The upper stories of the Deutches Technikmuseum told a very interesting story about the history of aerospace engineering. The mix of incredibly rare artifacts and the story that they tell was a very informative addition to my experience. Many different innovations in the aerospace industry were visible, but not talked directly about.
The inclusion of three particular engines was of great value, those of a Me-262 "Schwalbe", He-162 "Salamander", and Me-163 "Komet". These were three influential fighter planes used at the end of WWII by Nazi Germany and were the first operational jet fighters, and the 163 is still considered the only operational rocket fighter. The turbojet engines of the 262 and 162 are closely related to those used in modern fighters, whereas the hydrogen peroxide powered 163 provided a tested for the Bell X-1, the first plane to break the sound barrier in straight and level flight.
Some of the other innovations viewable included motors from A-4/V-2 rockets, a full-scale V-1 cruise missile, and ample examples of rotary radial and inline engines, variations on airfoil design including leading edge and fowler flaps, as well as avionics and relics from a variety of famous German pilots and aircraft.
I also found the history about aerospace engineering fasinating. I did not know that those three engine were used by the Germans at the end of WWII.
ReplyDeleteI found the history of aerospace engineering interesting, as well. I enjoyed seeing various airplanes, including the ones that were destroyed in the war.
ReplyDeleteIt was awesome to see the kinds of planes used in war. It gives us a good grasp on the kind of technology used back then. It was also very interesting to see planes destroyed during the war.
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