Ford PJ31
| As 014 | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Argus As 014 of the V-1 flying bomb on display at the Royal Air Force Museum London | |
| Type | Pulsejet |
| Manufacturer | Argus Motoren |
| First run | 1941 |
| Major applications | V-1 flying bomb |
| Number built | 31,100 |
| Developed into | Argus 109-044 Chelomey D-3 Ford PJ31 |
The Argus As 014 (also known as the 109-014 by the RLM) was a pulsejet engine used on the German V-1 flying bomb of World War II, and the first model of pulsejet engine placed in mass production.
The origins of the Argus As 014 lie in 1928, when Munich inventor Paul Schmidt began work on a new design of pulse jet engine. Schmidt received a patent on his design in 1931 and received support from the German Air Ministry in 1933.
In 1934, along with Professor Georg Madelung, Schmidt proposed a "flying bomb" to be powered by his pulse jet to the Ministry and received a development contract the following year. In 1938 he demonstrated a pulse jet–powered pilotless bomber, but the project was shelved by the Air Ministry as the prototype lacked range and accuracy and was expensive to construct. That same year, however, the Argus Company began work on a flying bomb using Schmidt's engine. Schmidt later joined Argus in 1940. License manufacture of the As 014 was carried out in Japan in the latter stages of World War II, as the Ka10.
The Americans reverse-engineered the design for the Ford PJ31 powering the Republic-Ford JB-2 cruise missile and the experimental USAAF-developed JB-4 television-guided bomb.
A model of simplicity and low cost, the engine was made from a sheet of mild steel rolled into a tube. At the front of the engine there was a spring flap-valve grid (shutters), a fuel inlet valve and an igniter. It could run on any grade of petroleum fuel and its shutter system was not expected to last longer than one flight, as it had an operational life of approximately one hour. The engine was a resonant jet which, contrary to popular legend, could operate while the V-1 was stationary on its launch ramp.
Ignition was initiated by an automotive-type spark plug located about 0.75 m (2 ft 6 in) behind the shutter system, electricity to the plug being supplied from a portable starting unit. Three air nozzles in the front of the pulse jet were connected to an external high pressure air source which was used to start the engine. Acetylene was used for starting, and very often a panel of wood or similar was held across the end of the tailpipe to prevent the fuel from diffusing and escaping before ignition was complete.
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Wikipedia