The riddle of the V2 rocket shape

The V2 rocket is instantly recognisable by its extraordinary shape. But where did this revolutionary body shape come from, and why has it not been seen again in missile design since the 1950s? And yet, paradoxically, the shape in stylised form appears on millions of internet pages - why? We continue exploring the A4 / V2 rocket in detail by looking at the surprising origins of the V2’s core body shape. The first designs of the A3 and A5, both prototypes of the A4, had ballistic features emanating from the early 20th-century science of ballistics that the A4 would inherit. But crucially, some elements would change due to a supersonic flow theory revolution in 1930s America. 00:00 Introduction 03:09 V2 rocket shape 05:45 The chubby rocket 09:33 Defining the ogives 12:20 Getting it wrong 14:39 It’s a bullet! 20:25 Handbook of Ballistics 23:02 Heydenreich ogive rule 28:15 Torpedo of 1744 29:24 Ballistics era 35:05 Dr Hermann and A3 38:09 The Windtunnel 47:55 Kurzweg’s rocket 53:29 Von Kármán 56:49 Haack’s paper of ’41 1:00:34 Inside the outside 1:04:23 Summary 1:05:35 The V2’s ghost in art & culture 1:11:34 Mole bunker? NEW - Be a Patreon channel supporter and help us make the best possible video presentations. I hope that after seeing this video’s unique content, you might feel inspired to help us research and produce videos like this one and become a channel supporter via our Patreon platform. We are offering a growing number of benefits to reward Patreons, including unique content and early access to ad-free versions of our latest videos. For our highest-tier supporters, we’ll recognise your help as a producer with your name in the onscreen end credits. I don’t expect rich rewards for this effort—for me, it’s a labour of love. But costs are high, and I receive assistance from others that must be funded. Your support will help us improve content and speed up production time. Thanks for your consideration. RJD Literature Cranz C.J. and Becker K. E. (1921) The Handbook of Ballastics, (pp. 75-82) Eng. ED HMSO London. Neufeld M.J. (1995) The Rocket and the Reich, (pp. 5-28,42,50-54,73,82-85,97,113-127, 275-278, 285,292) Simon & Schuster Inc. New York Siegmund-Schultze R. (2003) Military Work in Mathematics 1914-1945. Ch. Wolfgang Haack 1902-1994 [Source: Haack (1987), p. 23] Haack W. (1941) Geschoßformen kleinsten Wellenwilderstandes, Der Lilienthal-Gesellschaft Von Kármán T. and Moore N.E. (1932) Resistance of slender bodies moving with supersonic velocities, with special reference to projectiles ASME APM-54-27 Kurzweg H.H. Chapter 5: Aerodynamic Development of the V-2. In: Benecke, T and Quick, A (Eds). History of German Guided Missiles Development. Brunswick, Germany, 1957 Lundquist C.A., Coleman A.M. (2008) Rudolf Hermann, wind tunnels and aerodynamics (Acta Astronautica: Elsevier Science Vol 62, issue 8-9) Written and presented by Robert J Dalby FRAS Produced by Astronomy and Nature TV