14
$\begingroup$

It looks like there is a really big gun on the back of this aircraft.

crazy https://www.instagram.com/p/BQVqnYCAlZU/

I found it on Instagram. What is this?

$\endgroup$
6
  • 11
    $\begingroup$ The "big gun" is a rocket engine. $\endgroup$
    – Simon
    Feb 10, 2017 at 18:25
  • 22
    $\begingroup$ @Simon, it definitely is not a rocket engine; this engine is air-breathing (pulse jet). $\endgroup$
    – Jan Hudec
    Feb 10, 2017 at 19:37
  • $\begingroup$ Looking at the better quality picture in ymb1's answer, it looks more like a scope to me... $\endgroup$
    – FreeMan
    Feb 10, 2017 at 21:30
  • $\begingroup$ @JanHudec Cough, cough, er, that's what I meant. ;) Was thinking of V2, which of course looks nothing like this. I'll get my coat. $\endgroup$
    – Simon
    Feb 10, 2017 at 22:09
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Now, if you want an aircraft with a big gun, I suggest the Hs-129 B-3 $\endgroup$ Feb 11, 2017 at 22:36

1 Answer 1

46
$\begingroup$

That's a German WWII V-1 flying bomb.

It was an early cruise missile and the first production aircraft to use a pulsejet for power.

The pulsejet being the tube on top.

enter image description here
(Source)

$\endgroup$
3
  • 5
    $\begingroup$ The Germans used to launch these across the English Channel and the brits would defend against them by shooting them down with spitfires. $\endgroup$
    – Octopus
    Feb 10, 2017 at 20:01
  • 14
    $\begingroup$ Or by tipping them over with wing-to-wing near contact! Thanks, ymb1, I've spent the last 3 hours reading up on the V-1, V-2 and various other German inventions. It was a nice way to pass a Friday afternoon... $\endgroup$
    – FreeMan
    Feb 10, 2017 at 21:29
  • $\begingroup$ @FreeMan And by AA guns controlled by trajectory-predicting control systems. Check out this lecture Between Human And Machine: Feedback, Control and Computing Before Cybernetics at 00:43 $\endgroup$ May 26, 2017 at 22:53

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .