.

China Lake Propulsion Laboratory energy measurement (calorimeter?), China Lake Pilot Plant propellent processing, 26 January 1948. LIFE magazine photo by J.R. Eyerman.

China Lake Pilot Plant, 26 January 1948. LIFE magazine photo by J.R. Eyerman.

Ordies maneuver a Tiny Tim rocket with NAF F6F-5 Hellcat BuNo 78980 in the background as an engineer discusses a project with a F8F Hellcat pilot LCdr Game in the foreground, Armitage Field, China Lake, 26 January 1948. LIFE photo by J.R. Eyerman.

Chief of the Tiny Tim Project measures size of hole made by the Tiny Tim rocket in the target of 4-inch armor steel, China Lake, 26 January 1948. LIFE photo by J.R. Eyerman.2fc1f94a13c26e8e.jpg

Hole in target plate of 4 inch armor steel which has been penetrated by a Tiny Tim rocket, China Lake, 26 January 1948. LIFE photo by J.R. Eyerman.

Range Engineer, China Lake, circa 1948. LIFE photo by J.R. Eyerman.

Charles T. Longshore (L) checks other stations to make sure range is clear and gives radio warning to the road block station half mile away, China Lake, circa 1948. LIFE photo by J.R. Eyerman.

Engineers set up theodolite camera which will photograph rocket in flight and at the moment of impact with the target, China Lake, 26 January 1948. LIFE photo by J.R. Eyerman.

450 foot long missile launching ramp, China Lake, 26 January 1948. LIFE photo by J.R. Eyerman.

Fuze drop tower, Area R, China Lake, 26 January 1948. LIFE magazine photo by J.R. Eyerman.

Vertical static firing of 5" rocket motor, China Lake Pilot Plant, 26 January 1948. LIFE magazine photo by J.R. Eyerman.

China Lake Pilot Plant propellent processing, 26 January 1948. LIFE magazine photo by J.R. Eyerman.

USAF B-29 Superfortress s/n 45-21847 and NOTS Cosmic Ray 25 Year old scientist working on cosmic-ray program, China Lake, 26 January 1948. Life magazine photo by J.R. Eyerman.

USAF B-29 Superfortress s/n 45-21847 and NOTS Cosmic Ray personnel, China Lake, 26 January 1948. Life magazine photo by J.R. Eyerman.

USAF B-29 Superfortress s/n 45-21847 and NOTS cosmic ray Physicist Carl D. Anderson (R) with two other scientists gathered around a Cosmic-Ray cloud chamber inside the Superfortress aft gunners station, China Lake, 26 January 1948. Life magazine photo by J.R. Eyerman.

USAF B-29 Superfortress s/n 45-21847 and NOTS Cosmic Ray flight crew, China Lake, 26 January 1948. Life magazine photo by J.R. Eyerman.

USAF B-29 Superfortress s/n 45-21847 and NOTS Cosmic Ray Physicist Dr. Carl D. Anderson (L) at Inyokern Proving Grounds in flying clothes, China Lake, 26 January 1948. Life magazine photo by J.R. Eyerman.

F6F-5 Hellcat BuNo 78980 after an engine failure/forced landing 03 February 1948 at NOTS Inyokern, LCdr William H. Game. Photo from William Kirk family.

F6F-5 Hellcat BuNo 94409 11.75" Tiny Tim rocket firing, 22 April 1948. Official U.S. Navy photo.

F6F-5N Hellcat BuNo 7x879 with two 11.75" Tiny Tim rockets, China lake, 29 April 1948. Official U.S. Navy photo.

F7F-3 Tigercat BuNo 80487, luminous paint, China Lake, 26 Nov 1948. Official U.S. Navy photo.

AD-1 Skyraider BuNo 09335, luminous paint, China Lake, 26 Nov 1948. Official U.S. Navy photo.