V-1 Video

[Parker]

Hello

I just wanted to let you guys know that the guys at srl.org have finally finished their v-1 engine, and have some footage at their homepage....It's awesome! Makes me jealous, I wish I could see it live!
Thanks....sorry if this is old news

parker

[hinote]

Hello

I just wanted to let you guys know that the guys at srl.org have finally finished their v-1 engine, and have some footage at their homepage....It's awesome! Makes me jealous, I wish I could see it live!

parker

Yeah, they also showed the fire department arriving to find out what kind of monster was making all the noise.

If this thing is a replica of the original Argus engine (and it looks like it IS) I can assure you from personal experience that the noise is beyond anything conceivable. The aero department at Cal Poly University where I grew up had one of these in the '50's, and they would fire it up repeatedly during their big open house event every year. We lived across town (about 5 or 6 miles away) and you could hear the thing--very loud even at that distance.

I just can't imagine them firing it in that small space, with neighbors close by.

Bill H.
Acoustic Propulsion Concepts

[Dmitry Petrov]

test
Hi all !!!
Unfortunately, I cannot take this (_subj_) video :-(((

[Stephen H]

thats one BIIIIIG monster :D

Stephen

[Mark]

Hello

I just wanted to let you guys know that the guys at srl.org have finally finished their v-1 engine, and have some footage at their homepage....It's awesome! Makes me jealous, I wish I could see it live!

parker

Yeah, they also showed the fire department arriving to find out what kind of monster was making all the noise.

If this thing is a replica of the original Argus engine (and it looks like it IS) I can assure you from personal experience that the noise is beyond anything conceivable. The aero department at Cal Poly University where I grew up had one of these in the '50's, and they would fire it up repeatedly during their big open house event every year. We lived across town (about 5 or 6 miles away) and you could hear the thing--very loud even at that distance.

I just can't imagine them firing it in that small space, with neighbors close by.

Bill H.
Acoustic Propulsion Concepts

You missed the firing of an engine just as big in front of a theater in San Francisco. People were driving by at night quite mystified.
"If you are going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair" and earplugs in your ear.
Mark

[Bruce]

I have to say that it didn't seem to run very well at all.

It was obviously *way* rich (not enough air) and it appeared as if it wouldn't run without forced air.

Maybe their valves are too stiff or something.

I certainly doubt it was creating the 500-600lbs of static thrust that an Argus should create -- one only has to look at the comparitively small amount of effect it had on that marque behind it.

Also, the flames coming out the back were *way* too lazy for an Argus at full throttle. I've got quite a collection of V1 footage here and when they're running, those engines shoot flames (and not fat yellow ones) straight out the back for about four feet before it starts to diverge and become turbulent.

[Bruno Ogorelec]

To me, the engine looked funny. Take another look at the front of the engine in the sequence in which the fireman argues with the SRL guy. It is not open, teh way Argus is, but there's some kind of a big cylindrical tank attached to it. Anyone have any idea what it might be?

[Viv]

To me, the engine looked funny. Take another look at the front of the engine in the sequence in which the fireman argues with the SRL guy. It is not open, teh way Argus is, but there's some kind of a big cylindrical tank attached to it. Anyone have any idea what it might be?

"A Ford 460 engine feeding an HC (?) turbo charger feeding in to the front"

Thats off the video Bruno, basically I think they rev the nuts of the Ford motor to drive the turbo for the forced air, the big lump on the front is a plenum chamber feeding a venture to the valve plate.

When the engine is not lit up you can hear it resonating like a trumpet.

Still hats off to them for using a V8 garden blower to get their motor running.

Viv:-)

[Bruno Ogorelec]

Jesus! Is that an overkill or what? On the other hand, how do you start a monster that big? A million hamsters blowing through straws? Wait for a gale?

Good of you, Viv, to remind me of the fact that the video has sound. :o) I watched it with sound turned off. I always have sound turned off. The myriad pings that my computer produces get on my nerves.

[Bruce]

Well look at how the Germans started the Argus -- there was no big leaf-blower stuck on the front of the engine -- they used compressed air injected directly into the engine I believe.

However, as the big Lockwood proved, once they're set up right, a *big* pulsejet doesn't need much puff to get it going -- another reason I was a little disappointed with the SRL's engine. It really didn't seem to want to run without that forced air.

[Bruno Ogorelec]

I have always assumed they were started without air assistance. It's a long time since I last read a report on V-1, but I can't remember any references to blowing air into the intake to start them.

[Bruce]

I may be wrong (it's been a while since I closely scrutinized the plans) but I thought they had provision to inject compressed air directly behind the valve grid using a row of injectors parallel to the fuel nozzles.

[Viv]

I always asummed the two big wire rapped air tanks in the middle of the craft fed the jets that Bruce mentions.

The engine produces no appriciable power at the bottom of the ramp so I always thaught it used the compressed air from the tanks untill it hit 150mph at the top of the ramp and forced air from the intake took over.

Come to think of it how did it operate its control serfaces?

Viv

[Mike Kirney]

I have read in many places that compressed air was used for starting the V-1. There were ports on the back of the valve grid for admitting it to the combustion chamber from external tanks. The internal tanks were used for running the gyros and also for operating the control surfaces too I think. There was some electrical on the V-1 too but I can't remember what it was for. Perhaps thats what operated the control surfaces.

[Mike Kirney]

The on-board compressed air was also used to pressurize the fuel flow.