Rheintochter
Template:More footnotes Template:Infobox weapon
Rheintochter was a German surface-to-air missile developed by Rheinmetall-Borsig<ref name="Christopher131"/> during World War II. Its name comes from the mythical Rheintöchter (Rhinemaidens) of Richard Wagner's opera series Der Ring des Nibelungen.
The missile was a multi-stage solid fuelled rocket.<ref name="Christopher131">Christopher, p.131.</ref> It had four small varnished plywood control surfaces, resembling paddles, in the nose, six fins at the after end of the top stage, and four at the end of the main stage.<ref name="Christopher131"/> It stood Template:Convert tall, with a diameter of Template:Convert.<ref name="Christopher131"/> The sustainer motor, located ahead of the Template:Convert warhead (rather than behind, as is more usual) exhausted through six venturis between the first stage fins.<ref name="Christopher131"/>
HistoryEdit
Rheintochter was ordered in November 1942 by the German army (Heer). Starting in August 1943, 82 test firings were made. An air-launched version was also designed. The operational version was intended to be fired from a ramp or converted gun mount.<ref name="Christopher131"/>
The project was cancelled on 6 February 1945.
Examples are on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, the Deutsches Museum in Munich, Air Defense Learning Annex at Fort Sill, OK and at the Royal Air Force Museum Midlands, UK.
VariantsEdit
The initial R1 variant was powered by a two-stage solid-fuel rocket.
The proposed R2 did not offer any improvement over the R1, and was dropped in December 1944.<ref name="Christopher131"/>
The R3 model was developed, which had a liquid fuel engine with solid-fuel boosters ("strap-ons"). Only six trial missiles were fired.<ref>Christopher, p.132.</ref>
SpecificationsEdit
- Power plant: RI variant was 2-stage solid fuel; RIII was liquid fuel with solid-fuel boosters
- Length: Template:Convert<ref>Ford, Brian J., Secret Weapons, Osprey Publishing, 2011, p.80, Template:ISBN</ref>
- Diameter: Template:Convert<ref name="auto1">Ford, p.80</ref>
- Wing span: Template:Convert
- Launch weight: Template:Convert
- Speed: 1,080 km/h (671 mph)<ref name="auto1"/>
- Warhead: Template:Convert
- Altitude: R1 8 km
- Guidance system: Radio Command
See alsoEdit
NotesEdit
SourcesEdit
- Christopher, John. The Race for Hitler's X-Planes. The Mill, Gloucestershire: History Press, 2013.
- Ford, Brian J., Secret Weapons, Osprey Publishing, 2011, Template:ISBN