German Explosives
V-2
Description
The V-2, also known by the Germans as the A-4, is a streamlined missile 45 feet 10 inches long with a body diameter of 5 feet 5 inches. The nose is very sharply pointed and the afterbody carries four external fins mounted in quadrature. The weight at take-off is 14 tons, of which 1 ton is explosive, and 9 tons is used up in the first minute.
A large steel venturi is used for propulsion. The fuels, alcohol and liquid oxygen, are pumped into the motor at the rate of 9 tons per minute by a permanganate-hydrogen peroxide turbine which develops 460 horsepower. The thrust produced is 28 tons.
In flight, the missile is controlled by fins in the tail surfaces which are positioned by hydraulic servo-mechanisms controlled by an elaborate intelligence system:
The intelligence system consists of the following:
1. Two gyros to provide stability about the three axes of the missile.
2. A radio (optional) to provide azimuth control by flying on a beam.
3. A radio or integrating accelerometer to turn off the motor at a specified velocity, to provide range control.
4. A time switch control to bend the missile over the target after it is launched vertically.
After an elaborate preparation requiring much time, personnel and equipment, the V-2 is fired vertically from a metal mobile stand. A few seconds after it is in the air the time switch control causes it gradually to bend over in the direction of the target. After 1 minute of flight, the motor is turned off, the missile being at an angle of about 45 degrees and having a velocity of about 3,400 miles per hour. For the remainder of the flight, the V-2 follows the trajectory of a free body in space, reaching a maximum height of about 50 miles before returning to the surface of the Earth. About 5 minutes after take-off it strikes the Earth some 200 miles from the launching site with a velocity of approximately 1,800 miles per hour. At this instant the warhead and any remaining fuel explode.
Technical Data of the Apparatus
The following details included as pertinent information of the V-2 were taken from the translation of a German Manual on the subject.
A. Measurements
Length of Warhead: 2,010 mm
Length of Control: 1,410 mm
Length of Middle part: 6,215 mm
Width of the ventilating split between the middle part and the tail: 5 mm
Length of the Tail: 4,401 mm
Total length of the A-4: 14,036 mm
Caliber: 1,651 mm
Length of fins: 3,935 mm
Diameter of outer edge of fins: 3,564 mm
B. WEIGHTS
Payload: 750 kg.
Empty weight of nose: 250 kg.
2. Control: 450 kg.
+Additional ventilation: +30 kg.
“Mischgerat”: 17 kg.
“Verdoppler”: 14 kg.
Gyro (roll and yaw): 4.2 kg.
Gyro (pitch): 5.4 kg.
Two batteries: 52 kg.
Fuze firing circuit: 5 kg.
“Kommando” battery: 8.7 kg.
3 Invertors: 38 kg.
3 Regulators: 4.8 kg.
“Kommando” receiver: 19 kg.
Main junction box: 30 kg.
Pull away plug (side of body) : 8 kg.
3. Middle section: 742 kg.
Shell (cell): 418 kg.
Conduit and Cables: 30 kg.
Frame Ring: 18 kg.
Fire Wall: 11 kg.
A-Tank: 121 kg.
B-Tank: 76 kg.
4. Engine Block : 931 kg.
Motor: 422 kg.
Frame: 56 kg.
Pump: 159 kg.
P-Battery: 75.5 kg.
T-System: 73 kg.
Heat Exchanger: 6.7 kg.
5. Tail: 750 kg.
Tail Rib Section: 475 kg.
Servo-Motors: 160 kg.
6. Remainder: 105 kg.
Pressure Pieces: 60 kg.
7. Total Empty Weight of A-4: 4,000 kg.
8. Filled Weight of A-Tank (to overflow): 4,900 kg.
9. Filled Weight of B-Tank (empty space of 0.29 cubic meters): 3,800 kg.
10. Filled Weight of T-Tank: 175 kg.
11. Filled Weight of Z-Tank: 13 kg.
12. Total Weight of a 4 Fully Tanked : 12,700- 12,900 kg.
13. Weight of Fuels (in Pipes Cooling Jacket Heat Exchange and T-System): 210 kg.
C. PERFORMANCES
Individual Parts:
Two Batteries: 27 volts, 20 ampere hours.
One “Kommando” Battery: 50 volts, 1.3 ampere hours.
Firing Circuit : 27 volts.
Three Invertors: DC/AC 3-phase.
Invertors: Motor: 27 volts, 12 volts, 10,000 r.p.m.
