The Luftwaffe adopts the V-1 much earlier

[T. A. Gardner]

The big problem with the pulse jet is it is altitude limited. The higher you go, the thinner the air and there is no compressor so less air is admitted and the jet's thrust diminishes. I suppose that a mounting that cancelled the vibration could have been developed so that wouldn't matter, but you'd still have the issue of thrust to altitude to deal with.

However, if you are using these as air launched cruise missiles, then the bomber carrying them only has to achieve 1500 to 2000 meters altitude to launch. That is easily done.

[T. A. Gardner]

I could see some other nasty uses for an early V-1. For example, let's say the Germans set up just six ground launch ramps that can fire one missile per hour each and they turn these on Malta. Assuming no shortage of missiles, that's 144 per day landing on the island somewhere. Shooting them down with AA fire isn't much of an option as they will still hit the island somewhere and there isn't much of a way for it to miss hitting something.
In a month the island has been hit by thousands of 2200 lbs. bombs falling all over it.
Since the range is a fraction of the full range of the missile the Germans decide to fill most of the fuel tank space with something that will be incendiary while only providing fuel for the 60 to 70 mile flight. Now each missile detonates and starts a large fire.
It would wear the defense out with the constant bombardment.

Sure, the island isn't going to fall to the Germans, but its capacity to do anything would be seriously degraded. The harbor is now a danger zone. Airfields are hardly immune.

Firing them on Leningrad and Moscow, same thing. The Russians have little means to stop the attacks and they add a cheap way to bomb those cities unrelentingly. In the case of Moscow, I could see Stalin demanding that the German lines be pushed back to stop the attacks. This would change the dynamic of the East Front considerably.

[thaddeus_c]

The big problem with the pulse jet is it is altitude limited. The higher you go, the thinner the air and there is no compressor so less air is admitted and the jet's thrust diminishes. I suppose that a mounting that cancelled the vibration could have been developed so that wouldn't matter, but you'd still have the issue of thrust to altitude to deal with.

one of the air inlets was streamlined similar to a cone place in front, and the power curve did not fall off. also extending the exhaust helped with higher altitudes.

from German Jet Engine and Gas Turbine Development by Antony Kay

of course if it could be made to function at lower altitudes it could become a ground attack aircraft?

am agnostic on whether any developments would work, but earlier introduction of the pulse jet they likely attempt some of them.

[thaddeus_c]

I could see some other nasty uses for an early V-1. For example, let's say the Germans set up just six ground launch ramps that can fire one missile per hour each and they turn these on Malta.

Firing them on Leningrad and Moscow, same thing. The Russians have little means to stop the attacks and they add a cheap way to bomb those cities unrelentingly. In the case of Moscow, I could see Stalin demanding that the German lines be pushed back to stop the attacks. This would change the dynamic of the East Front considerably.

assume they might be able to use them to spread Butterfly bombs over an area also?

[T. A. Gardner]

The big problem with the pulse jet is it is altitude limited. The higher you go, the thinner the air and there is no compressor so less air is admitted and the jet's thrust diminishes. I suppose that a mounting that cancelled the vibration could have been developed so that wouldn't matter, but you'd still have the issue of thrust to altitude to deal with.

one of the air inlets was streamlined similar to a cone place in front, and the power curve did not fall off. also extending the exhaust helped with higher altitudes.

from German Jet Engine and Gas Turbine Development by Antony Kay

of course if it could be made to function at lower altitudes it could become a ground attack aircraft?

am agnostic on whether any developments would work, but earlier introduction of the pulse jet they likely attempt some of them.

I doubt it could be made to work for a manned aircraft. The Germans tied it with the Me 328, and both the US and Soviet Union tried strapping them on airplanes right after the war...





The increase in thrust was offset by the increased drag and the vibration was considered intolerable.

[thaddeus_c]

The big problem with the pulse jet is it is altitude limited. The higher you go, the thinner the air and there is no compressor so less air is admitted and the jet's thrust diminishes. I suppose that a mounting that cancelled the vibration could have been developed so that wouldn't matter, but you'd still have the issue of thrust to altitude to deal with.

one of the air inlets was streamlined similar to a cone place in front, and the power curve did not fall off. also extending the exhaust helped with higher altitudes.

from German Jet Engine and Gas Turbine Development by Antony Kay

of course if it could be made to function at lower altitudes it could become a ground attack aircraft?

I doubt it could be made to work for a manned aircraft. The Germans tied it with the Me 328, and both the US and Soviet Union tried strapping them on airplanes right after the war...

The increase in thrust was offset by the increased drag and the vibration was considered intolerable.

the innovations I cited were not tried on their end of war and post-war attempts. there was no real program to consolidate efforts, and as I mentioned earlier, post-war it was obsolete.

manned versions would be useful only to the Nazi (and possibly Japanese) regimes due to their resource situation(s)