Interesting story - but poor reporting

[Whenurhappy]

Hitler's kamikaze doodlebug set to go on display in Britain - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-two/9792442/Hitlers-kamikaze-doodlebug-set-to-go-on-display-in-Britain.html)

Hitler's kamikaze doodlebug set to go on display in Britain

A rare kamikaze-style rocket capable of launching a direct hit on Buckingham Palace will go on display in Britain almost 70 years after Hitler had it made in the hope it would help destroy London.

This manned version of the fearsome V1 was developed because the aim of the 5,000 original rockets was so poor.
Fitted with small cockpits, 150 were built so they could be flown accurately into targets.
However, none of the rockets ever flew in anger, largely because flying them was effectively a suicide mission with pilots expected to parachute out into an airspeed of 550mph moments before a target was hit.
The Fieseler Fi103R Reichenberg rocket, one of only six left today, was found by the Allies at the end of the second world war.


Poppycock. ‘Capable’ is not the same as ‘intended to’. A great story about the restoration of an evolutionary development in air power; it’s a pity the journalistic narrative was wrong. There is no evidence from surviving archives that Buckingham Palace was a target, furthermore the V1 was not particularly inaccurate. Moreover, I understood that the manned V1s were test and evaluation platforms – perhaps I’m wrong. Through the success of the Double X effort to turn all German agents in Britain, and Operation Longbow to defeat the V1, Nazi targeteers were convinced they were aiming for Charing Cross or Tower Bridge, whereas the MPI was in Croydon. Even when telemetry monitored V1 were shown to be landing ‘short’ the Luftwaffe were convinced that there were technical problems and slavishly believed their intelligence sources, all of which were run by Frank Foley et al from the back of the chapel in St James’ Palace.

[ORAC]

Wiki: Fieseler Fi 103R Reichenberg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fieseler_Fi_103R_Reichenberg)

The Fieseler Fi 103R, code-named Reichenberg, was a late-World War II German manned version of the V-1 flying bomb (more correctly known as the Fieseler Fi 103) produced for attacks in which the pilot was likely to be killed, or at best to parachute down at the attack site, which were to be carried out by the "Leonidas Squadron", Group V of the Luftwaffe's Kampfgeschwader 200.

Background

The Leonidas Squadron, part of KG 200, had been set up as a suicide squadron. Volunteers were required to sign a declaration which said, "I hereby voluntarily apply to be enrolled in the suicide group as part of a human glider-bomb. I fully understand that employment in this capacity will entail my own death."[1] Initially, both the Messerschmitt Me 328 and the Fieseler Fi 103 (better known as the V-1 flying bomb) were considered as suitable aircraft, but the Fi 103 was passed over in favour of the Me 328 equipped with a 900 kilograms (2,000 lb) bomb.[2]

However, problems were experienced in converting the Me 328 and Heinrich Himmler wanted to cancel the project. Otto Skorzeny, who had been investigating the possibility of using manned torpedoes against Allied shipping, was briefed by Hitler to revive the project, and he contacted famous test pilot Hanna Reitsch. The Fi 103 was reappraised and since it seemed to offer the pilot a slim chance of surviving, it was adopted for the project.[3]

The project was given the codename "Reichenberg" after the capital of the former Czechoslovakian territory "Reichsgau Sudetenland" (present-day Liberec), while the aircraft themselves were referred to as "Reichenberg-Geräte" (Reichenberg apparatus).[3].............

Reichenberg-Geräte (http://www.cockpitinstrumente.de/Panelnachbau/Herberg%20Carl/Fi103/V1.htm)

[Courtney Mil]

Jet, not a rocket.

[Abbey Road]

The use of 'Buckingham Palace' ranks alongside the use of 'Olympic-size swimming pool', 'double-decker buse' and 'hero'. Convenient crutches for unimaginative journalists who are far more interested in getting their names on the front page. Accuracy and thoughtful analysis are just not part of their armoury. :rolleyes:

[Fitter2]

Flown in testing by Hana Reitsch. Remarkable woman. I met her in '68 not long before she died, although she was still flying gliders in the mountains then, and was kissed on both cheeks. I can therefore say when 'six degrees of separation' comes up that I am one kiss away from Adolf Hitler.:eek:

[teeteringhead]

I am one kiss away from Adolf Hitler Much respect for that - what a woman Reitsch was!

When a baby pilot I flew our then AOC (38 Gp) Denis Crowley-Milling, who was wingman to Bader on 242 in the B of B, so I used to tell my studes later on that they had "flown with a man who'd flown with a man who flew with Douglas Bader!"

A bit like the 1930s song "I danced with a man who danced with a girl who danced with the Prince of Wales".

But maybe in that case "danced" was a euphemism ........? :E

[Gemini Twin]

Jet not a rocket. Correct CM, it was a pulse jet.

[NutLoose]

More here of the restoration and pics, they have one for sale if you're interested

Fieseler Fi103R-4 Reichenberg Restoration - Key Publishing Ltd Aviation Forums (http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?t=121305)


.

[melmothtw]

'double-decker buse'

Accuracy ... just not part of their armoury


You said it Abbey Road.

Speaking as one of those unimaginative journalists you so eloquently disparage, I would suggest that terms such as 'Olympic-size swimming pool', 'double-decker buse' (sic) and 'hero' are used mainly as a convenient crutch for the reader rather than the writer.

