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Archives: Gmedia Albums
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The Enigmas
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Relic of prototype A4 25-ton 1940/41 aluminium injector head basket (or pre-chamber) showing 68 copper alloy inserts in 5 rows. The standard configuration would later become 44 inserts in 3 rows 25 2mm diameter drilled holes in two rows situated at row 3 and 4 (counting from nearest the camera). Photo courtesy Host Beck Collection
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Parts of the ‘Standard’ series A aluminium head from 1941. The brass injector insert type and position pattern on the relics seem to be of the standard type but the pattern is non-standard in that higher volume injectors with three inlet apertures (two centrifugal and one central) have been place nearest the LOX
injector. Photo courtesy Horst Beck
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Relics of the A4 25-ton 1941 aluminium injector head. See other photos in this series for more detail. Photo courtesy Horst Beck Collection

Part of the ‘Standard’ series A aluminium head from 1941 to early 1942. Showing the position of standard type LOX injector. The brass fuel injector inserts type and position pattern on the relic seem to be of the standard type with the row of 3 inlet aperture type inserts positioned furthest from the LOX injector. Photo courtesy Horst Beck Collection
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Relic of A4 25-ton 1940/41 aluminium injector head basket (or pre-chamber) showing 68 copper alloy inserts in 5 rows. The standard configuration would later become 44 inserts in 3 rows 25 2mm diameter drilled holes in two rows situated at row 3 and 4 (counting from nearest the camera). Photo courtesy Host Beck Collection
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25-Ton aluminium injector head showing mpe armament code for the Heimat-Artillerie-Park 11 (HAP11) Karlshagen Werk Nord.
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Injector head relic from February 1945 showing injector insert type and pattern. Photo www.v2rockethistory.com
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Flown V2 thrust chamber relic from February 1945. Badly damaged from impact, this head shows 4 intact LOX input pipe connections as well as exposed fuel injector inserts positioned in the inner wall of the injector pots. The inner and outer walls of the head are also conveniently exposed on this exhibit. Photo www.v2rockethistory.com
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Album | A4-V2 Injection head, combustion chamber, and nozzle |
Category | Combustion |
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V2 Rocket History Museum Relic: This cutaway presentation shows one of the V2’s 18 combined fuel and liquid oxygen (LOX) injector ‘pots’. The LOX injector transit cap is also shown. The pot shown here is sometimes incorrectly referred to as a pre-burner or pre chamber – a mixer or diffuser pot probably describes its role more accurately.
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This relic from the V2 Rocket History collection shows a cutaway presentation of one of the V2’s 18 combined fuel and liquid oxygen (LOX) injector ‘pots’. The LOX injector transit cap is also shown fitted over the LOX injector.

One of the V2’s 18 injector pots showing fuel and LOX injector copper alloy inserts. The spray head A is for liquid oxygen (LOX) and the numerous small injectors lining the chamber are for the fuel. The term pre-chamber is a throw-back to a time when combustion systems developed at the Kummersdorf test facility had a closed structure rather than the open bucket design seen here. Image Horst Beck Collection
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V2 engine part from a missile fired from Walcheren, Serooskerke, Vrederust, by battery no 444, at around 7am on September 17th 1944. The missile impacted East Ham with a direct hit on houses. Killing 6 people with 15 seriously injured. Much of the rocket debris was taken to the East Ham police station for examination by the military authorities. Information porovided by www.v2rocket.com.
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Examination of V2 missile thrust chamber. Sections of two of the large bore aluminium alcohol inlet manifold feed pipes and two thin steel veil colling supply pipes are still attached. The distinctive heat expansion relief loop can be seen on one of the pipes.
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Image shows interior of production series (combat relic) V2 missile propellent injector pre-mixer pots. Three post in the picture are intact, others seem in the picture have been destroyed in the impact. This engine part was recovered from a combat impact East of London. Impact date: February 1945
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Recovered from Great Warley impact: February 1945. This chamber has a production use order number of 33 painted crudely on topmost segment. This number, to indicate rank in batch, was added shortly after manufacture to ensure the chamber was selected by the missile assembly crews in the correct order; that is on a newest-last basis to make sure that the oldest chambers were employed in missile construction operations first.
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F1: Fertigungshalle Eins
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Relic of prototype A4 25-ton 1940/41 aluminium injector head basket (or pre-chamber) showing 68 copper alloy inserts in 5 rows. The standard configuration would later become 44 inserts in 3 rows 25 2mm diameter drilled holes in two rows situated at row 3 and 4 (counting from nearest the camera). Photo courtesy Host Beck Collection
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Parts of the ‘Standard’ series A aluminium head from 1941. The brass injector insert type and position pattern on the relics seem to be of the standard type but the pattern is non-standard in that higher volume injectors with three inlet apertures (two centrifugal and one central) have been place nearest the LOX
injector. Photo courtesy Horst Beck
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Relics of the A4 25-ton 1941 aluminium injector head. See other photos in this series for more detail. Photo courtesy Horst Beck Collection
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Part of the ‘Standard’ series A aluminium head from 1941 to early 1942. Showing the position of standard type LOX injector. The brass fuel injector inserts type and position pattern on the relic seem to be of the standard type with the row of 3 inlet aperture type inserts positioned furthest from the LOX injector. Photo courtesy Horst Beck Collection
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Relic of A4 25-ton 1940/41 aluminium injector head basket (or pre-chamber) showing 68 copper alloy inserts in 5 rows. The standard configuration would later become 44 inserts in 3 rows 25 2mm diameter drilled holes in two rows situated at row 3 and 4 (counting from nearest the camera). Photo courtesy Host Beck Collection
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25-Ton aluminium injector head showing mpe armament code for the Heimat-Artillerie-Park 11 (HAP11) Karlshagen Werk Nord.
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Injector head relic from February 1945 showing injector insert type and pattern. Photo www.v2rockethistory.com
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Flown V2 thrust chamber relic from February 1945. Badly damaged from impact, this head shows 4 intact LOX input pipe connections as well as exposed fuel injector inserts positioned in the inner wall of the injector pots. The inner and outer walls of the head are also conveniently exposed on this exhibit. Photo www.v2rockethistory.com
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Album | A4-V2 Injection head, combustion chamber, and nozzle |
Category | Combustion |

