The A1 was the first rocket design in the Aggregate series, which lead to the V-2 (A4). It was designed in 1933 by Wernher von Braun in a German Army research program at Kummersdorf headed by Walter Dornberger. The rocket was 1.4 m long, and had a takeoff weight of 150 kg. The engine, designed by Arthur Rudolph, used alcohol and liquid oxygen, and produced 3 kilonewtons of thrust. The rocket was designed to be stabilized using a heavy rotating wheel in the nose, but there was concern that this might cause problems with the liquid fuels. Although the engine had been successfully test fired, the first flight attempt blew up on the launching pad. Since the design was thought to be unstable, no further attempts were made, and efforts moved to the A2 design.
External links
