At 01:36 01 June 2006, Jack wrote:
Say, Derek, is it true that those V1's were actually
self-launching gliders?

What do you suppose their true L/D was?

I had a look at one in an air museum a few weeks ago.
They had very short stubby wings, so probably not that
good - 10:1 maybe. I believe that one was fitted with
a cockpit and test flown by the famous (and very small)
lady glider pilot Hanna Reisch when they were having
control problems during its development.

Most modern weapons were first developed by the Germans,
and the V1 was the forerunner of the cruise missile,
albeit with a much cruder guidance system. Fortunately
for us in the UK GPS hadn't been invented then. They
depended on gyro compasses to keep them running straight
and a little propellor on the front to measure the
range. When they reached their estimated target distance
the motor was cut and the elevators set to full down
so they turned into bombs. I am told that if you heard
one coming, you didn't worry unless the engine stopped.

I believe that British Intelligence put a lot of effort
into persuading the Germans that the V1s were overshooting
their intended targets, using captured German agents
to send back false reports of where they landed. Thus
they reduced the range setting so they fell short.
Some towns just south of London took a bit of a battering
as a result.

German agents weren't that difficult to spot - anyone
who couldn't pronounce 'th' and 'w' properly was immediately
suspect!

Derek Copeland