UPPER AIR ROCKET SUMMARY                                                                       V-2
                                                                                                                           NO. 24
IDENTIFICATION                                                                                  17 April 1947

    Agency: General Electric Company
    Time: 1622 MST
    Altitude: 88.5 miles

UPPER AIR INSTRUMENTS

    Pressure-temperature: Nine high explosive ejection charges for temperature measurements
        by flash and sound ranging. (SCEL)

DATA RECOVERY INSTRUMENTS

    Telemeter: 28 channel Hermes PWM-FM system.
    Physical recovery: None

BALLISTIC INSTRUMENTS

    Firing Range
        Theodolites: Two Mitchell and six Askania stations
        Cameras: Two Ballistic and two Bowen-Knapp stations
        Telescopes: Two stations
        Radar: Two modified SCR-584 S-Band stations
        Doppler: Four stations
        Impact location: Cambridge Field Station Beacon Triangulation system.

    Airborne
        Beacon: Ionosphere unit (Cambridge Field Station)
        Doppler: DOVAP transceiver
        Radio Cutoff: AN/ARW-17 FM control receiver for command fuel cutoff
        Other: Routine rocket propulsion and control performance instruments

ROCKET PERFORMANCE

    Firing angle: 000 degrees
    Program angle: 8.5 degrees
    Time to burnout: 66.0 sec.
    Altitude at burnout: 20.6 miles
    Velocity at burnout: 4710 ft. per sec.
    Time to zenith: 221 sec.
    Altitude at zenith: 88.5 miles
    Time to blowoff:
    Altitude at blowoff:
    Flight duration: 395 sec.
    Impact Coordinates: 44.8 miles North and 6.6 miles West
    Payload weight: 2200 lbs.
    Unfueled rocket weight: 9061 lbs.
    Unfueled rocket C. G.: 239.4 inches
    Gross weight at takeoff: 27,776 lbs.

BALLISTIC DATA

    Theodolites: Satisfactory data
    Cameras: Satisfactory data
    Telescopes: Satisfactory data
    Radar: Very good data, some interference with beacon by telemeter
    Doppler: Good signals received
    Impact location: Ground and air search

DATA RECOVERY

    Telemeter: Record intermittent at times but good during critical period
    Physical recovery: None.

EXPERIMENTAL DATA

    Temperature-pressure: No data, only one ejection charge exploded

COMMENTS

    Rocket performance: Maximum velocity lower than predicted, attributed to roll which began at
        57.5 sec.
    Experiments: Ram-jet diffuser test successful
    Ballistic instruments: Better than average results
    Rocket modifications: Normal warhead replaced with supersonic ram-jet diffuser cone.

REPORTS AND PAPERS

    "Preliminary Information on V-2 Rocket No. 24, to be fired 17 April 1947," White Sands
        Proving Ground, dated 11 April 1947.
    "Report of V-2 Firing No. 24, 17 April 1947," White Sands Proving Ground, dated 21 April 1947.
    G. E. Data Folder No. 85529, Telemetry data A-4 Rocket No. 24, General Electric Company,
        dated August 1947.
    Trajectory of a-4 No. 24, based on Mitchell Photo Theodolite Observations, Ballistic Research
        Laboratories, Aberdeen Proving Ground.
    Report No. 695, by H. P. Hitchcock, Ballistic Research Laboratories, Aberdeen Proving Ground,
        April 1949.
    "V-2 Report No. 10," Minutes of Meeting of the V-2 Upper Atmosphere Research Panel on
        7 May 1947.
    "V-2 Report No. 14," Minutes of Meeting of the V-2 Upper Atmosphere Research Panel on
        28 January 1948.
    "Final Report, Project Hermes V-2 Missile Program," by L. D. White, Report No. R52A0510,
        General Electric Company, September 1952.

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