Gentian (rocket)
The Enzian was a German anti-aircraft missile under development during the Second World War . The missile was intended for both surface-to-air and air-to-air missions. It was developed in Oberammergau by the Upper Bavarian Research Institute , a branch of the Messerschmitt Works, and tested, among other things, at the Peenemünde-West Air Force test center.
Technical specifications
| Data | Gentian E-4 |
|---|---|
| First flight | August 1944 |
| Manufacturer | Timber construction Sonthofen |
| number of pieces | 60+ |
| span | 4 m |
| length | 4 m |
| Takeoff weight | 1800 kg |
| Warhead | 500 kg |
| Thrust + burn time | Main engine 2000 kg, 72 s launchers 6000 kg, 6 s |
| fuel | 550 kg |
| speed | 300 m / s max. |
| acceleration | 3.6 G |
| Range | 25 km |
| Service ceiling | 16 km |
construction
The gentian had a stocky body with short wings as well as ventral and dorsal fins. One of the most important advantages was that the hull was made of molded plywood , a material that was readily available to the German war economy .
drive
The Enzian was developed on the basis of the Messerschmitt Me 163 rocket fighter . The first test models E-1, E-2 and E-3 still had the same Walter liquid rocket drive as the Me 163. The later versions E-4 and E-5 were powered by a newly developed two-fuel rocket motor. The fuel was nitrating acid "sage" (92% nitric acid and 8% sulfuric acid ) and ethyl vinyl ether / divinyl isobutylic acid ester Visol in a mixing ratio of 1.4: 1. The mixture gave a spontaneously reacting hypergol ; it automatically ignited on contact. Nevertheless, an electric igniter was installed to avoid a deflagration.
For the launch, the missile had an additional four solid support missiles. There were four Schmidding rockets 109-533 for diglycol fuel that provided 7000 kp of thrust for four seconds and then were dropped. The auxiliary engines were omitted for air-to-air use.
The mount of an 8.8 cm anti-aircraft gun served as the launch pad . The launch platform consisted of 6.8 m long rails on the modified carriage with the option of setting the elevation and side angles.
control
In the first phase of flight, the missile was controlled by radio. The laboratory samples E1-E3 were controlled with the "Strasbourg-Kehl" radio remote control (developed by Telefunken and Staßfurter Rundfunk GmbH ) in the 6 m band; the series devices from E4 onwards used the "cog" remote control device in the 24 cm band.
The final approach was either carried out by the infrared steering system "Madrid" from the manufacturer Kepka from Vienna or an acoustic viewfinder from Telefunken and Messerschmitt.
The IR detector was mounted in a small movable telescope and used a metal flag in front of the mirror to guide it to determine which side of the center the target was on. If the rocket moved continuously in the opposite direction of the telescope, it steered itself on a so-called tow course towards the target.
Warhead
Different samples were being tested, all with the same weight:
- One variant contained small shrapnel made of structural steel measuring 20 × 30 mm with a propellant charge in the center. Tests showed a hit pattern of 1.5 shrapnel per square meter at a distance of 65 m.
- Another variant was a multiple warhead. It contained 500 tiny black powder missiles, each with a range of 300 m.
literature
- Fritz Hahn: Weapons and Secret Weapons of the German Army 1933–1945. 3rd edition, special edition in one volume. Bernard & Graefe, Bonn 1998, ISBN 3-7637-5915-8 .
- Rudolf Lusar: The German weapons and secret weapons of the 2nd world war and their further development. 6th, heavily revised and expanded edition. Lehmanns- Verlag, Munich 1971, ISBN 3-469-00296-7 .
- Heinz J. Nowarra : The German Air Armament 1933-1945. Volume 4: Aircraft types MIAG - Zeppelin, missiles, aircraft engines, on-board weapons, drop weapons, radios, other air force equipment, anti-aircraft artillery. Bernard & Graefe, Koblenz 1993, ISBN 3-7637-5468-7 .
- OP 1666: German explosive Ordnance. Volume 1. Navy Department - Bureau of Ordnance, Washington DC 1946, the drawing is also taken from this work.
Web links
- Description of the Enzian E-4 (English)