[AR] winged V-2s (was Re: Hypersonics have finally arrived)
- From: Henry Spencer <hspencer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Arocket List <arocket@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2020 19:38:49 -0400 (EDT)
On Thu, 15 Oct 2020, roxanna Mason wrote:
I read about the A-10 concept but not about any flight prototypes. Wood
wings, why not, they used oak in some of their rocket engines.
The A9/A10 two-stage ICBM was never more than sketches on paper, but its
upper stage, the A9, was a serious project, meant to extend the range of
the A4 (V-2) by adding a glide phase. The original A9 effort was put on
hold in 1942 to focus manpower on making the A4 operational. It was
revived in 1944 because advancing Allied armies were pushing the Germans
out of the A4 launch areas within range of London. It fairly quickly got
renamed "A4b" because anything named "A4" had higher industrial priority!
There was high-level pressure (including from Hitler) for fast results,
and that led to building a few quickie prototypes, slightly modified A4s
with enlarged fins and wooden wings, to get *something* flying quickly.
The first lost roll control just after launch; the second did fine until
one wing failed due to reentry heating. A few days after the second
flight, Peenemuende had to be evacuated because the Russians were getting
too close, and that ended the project. It was still a long way from an
operational system; in particular, they hadn't yet put much effort into
guidance and control for the glide phase.
Henry
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