Wasserfall

Wasserfall
Type	Surface-to-air missile
Place of origin	Nazi Germany
Production history
Manufacturer	Flak-Versuchskommando Nord, EMW Peenemünde
Unit cost	7,000–10,000 ℛ︁ℳ︁
Produced	March 1943
Specifications
Mass	3,700 kilograms (8,200 lb)
Length	7.85 metres (25.8 ft)
Diameter	.864 metres (2 ft 10.0 in)
Warhead	235 kilograms (518 lb)
Detonation mechanism	Proximity
Engine	Liquid-propellant rocket motor
Operational range	25 kilometres (16 mi)
Maximum speed	770 metres per second (1,700 mph)
Guidance system	Manual command to line of sight (MCLOS); operator used a radio command link to steer the missile along the optical line of sight from launch point to target
Launch platform	Fixed

The Wasserfall Ferngelenkte FlaRakete ("Waterfall remote-controlled anti-aircraft rocket"^[1]: 77) was a German guided supersonic surface-to-air missile project of World War II. Development was not completed before the end of the war and it was not used operationally.

The system was based on many of the technologies developed for the V-2 rocket program, including the rocket itself, which was essentially a much scaled-down version of the V-2 airframe. The rocket motor used new fuels as it was expected to be stored in ready-to-fire form for months, and the guidance system used external fins for control instead of relying entirely on the steerable rocket motor exhaust.

Among the many development problems, control of the high-speed rocket was a significant concern, leading to the development of a radio control system where the operator sat in a reclining chair so he could see the target as it passed overhead. Another significant problem was the lack of a suitable proximity fuse, which was required as there was no way for the operator to visually determine when the rocket was close to a target that was directly above it. A radar-aided system was still under development and not ready for operational use.