Generator : 40 volts, 500 cycles, 180 watts.
Three Regulators for Invertors: Regulation 1 percent.
"Verdoppler” Transmitter: Output 15 watts, wavelength 6.5 meters, frequency 46 Mc.
2. Engine Block:
Electrical Armatures: Constructed for 24 volts.
Turbines: Capacity Ca.: 21 kg/sec.
Revolution: 3,800 r.p.m.
Output: 460 hp.
Additional thrust by Venting Ca.: 50 kg.
A -Pump: Revolutions Ca.: 3,800 r.p.m.
Output: 190 hp.
Output pressure: 18.7 atm.
Output Ca.: 72 kg/sec.
B-Pump: Revolutions Ca.: 3,800 r.p.m.
Output: 270 hp.
Output pressure: 22 atm.
Output Ca.: 58 kg/sec.
T-System: T and Z output pressure: 31 atm.
T-Stoff Flow Ca.: 2.1 kg/sec.
Z-Stoff Flow Ca.: 0.2 kg/sec.
Pressure in Steam Chamber: 25 atm.
Steam Produced: 2.3 kg/sec.
Fresh Steam Temperature: 385° C.
Pressure Reducing Setting: 31 atm.
P-Batteries: Number of Bottles: 7.
Contents: 7 liters per bottle.
P-Pressure: 200 atm.
Total Amount: 12.25 kg = 9,600 liters.
Heat Exchanger Flow: 0.3 kg/sec. of A-Stoff; 2.3 kg/sec of steam.
Temperature of Outflow: 280° C.
Temperature of A-Stoff (After Going Through Heat Exchanger) Ca.: 0° C.
Motor: Fuel Consumption per Second in Preliminary Stage:A-Stoff Ca.: 38 kg.
B-Stoff Ca.: 35 kg.
Total Ca.: 73 kg.
Fuel Consumption per Second in Main Stage:A-Stoff Ca.: 72 kg.
B-Stoff Ca.: 58 kg.
Total Ca.: 130 kg.
Mixing Proportion: B:A : 0.81.
Fuel Injection Pressure into Motor: 18 atm.
Pressure in Combustion Chamber : 14.5 atm.
Temperature in Combustion Chamber: 2,000° C.
Exit Velocity of Gases Ca.: 2,000 m./sec.
Inner Efficiency (WA/WA TH= Actual to Theoretical Exit Velocity): 95 percent.
Thrust: 25,700 kg.
3. Total Apparatus:
Shooting range Ca: 300 km.
Ceiling Ca.: 80 km.
“Brennschluss” height Ca.: 28 km.
“Brennschluss” range Ca.: 25 km.
“Brennschluss” Maximum Velocity Ca.: 1,500m/sec.
Burning time Ca.: 60-63 sec.
Flight time Ca.: 320 sec.
Speed at target Ca.: 800 m/sec.
Angle with Perpendicular At “Brennschluss”: 47 degrees.
Greatest Impact Pressure: 8-10,000 kg sq/meter (Reached in 45 sec at 12 km height at 650 m/sec).
Highest heating of the Skin : 300°-500° C.
Lifting Acceleration Ca.: 1g. (9.81 m/sec2).
Maximum Acceleration (at Top of 25-ton thrust) Ca.: 6g.
D. OTHER DATA —TOTAL APPARATUS.
Evaporation Out of the Filled Device of the A-Stoff :In the first hour Ca.: 320 kg.
In the second hour Ca.: 160 kg.
In the third hour Ca.: 130 kg (and following hours.)
Rigidity of the apparatus:
Untanked: up to 23 m/sec wind speed.
Tanked: up to 35 m/sec wind speed.
Transportation.
Height of the Device: 4.2 meters.
Width of the Device: 3.22 meters.
Length of the Device: 14.7 meters.
The apparatus with full A-Stoff can stand up to 6 hours without impaired function.
The servo-motors must warm up 30 minutes before shooting. Taking into consideration the insulation condition of the wiring system, a detanking of A-Stoff cannot take place in the meantime, since in most cases an undesirably high deterioration of the condition of the wiring system is unavoidable as a result of the sweating. The insulation coefficient for the 27 volts wiring system measured at the break-away plug at terminals 1-4 against the body is 10,000 ohms.
Next Time: Rockets (Part 7)
Source: German Explosive Ordnance Vol. 1: Bombs, Rockets, Grenades, Mines, Fuzes & Igniters
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