Shape of V2 rocket...
Mike Evert
I was wondering about the tapered cigar-like shape
of the V2 rocket. It seems also that such a shape
was prominent in 1950's or earlier illustrations of
rockets.
Was the V2 the only real rocket to be actually built
with such a shape? It seems that all rockets since
then are all straight cylinders (or combinations of
straight cylinders).
I bet the V2 shape is probably harder to manufacture
than the cylinder shape. But I'm sure the designers
of the V2 must have had reasons for such a shape.
What were they and why don't they apply today?
Thanks,
Mike
check out http://www.marsluna.com
Timothy Jacobs
mars...@marsluna.com (Mike Evert) wrote:
>I was wondering about the tapered cigar-like shape
>of the V2 rocket. It seems also that such a shape
>was prominent in 1950's or earlier illustrations of
>rockets.
A lot of the tests in the 1950's were carried out using modified V2s
captured at the end of WW2. My GrandFather was an RAF crane driver
during the war, and he help "liberate" some from the factories.
>Was the V2 the only real rocket to be actually built
>with such a shape? It seems that all rockets since
>then are all straight cylinders (or combinations of
>straight cylinders).
>
>I bet the V2 shape is probably harder to manufacture
>than the cylinder shape. But I'm sure the designers
>of the V2 must have had reasons for such a shape.
>What were they and why don't they apply today?
I guess the manufacturing difficulty is about right. As to why the shape
isn't used today, I can only speculate that it may have had something to
do with reducing the footprint, they were designed for mobile launchers,
while maintaining a large control surface - modern rockets have steerable
engines, V2s didn't.
I'd appreciate any comments.
--
Tim Jacobs timothy...@gecm.com
Driving a boat is 90% mental. The other 10% is in your head
These are my views, not GEC's.
Thomas L. Billings
In article <5lb8k2$q...@oak.Internet-Connections.net>,
mars...@marsluna.com (Mike Evert) wrote:
> I was wondering about the tapered cigar-like shape
> of the V2 rocket. It seems also that such a shape
> was prominent in 1950's or earlier illustrations of
> rockets.
>
> Was the V2 the only real rocket to be actually built
> with such a shape? It seems that all rockets since
> then are all straight cylinders (or combinations of
> straight cylinders).
>
> I bet the V2 shape is probably harder to manufacture
> than the cylinder shape. But I'm sure the designers
> of the V2 must have had reasons for such a shape.
> What were they and why don't they apply today?
The Peenemunde team did build a supersonic wind tunnel to test shapes, but
it came on line too late to determine the initial shape of the V-2 body.
That was picked from a shape the engineers already knew flew stable at
supersonic speeds quite reliably. It was the shape of a german designed
.50 caliber bullet, first used in WWI as an anti-tank bullet, and later as
a heavy machinegun round in the U.S. and elsewhere. The fins were an
addition to the bullet shape, and the wind tunnel did allow refinement of
their shape and placement.
Regards,
Tom Billings
--
Institute for Teleoperated Space Development
it...@teleport.com(Tom Billings)
ITSD's web site is at, http://www.teleport.com/~itsd1/index.html
BshpGambit
>But I'm sure the designers
>of the V2 must have had reasons for such a shape.
>What were they and why don't they apply today?
Indeed.... Ever see a V2 close up? Not only is there a tapered "boat
tail", but there are very large circular fillets between the fins and the
body. From a practical standpoint the purpose of this is visible:
aerodynamics. The boat tail and the fillets cut down tremendously on
drag, which is an important consideration for such a large rocket. Also
the V2's engine did not take up the entire aft section of the rocket with
all nozzle. It would seem practical enough to taper the end to meet the
nozzle so that there isn't al lthat wasted material doing nothing on the
bottom of the rocket.
Henry Spencer
In article <5leht3$q...@gcsin3.geccs.gecm.com>,
Timothy Jacobs <timothy...@gecm.com> wrote:
>I guess the manufacturing difficulty is about right. As to why the shape
Note that the original poster thoughtlessly posted the same query to
sci.space.history, where the matter has already been discussed at some
length. (Please folks, post to one or the other, or cross-post to both,
but don't send the same question independently to several newsgroups.)
--
Committees do harm merely by existing. | Henry Spencer
-- Freeman Dyson | he...@zoo.toronto.edu
Norman Yarvin
it...@teleport.com (Thomas L. Billings) wrote:
>The Peenemunde team did build a supersonic wind tunnel to test shapes, but
>it came on line too late to determine the initial shape of the V-2 body.
>That was picked from a shape the engineers already knew flew stable at
>supersonic speeds quite reliably. It was the shape of a german designed
>.50 caliber bullet, first used in WWI as an anti-tank bullet, and later as
>a heavy machinegun round in the U.S. and elsewhere. The fins were an
>addition to the bullet shape, and the wind tunnel did allow refinement of
>their shape and placement.
The bullet shape would have been a good choice, but not because it was
stable; bullets are only stable when spun at high speeds. The V-2,
which didn't spin, needed fins to stabilize it. But a bullet shape
does offer reasonably low aerodynamic drag; that would have been a good
reason for picking it.
--
Norman Yarvin yar...@cs.yale.edu
gmdea...@gmail.com
On Wednesday, 14 May 1997 08:00:00 UTC+1, Mike Evert wrote:
> I was wondering about the tapered cigar-like shape
> of the V2 rocket. It seems also that such a shape
> was prominent in 1950's or earlier illustrations of
> rockets.
>
> Was the V2 the only real rocket to be actually built
> with such a shape? It seems that all rockets since
> then are all straight cylinders (or combinations of
> straight cylinders).
>
> I bet the V2 shape is probably harder to manufacture
> What were they and why don't they apply today?
>
David Spain
> In the documentary Secrets of War, one of the talking heads claims the shape was based on the aerodynamic design of the german 7.92mm bullet with vanes added
>
>
>
> On Wednesday, !!!! ----> 14 May 1997 08:00:00 UTC+1 <----- !!! , Mike Evert wrote:
>> I was wondering about the tapered cigar-like shape
>> of the V2 rocket. It seems also that such a shape
>> was prominent in 1950's or earlier illustrations of
>> rockets.
>>
time the lifetime of the V2 as a weapon of war!
Is gmdean another extra-terrestrial with a gmail account?
heh heh....
Dave
Chris Jones
> In the documentary Secrets of War, one of the talking heads claims the shape
> was based on the aerodynamic design of the german 7.92mm bullet with vanes
> added
>
> On Wednesday, 14 May 1997 08:00:00 UTC+1, Mike Evert wrote:
>> I was wondering about the tapered cigar-like shape
>> of the V2 rocket. It seems also that such a shape
>> was prominent in 1950's or earlier illustrations of
>> rockets.
>>
>> Was the V2 the only real rocket to be actually built
>> with such a shape? It seems that all rockets since
>> then are all straight cylinders (or combinations of
>> straight cylinders).