Rocket-Assisted Take Off for the Supermarine Seafire

Supermarine Seafire IIc fighters aboard HMS Formidable, September 1943

Adapting the Spitfire for the Fleet Air Arm

When Britain’s legendary Supermarine Spitfire was adapted for carrier operations, it became the Supermarine Seafire — a nimble but temperamental naval fighter that gave the Fleet Air Arm a potent edge during the Second World War and into the early post-war years.

But naval flying brought its own challenges: short decks, heavy payloads, and unpredictable winds. And not every carrier had catapults suited to the Seafire’s launching spigots.

To help the Seafire launch safely in such conditions, engineers experimented with rocket-assisted take-off gear (RATOG) — small, solid-fuel rockets that gave the aircraft an explosive boost as it left the deck.

Although rarely used day to day, it became a striking sight at sea, particularly when 800 Squadron’s Seafire 47s used it during the Korean War — one of the final chapters in the story of the naval Spitfire.

What exactly was rocket-assisted take off?

RATOG used small, jettisonable rockets fitted to an aircraft’s fuselage or wings. When ignited, these rockets burned for a few seconds, producing several hundred pounds of additional thrust.

Initially designed for heavily loaded bombers, RATOG soon drew interest from naval engineers who faced limited deck lengths and variable wind conditions. The system allowed aircraft to take off with full fuel and weapons loads even when wind-over-deck was minimal.

Trials and adoption on the Seafire

RATOG trials began around February 1943, and by mid-war the system appeared as a standard fitting option on later marks. Structural fittings and ignition circuits were included on several variants, most notably the Seafire IIc and Seafire XVII.

“Standard fitting” didn’t mean “standard use”. Few pilots regularly employed the rockets, even when installed. Records from 1944–45 list Seafires MB307, MB141, MB201, MB207, MB306, MB367, and NX958 among those used in RATOG testing.

Why RATOG was rarely used

Though ingenious in principle, RATOG came with significant risks:

• Asymmetric ignition: If one rocket misfired, the Seafire could yaw violently during take-off, a terrifying prospect on a narrow deck.

• Limited necessity: The Merlin and later Griffon engines provided ample thrust when combined with catapults or sufficient headwind.

• Structural fragility: The Seafire’s narrow undercarriage, inherited from the Spitfire, made it notoriously twitchy; sudden rocket thrust amplified that instability.

• Strict operating rules: Fleet Air Arm commanders authorised RATOG use only when absolutely necessary, especially on newer Griffon-powered marks where torque effects increased danger.

As one pilot observed, RATOG offered “a short and lively career if something went wrong". That wasn’t hyperbole — one of the first tests, involving Seafire MB141, ended in tragedy when K.J. Robertson was killed, and several other aircraft suffered scorched rudders.

Courage under pressure defined the pilots of this era. Many of those who took part in such trials were the same kind of fearless young men featured in the youngest Spitfire pilots of WWII, who faced danger with remarkable calm.

How rocket-assisted take off worked

Seafire aircraft coming in to land on HMS Formidable, 1945

Each RATOG installation typically used two small rocket units mounted on the fuselage sides or lower rear section.

• Ignition was controlled by the pilot via a cockpit switch after reaching full engine power.

• The rockets burned for just a few seconds, producing a sharp acceleration boost.

• Once expended, the casings were manually jettisoned.

In theory, RATOG could reduce take-off distance by as much as 25–30%, with the four-rocket cluster pushing the Seafire airborne in 270 feet of HMS Slinger, in just over half the deck length available!

An eight-rocket pack cut it to 230 feet, making for one of the most dramatic take-off sequences of the piston-engine era.

The spectacle and the legacy

Even though operational use was limited, RATOG-equipped Seafires made for unforgettable spectacles. Flames erupted from the fuselage, smoke billowed across the deck and the aircraft surged forward in a sudden, thunderous rush.

Eyewitnesses described Seafires “leaping from the deck in a cloud of smoke”. And surviving footage from Fleet Air Arm trials captures the breath-taking drama of rocket-assisted naval take off.

Ultimately, RATOG on Seafires was an elegant solution to a temporary problem. As post-war carriers adopted steam catapults and jet aircraft with higher thrust-to-weight ratios, RATOG became obsolete.

The legacy of RATOG on the Seafire

The Seafire’s brief experiment with RATOG is a fascinating chapter in aviation history — a story of necessity, creativity, and courage.

It captures the determination of engineers and pilots who pushed the limits of land-based aircraft design to meet the demands of naval warfare.

For a few dramatic moments in the 1940s, Britain’s naval Spitfire didn’t just fly — it blasted off the deck, a reminder of how innovation and bravery often soared together.

That same spirit lives on today through the Spitfire flight experiences offered across the UK, allowing you to connect first-hand with the history, sound, and feel of the aircraft that inspired generations.