Wasserfall
| Wasserfall | |
|---|---|
| Type | Surface-to-air missile |
| Place of origin | Nazi Germany |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Flak-Versuchskommando Nord, EMW Peenemünde |
| Unit cost | 7,000–10,000 ℛ︁ℳ︁ |
| Produced | March 1943 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 3,700 kilograms (8,200 lb) |
| Length | 7.85 metres (25.8 ft) |
| Diameter | 0.864 metres (2 ft 10.0 in) |
| Warhead | 235 kilograms (518 lb) |
Detonation mechanism | Proximity |
| Engine | Liquid-propellant rocket motor |
Operational range | 25 kilometres (16 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 770 metres per second (1,700 mph) |
Guidance system | Manual command to line of sight (MCLOS); operator used a radio command link to steer the missile along the optical line of sight from launch point to target |
Launch platform | Fixed |
![](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_141-1898,_Peenemünde,_Start_Fla-Rakete_"Wasserfall".jpg){kind=link}
The Wasserfall Ferngelenkte FlaRakete ("Waterfall remote-controlled anti-aircraft rocket": 77 ) was a German guided supersonic surface-to-air missile project of World War II. Development was not completed before the end of the war and it was not used operationally.
The system was based on many of the technologies developed for the V-2 rocket program, including the rocket itself, which was essentially a much scaled-down version of the V-2 airframe. Significant additional development was required, including design and test of an effective guidance system to allow interception of an air target, adoption of hypergolic fuels to allow the missile to stand ready for launch for days or weeks, and the development of a reliable Proximity Fuse. :234