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| GERMAN EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE - BOMBS, BOMB FUZES, ROCKET, LAND MINES, GRENADES AND IGNITER |
| Chapter 3 |
| GERMAN ROCKETS |
| R 100 BS – AIR-TO-AIR ROCKET |
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GENERAL DESCRIPTION. The R 100 BS air-to-air incendiary rocket was originally desig-ned as an uncontrolled rocket for attacking bomber formations from fighter aircraft. This project was started in the latter part of July 1943. During the latter part of 1944, how-ever, it was decided to use the Oberon Gerät to control the bursting point of the rocket thereby improving the chance of a strike from a negligible value to a probability of about 0.4. |
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Details of the rocket are somewhat sketchy but the salient features seem to be that the total weight was 100 kg 180 cm in length with a maximum diameter of 210 mm. The pro-pellant, consisting of 25 kg of normal rocket propellant, gave the projectile an impulse of 4,200 kg/sec with a burning time of 0.9 second. The maximum range was estimated at 2,000 meters and the maximum velocity 550 - 600 m/sec. (See fig. 220.) |
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The warhead weighed 30 kg and contained 460 incendiary cylinders filled with thermite, each weighing 55 grams. These cylinders were so arranged as to be stable during flight and fired forwards in a 60° cone. They were intended to ignite the aircraft petrol tanks and had a lethal range of about 18 meters. The incendiary cylinders has a velocity of 500 m/sec at ejection in addition to the velocity of the rocket. |
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LAUNCHING. Four of these projectiles were slung underneath the wings of a Me 262 and were launched electrically by rather complicated launching gear which comprised the fol-lowing: |
| 1. AZ 420 Kreiselvisier (gyro sight). |
| 2. A radar range meter which is referred to as FUG 217 or 218. |
| 3. A relative velocity meter known as the Oberon clock. |
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4. An Elfe, which apparently accepted signals from other components and carried out some sort of computation. |
| 5. An altitude/angle computer. |
| 6. A remote fuze setter. |
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It has been stated that the rockets were launched electrically by means of the sight when the correct range (as measured automatically by the radar range-finder) was rea-ched and not fired by the pilot. These four projectiles could be launched either singly or in salvo, for which purpose a ripple firing mechanism with a 0.1-second interval was in-corporated. No control was applied after launching. |
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REMARKS. Although this weapon had undergone satisfactory tests and was actually being produced, it never was, however, used operationally because of delays in the firing gear. |
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Figure 220 – R 100 BS Rocket |
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