FIRST STEPS TOWARD SPACE - Smithsonian Institution Libraries

NUMBER 10 197
Lubricant
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FIGURE 21.—Combined (solid- liquid-propellant) M-17 engine:
I, oxidizer and fuel nozzles; 2, ceramic lining; 3, solid-propellant
charge; 4, wooden diaphragm.
Garber) developed a photoelectric device reacting
to the rocket's position vis-a-vis the projector beam
direction and preventing the rocket's deflection.
Also included were an amplifier, a spark discharger,
and a current source.
The experimental direction relay, shown in Figure
22, had a diameter of 18 mm and a length of
60 mm. The lens (1) of the direction relay focused
light on a frosted glass, (2), lying over a crosspiece
of thin sheet brass, in each of the four quadrants of
which a photoelement (4) was located. If the direction
of the light beam coincided with the direction
of the relay axis, the focal point of the beam coincided
with the point intersection of the crosspiece
blades, and the same amount of light would fall on
all four photo-elements. When the direction-relay
axis deviated from the direction of the light beam,
the focus would shift to one of the photo-elements
and actuate the mechanism.
The device limiting escape from the infrared
FIGURE 22.—Directional relay: 1, lines; 2, matte glass; 3, cross
of thin sheet brass; 4, photocells at section A-B.
beam consisted of four photo-cells located at the
ends of the stabilizers. Photo-resistances (thallofide
cells) were used as photo-elements. The inner resistance
of these was 10 megohms in the darkness
and with illumination 2 lux the resistance decreased
to 5 megohms. A one-stage amplifier was used for
photo current amplification. Each of four units of
control had its own independent anode circuit, to
which a spark gap was connected.
The spark gap and the combustion chamber of
the microengine are shown in Figure 23. The combustion
chamber was made of material with low
magnetic permeability. Gaseous oxygen and hydrogen
were used as propellants. This mixture was
readily inflammable from a spark in a wide range
of mixture ratio.
Propellants were supplied to the combustion
through tubes (2 and 3). Combustion products
emerged through channel (1) of the gas exhaust.
The combustion chamber had two molybdenum
electrodes (5) and (6) which were soldered in the
plug made of molybdenum glass. A sleeve nut (10)
connected the plug (4) with the combustion chamber.
A spring (7) provided with an armature of soft