On April 18, 1960, just 14 months after the establishment of the Langley Scout Project Office, the first experimental Scout was prepared for launch from a new tower at Wallops Island. This was "not an official Scout test"; it was an "expedited launch," referred to as a "Cub Scout," intended solely to gather engineering data on the vehicle.
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| Scout rocket first test firing cover with Goldcraft cachet, postmarked at Wallops Island on April 19, 1960, a day after the event. The test failed after its first-stage burnout. |
Several issues arose during this rushed, "unofficial" test flight of the Cub Scout. The rocket rolled more than expected during ascent, resulting in a structural failure near the end of the first stage's burn. This failure inhibited the test-firing of the third stage (mounted atop the second-stage dummy motor). Additionally, the heat shield design was found to be defective, as it detached from the fourth stage while the vehicle was passing through the transonic region.
(Reference from
Learning Through Failure: The Early Rush of the Scout Rocket Program)
