262016 ‘Argus V1 Pussjat The Argus V1 Pulsejet A Classic Last Updated: 11 January, 2003, Home | Project Dany |My Tools | ContactMe| Links | My Gas Turbine Project| The Afterburner Make aDonation } ““Ti:boshatt Engine | J ewared Kar | Kitsals | Troubleshooting ot Vaivolass Pulsojets | Ramots Explained | 100bs thrust pulsajt | Turbe-turb TAG Chrysler's Turbine-cars | How Pulsolots Work | Flying Platform | Metal Spinning | My Lockwood engine larting a pulselel Making Reeduvalves Last | Pulselet-powared speadboat| ‘Thrust Augmentors List of Sponsors | Ma wright © 2001 - 2009 to Bruce Simpson A Groundbreaking Engine Pethaps the most famous, or should that be infamous, pulsejet engine ofall time is the huge unit designed by Schmidt and built by Argus in Germany for their V1 flying bomb. This engine was a masterpiece of simplicity and heralded in the dawn of what we now know as the cruise missile or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), Little was known about this engine until the end of WW2 when the allied forces were able to examine a number of complete and partly Click for Araus MPEG (1.3MB) constructed V1s recovered from formerly occupied territories along Europe's westem coastline, Tests conducted bythe NACA (he forerunner of NASA) on captured engines and unis ul tothe German blueprints produced the following figures: Specifications Length: 144 inches (3.66m) Max diameter: 22 inches (688mm) Tailpipe diameter: 16 inches (380mm) Tailpipe length: 69 inches (1.75m) Weight: 3A4lbs (153K) Static thrust; §00Ibs Max thrust: 8001s Fuel consumption: 3.4lbs/Ib/hr ‘The full report (including the basic dimensions of the engine) is freely available in PDF format for downlad from the NACA archives and makes interesting reading Pethaps the most interesting aspect of the Argus is its valving system Unlike small pulsejets that often use a simple flower-ike petal valve, the Argus used an array of spacers and small, rectangular spring stee! valves that were riveted to a holding strip. ‘The valve strips and spacers were then assembled into an array as shown in this diagram. This construction method allowed the valve grid to be manufactured using relatively cheap castings and by comparitively unskilled laborers -- important factors in a wartime environment, Despite its fairly simple design, the valve grid is surprisingly efficient since it provides a much straighter path for the incoming air than does a petal-valve setup. Fuel was sprayed directly into the engine through a 3 x 3 array of nine nozzles right behind the valve grid. Yes, the Argus was a direct-injection pulsejet. ‘The fuel supply was pressurized by the same tank of compressed air that was also used to drive the Hitpilaarcvark.corneijetargusy stim 1262016 ‘Argus V1 Pus ‘gyros and operate the control surfaces of the V1 airframe. valve spacer ‘The body of the engine was built from rolled and welded mild steel plate which, given that it only had to last 35 minutes or so, was more than adequate for the job. ‘An extemal system was used to inject air behind the upper-most row of fuel nozzles for starting ‘Some information suggests that in the bitter cold experienced during winter months, acetylene gas was also used to facilitate starting Unfortunately, like most pulsejets of the era, the Argus suffered| from poor fuel economy, short valve-tife and relatively oor (compared to a turbojet) performance. Click for V4 faunch MPEG (SE0K8) Much effort was spent trying to address these problems and some of the results of that work can be found in the NACA's wonderful archives. Here are some of the more interesting papers (in PDF format): + Attempts to extend valve life + Using more efficient valving + Pulsejets as tipets on helicopters ‘The Ford Motor Company in the USA was contracted to build a number of Argus clones at the end of \WW2 but, according to the scant amount of information available, few of these appear to have ever been used. Although the Argus only saw limited service as an operational engine after its introduction in mid-1944, its effect as the power source of the much-feared flying bomb was, and always will be, of immense significance in the field of jet propulsion. Home | Prolect Dany |My Tools| Contact Me Links | My Gax Turbine Prolct| Ts irboshalt Engine | Jetsarl| Pulseletoowered Kart | Kisets | Troubleshooting pulselets vel Fuel eae Sxl [100tbs thvust pulselet | Turbosurbine How Pulejete Wor | lying Platorm | Ma pining | My Leckwoed enine 12.2 pulsejot| Waking Resd-valves Last | Pulssjet-powered speedboat Thnust Auamentors List of Sponsors [Master Site Index | The Pulselet FAG [Ol Copyright © 2001 - 2009 to Bruce Simpson Hitpilaarcvark.corneijetargusy stim 22