V2 Rocket History Museum Relic: This cutaway presentation shows one of the V2’s 18 combined fuel and liquid oxygen (LOX) injector ‘pots’. The LOX injector transit cap is also shown. The pot shown here is sometimes incorrectly referred to as a pre-burner or pre chamber – a mixer or diffuser pot probably describes its role more accurately.
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This relic from the V2 Rocket History collection shows a cutaway presentation of one of the V2’s 18 combined fuel and liquid oxygen (LOX) injector ‘pots’. The LOX injector transit cap is also shown fitted over the LOX injector.

One of the V2’s 18 injector pots showing fuel and LOX injector copper alloy inserts. The spray head A is for liquid oxygen (LOX) and the numerous small injectors lining the chamber are for the fuel. The term pre-chamber is a throw-back to a time when combustion systems developed at the Kummersdorf test facility had a closed structure rather than the open bucket design seen here. Image Horst Beck Collection
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V2 engine part from a missile fired from Walcheren, Serooskerke, Vrederust, by battery no 444, at around 7am on September 17th 1944. The missile impacted East Ham with a direct hit on houses. Killing 6 people with 15 seriously injured. Much of the rocket debris was taken to the East Ham police station for examination by the military authorities. Information porovided by www.v2rocket.com.
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Examination of V2 missile thrust chamber. Sections of two of the large bore aluminium alcohol inlet manifold feed pipes and two thin steel veil colling supply pipes are still attached. The distinctive heat expansion relief loop can be seen on one of the pipes.
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Image shows interior of production series (combat relic) V2 missile propellent injector pre-mixer pots. Three post in the picture are intact, others seem in the picture have been destroyed in the impact. This engine part was recovered from a combat impact East of London. Impact date: February 1945
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Recovered from Great Warley impact: February 1945. This chamber has a production use order number of 33 painted crudely on topmost segment. This number, to indicate rank in batch, was added shortly after manufacture to ensure the chamber was selected by the missile assembly crews in the correct order; that is on a newest-last basis to make sure that the oldest chambers were employed in missile construction operations first.
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Equipment bays
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Control compartments 3 showing gyro mounting platform with two gyros and DC motor driven 3 phase AC voltage generator. The alcohol tank pressurisation pipe is also shown running through the equipment bay (large silver coloured pipe). Image copyright Imperial War Museum
Album | Equipment bays |
Category | Guidence |
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Ernst Steinhoff, chief of the BSM workshop (Guidance and Control) in the development works Peenemunde.
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Hydraulic gear pump with close up detail showing ceramic heater element insulators with flat, possibly nichome, metal strip element threaded through them. This oil heating system was designed to maintain a specific viscosity of the oil regardless of environmental temperature, to better maintain oil flow rates and thus pump efficiency. The heating system is found only rarely on surviving relics.
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V2 missile graphite jet vane defector replica made for V2 Rocket History.
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V2 missile graphite jet vane defector replica made for V2 Rocket History. This accurate replica shows the distinctive pantograph mill tool ‘witness’ marks well.
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Close-up of Askania gear pump relic with oil heaters. This picture shows an unusual feature on the otherwise normal cast aluminium base of this gear pump. The knurled knob positioned between the oil flow balance adjusters has a purpose that is unknown to us. The two oil-flow balance adjuster valves visible in the picture have slot head adjuster screws and you can also see the knurled circumference on each screw. This parallel knurling is engaged by a crease formed in the facing surface of the copper spring strips. The function of these strips is to create tactile feedback that the technician making the adjustment can feel in the handle of the screwdriver. This was done because the gear pump needed to be adjusted in a dark and narrowly confined space.
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Gear pump showing flow adjusters (two slot head screws nearest bottom of picture) and ceramic heater elements situated at each end of the block. The square drive shaft coupler (corroded but still identifiable) has been highlighted in red paint. The open holes either side are the main control valve guides. The copper spring strips visible on each oil flow adjuster provide locking and tactile feed-back for the adjusting process. This relic was recovered from Usedom island.
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Missile guidance equipment
Images of guidance and missile control equiment
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Images of guidance and missile control equiment
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LEV-3 V2 missile gyroscope system with mounting plate. The third component of this system, the Muller gyroscopic accelerometer, is missing – the 2x mounting points can be seen on the right-hand side of the mounting plate.