[Molemot]

A couple of years ago I went to "La Coupole", the WW2 German blockhouse intended as a V2 launching facility.
La Coupole Saint-Omer - History and remembrance center : La Coupole in Saint-Omer. (http://www.lacoupole-france.com/la-coupole-saint-omer.asp)
I have long wondered how the V1 could achieve in flight stability, as it lacks both ailerons and dihedral. When I entered the reception at La Coupole, there was a V1 hanging from the ceiling....and it had ailerons!! Then I moved around it a bit and saw the cockpit canopy.....and realised it must be one of the manned versions. So I still don't know how they got roll stability.
I would not have fancied trying to exit at 500+ knots, with the pulsejet intake immediately behind the cockpit, a suicide mission for sure.
I can recommend La Coupole for a visit, they also have a very accessible V2 rocket motor there, fascinating to see the way they dealt with cooling the chamber and injecting the fuel and oxidant.

[Fareastdriver]

I gather that when the first V! launches took place they left the end of the ramp and speared into the ground. Thay built a version with a cockpit and controls so that they could put a pilot in to see why. Hannah was selected, not because she wanted to, but because she was the only one small enough.

She was the one that discovered acceleration precession.

[ORAC]

So I still don't know how they got roll stability.

Wiki: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-1_flying_bomb)The V-1 guidance system used a simple autopilot to regulate altitude and airspeed, developed by Askania in Berlin.[6] (The RLM at first planned to use a radio-control system with the V-1 for precision attacks, but the government decided to instead use the missile against London.[10]) A weighted pendulum system provided fore-and-aft attitude measurement to control pitch (damped by a gyrocompass, which it also stabilized). Operating power for the gyroscope platform and the flight control actuators was provided by two large spherical compressed air tanks which also pressurized the fuel tank. These air tanks were charged to 150 atm (15,000 kPa) before launch. With the counter determining how far the missile would fly, it was only necessary to launch the V-1 with the ramp pointing in the approximate direction, and the autopilot controlled the flight.

There was a more sophisticated interaction between yaw, roll, and other sensors: a gyrocompass (set by swinging in a hangar before launch) gave feedback to control the dynamics of pitch and roll, but it was angled away from the horizontal so that controlling these degrees of freedom interacted: the gyroscope remained true on the basis of feedback received from a magnetic compass[citation needed], and from the fore and aft pendulum. This interaction meant that rudder control was sufficient for steering and no banking mechanism was needed.

Greyfalcon: (http://greyfalcon.us/restored/The%20V.htm) The little aircraft's wings had no control surfaces. The V-1 was directed by the rudder and elevators on its horizontal tailplane. As there was no way the flying bomb could maneuver anyway, such a crude approach was both adequate and cheap.

When the guidance system determined that the missile was over its target, it locked the control surfaces, and popped out spoilers under the horizontal tailplane to put the bomb into a steep dive. Usually, though not always, this stalled the engine.

http://greyfalcon.us/restored/myPictures/v1-6.jpg

[500N]

Orac

Re "When the guidance system determined that the missile was over its target, it locked the control surfaces, and popped out spoilers under the horizontal tailplane to put the bomb into a steep dive. Usually, though not always, this stalled the engine."


Why then did my mother (as a child) watch V1's when they heard them and
if the V1 engine coughed and spluttered when heading towards them,
they then ran like hell for the shelter ? But if it didn't cough and splutter,
then they didn't need to run as it still had fuel and would keep going.

[Fareastdriver]

When I was a child we would dive under a heavy oak dining room table when we heard a doodlebug coming; if the engine stopped we would try to rush outside to see if we could see where it was going to land.
Unfortunately mother would stop us most times.

My great-grandparents collected the last but one V2 in the back garden. They had quite a big garden so it only blew all the windows and doors out. They were standing by the living room stove poring a cup of tea and apart from being considerably deafer for a couple of days they were unhurt

They didn't spill any tea either, it was on the ration.

[CoffmanStarter]

That Ram Jet sure makes a noise ...

This appears to be an original JB2 :eek:

v1 buzz bomb pulse jet engine - YouTube

[brokenlink]

If you are brave enough the plans are available for you to build your own running pulse jet. Been trying to find someone to build one as a training aid for some cadets for a while as it is beyond my own capabilities. Apparently they glow white hot when running!

[John Farley]

Going back to the orginal Times piece it credited the V1 with a speed of 550mph.

Another major factual error.

[500N]

Fareastdriver

Similar thing happened to my mother's / grandparents house.

Bomb went off very close, they were in the shelter,
when they came up, all windows blown in and out,
fish tank had also exploded and covered floor with
water - and fish !!!

Agree re rationing, nothing was wasted. I don't think my
grandmother ever got out of the habit of making tea and
tea bags last !!!

[NutLoose]

Broken links sent you links to small scale model ones, however

jet engine pulsejet 50lbthrust drag race RC airplane show car bike | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/jet-engine-pulsejet-50lbthrust-drag-race-RC-airplane-show-car-bike-/181056939072?pt=Motors_Aviation_Parts_Gear&hash=item2a27d5a440)

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/jet-engine-pulsejet-50lbthrust-drag-race-RC-airplane-show-car-bike-/00/s/MTE5N1gxNjAw/$(KGrHqN,!pMFC4W5OmDnBQ1fJdIo3Q~~60_35.JPG

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/jet-engine-pulsejet-50lbthrust-drag-race-RC-airplane-show-car-bike-/00/s/MTE5N1gxNjAw/$(KGrHqZ,!owFCp4FZqoWBQ1fJvmFow~~60_35.JPG

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/jet-engine-pulsejet-50lbthrust-drag-race-RC-airplane-show-car-bike-/00/s/NDc5WDY0MA==/$(KGrHqR,!qoFCTYtRTp+BQ1fKKWv6g~~60_35.JPG

:D:E

I could give you details of my aircraft welder, but I do not know how much he would charge.