FIRST STEPS TOWARD SPACE - Smithsonian Institution Libraries

252 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT
FIGURE 4.—Rocket fighter plane BI-1.
the horizon) and after the engine stopped, to pass
on to a gliding flight. For this purpose the rocket
was provided with an automatic device, of a fairly
primitive type, to deflect the elevators as predetermined
by a prescribed time program. The first
flights, however, performed in May 1934, showed
that the 06/1 rocket motion was unstable. The
rockets caused it to do loops, barrel-rolls, and other
aerobatic figures but the design trajectory could not
be obtained.
Therefore, the next 06/III winged rocket (known
later as a 216 rocket) was provided with ailerons in
addition to elevators. For this purpose a two-axis
gyroscopic autopilot was specially designed at RNII
under the guidance of S. A. Pivovarov.
The methods of trajectory calculation in 1934-35
could be understood by referring to a system of
equations (Figure 5) which were to be solved mathematically.
Later, in 1936-38, the methods of calculating
dynamic flight were considerably improved
by engineer B. V. Raushenbakh; the rocket motion
relative to the center of gravity acted upon by the
autopilot was given special attention; and dynamic
stability of the rocket was also considered.
Characteristics of the 216 rocket were: Takeoff
weight, 80 kg; maximum thrust of the 02 alcoholoxygen
engine (OR-2 modified), 100 kg; propellant
weight, 12 kg; wing area, 1.5 m 2 ; takeoff speed, 36
m/sec; and maximum flight speed, 180 m/sec.
Figure 6a shows a full-size 216 rocket under windtunnel
tests. Figure 6b shows the main power plant
elements mounted on the rocket thrust frame, also
the wing-mounted oxygen tanks, a cylindrical alcohol
tank, an 02 engine, and tanks of air to force the
propellants out of the tanks and to drive the autopilot
servo units. Figure 6c shows the GPS-2 gyroscopic
two-axis autopilot.
(z.^-PCo^-^-Gointff
$-v&=P-6in«+R-60>!>fr
I
1 M
a
FIGURE 5.—Equations used for flight trajectory calculations.
The 216 rocket was fired from a special catapult
(Figure 6d) which was, essentially, a launching trolley,
complete with one or three solid-propellant
rockets, that slid on guide rails over a distance of
60 m. Figure 7 compares the design and experimental
results for two launchings of reduced-size
mockups of the 216 rocket.
During the test flights, motion pictures of the
takeoff were taken to determine the speed at which
the rocket left the trolley. Special recording devices
were employed to register the movement of the
elevator and ailerons. Some of the rockets were
provided with sodium flares to indicate flight
trajectories.
Four 216 winged rockets were tested between
9 May and 4 November 1936, but only two firings
went relatively successfully off the trolley. One of
the rockets began to make a dead loop because of