Archives: Gmedia Albums

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

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.

Photo shows rare surviving complete set of 8 lead acid battery cells from one of the V2 rocket’s 32 volt (100 amp) lead acid batteries. Two sets of batteries like this were used to provide the direct current (DC) voltage used aboard the V2 missile to power the DC to 3-phase alternating current (AC) generators, that in turn, powered the gyroscopes, electro-hydraulic servos, trim motors and other vital guidance and control devices. Photo copyright: The Horst Beck Collection

Photo shows rare surviving 1.2 volt cell from the V2 missile’s 50 volt command or signalling battery used in its gyro guidance system (note, the terminal connection on the left is missing from this exhibit, it would be identical to the one on the right). This wet nickel-cadmium battery cell was combined in pairs to a total set of 21 providing a 50.4 voltage at 300mA. The cells were contained in a wooden box that was held on a rack in equipment bay III. Its function was to provide the direct current (DC) signalling voltage that communicated the moment to moment resistance of the gyroscope’s potentiometers to the analog guidance computer (Mischgerät = Mixer-device or control amplifier) aboard the V2 missile. It was critical that the signalling voltage was maintained between 48 and 50.4 volts. Photo copyright: The Horst Beck Collection

The Muller mechanical or Pendulous Integrating Gyroscopic Accelerometer – today normally referred to as a PIGA. Designed by Fritz K Muller.

The J device no1 (J Gerate Eins). The full name of this device is: the Muller Pendulous (or mechanical) Integrating Gyroscopic Accelerometer – today normally referred to as a PIGA. The device, designed by Fritz K Muller, operates as a switch to initiate rocket engine shutdown and is able to smoothly record and accumulate every moment of acceleration, without any kind of recording resolution or discrete time interval limit, of the rocket’s entire motor burn phase, and at the same time process this accumulated acceleration with respect to time as a gradually increasing velocity. In the case of the V2 missile, when the correct predetermined velocity is reached, the velicity sufficient to achieve the desired range of the missile, the device trips the relays that close valves that shutdown the supply of steam to the turbo-pump, and thus shutdown the rocket motor itself.

Bomb damaged F1 factory 1945. The huge V2 rocket factory shown badly damaged by air attack at the end of the war in May 1945

Close-up detail showing independent pathway for fuel passing into injector head and fuel passed down from the head to be used for veil cooling system. Fig. A shows vertical passages for overall fuel feed to the head and Fig.B shows horizontal pathway for veil coolant fed from the head via the veil coolant distributor ring or manifold. 3D model by Alexander Savochkin

View of injector head showing 18 liquid propellant (LOX and fuel) diffuser cups and head fuel valve seating ring at centre, (see other images for insert and position nomenclature). Visible immediately below the valve seat are the large connecting holes that allow fuel to flow from the inlet manifold and cooling jacket to the injector space (some brass injector inserts can be seen through the holes) after the head fuel valve is released to be opened by the turbo-pump supply pressure. The four veil cooling inlet connectors are well shown as are two of the outlet connection holes immediately above them. 3D model by Alexander Savochkin

A close-up view of the head fuel valve mounting flange (showing 12 fastener holes). Visible immediately below the top flange are the large connecting holes that allow fuel to flow from the inlet manifold and cooling jacket to the injector space (some brass injector inserts can be seen through the holes) after the head fuel valve is released to be opened by the turbo-pump supply pressure.

Here the 18-pot head model has been cutaway to show the fuel cooling and fuel delivery spaces. the cooling jacket layer can be seen in the lowermost area of the head – below the centrally positioned fuel valve seat, between each cup at the lowest point, and ruining down toward the first set of veil cooling pores and the topmost coolant distributor ring. Note that the veil cooling system does not communicate with the regenerative cooling jacket and has its own feed pipes drawing fuel from the head injector space and not the cooling space. Visible immediately above the valve seat are the large connecting holes that allow fuel to flow from the inlet manifold and cooling jacket to the injector space after the head fuel valve is released to be opened by the turbo-pump supply pressure. 3D model by Alexander Savochkin

Liquid propellent (LOX and fuel) diffuser cup, showing three rings or echelons (A,D,& E) of brass injector inserts as well as two rows of drilled fuel feed holes. The LOX spray head is shown in the centre. Note the simple ‘shower head or watering can’ design of the LOX diffuser. A sealing washer can be seen fitted between the LOX diffuser and the steel cup. 3D model by Alexander Savochkin