V2

[jayne]

A bit over a year ago, someone posted lots of info about
the V2 (A4) to a WWII mailing list.  Something jogged my memory
of this post, and luckily I had it saved.  The second paragraph
of this description of the A9 version should interest readers
of GR.

> 
>                     A-9
> 
> Similar to the the A-4b, but built of much lighter material and
> fitted with the A-6 fuel system in order to achieve a range of 400
> miles. The control was to be by accelerometer during the early part
> of the trajectory and then by radio during the glide phase. The
> missle was to be continuously monitored by 2 radar stations to give a
> constant fix on its location and when directly above the target,
> would be commanded into a vertical dive. It was hoped that this
> configuration of trajectory would make detection and interception
> more difficult.
> 
> The design was to go into production until, in 1943, the military
> situation demanded a quicker and more easily manufactured solution
> and it was abandoned in favor of the A-4. Some reports speak vaguely
> about a piloted version to be fitted with a pressurized cabin,
> retractable landing gear and controls to permit it to be manually
> landed at the end of its flight, but there could have been little
> military importance in such a project, and this was probably a post-
> war intention rather than a definite project.
> 

	Paul Jayne

P.S.  A silly observation I made many years ago:
	The object of everyone's quest in V. was?
	The object of everyone's quest in GR was?
	So is GR a sequel to V.?