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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsOn October 3, 1942, an A-4 rocket made the first successful flight of the weapon later widely known as the V-2. The launch took place at Peenemünde, after two earlier launch attempts had failed. A-4 is the appropriate name for the 1942 test: the Nazi Propaganda Ministry did not publicly announce the name “V-2” until November 1944.
What happened at Peenemünde on October 3, 1942?
The German Army’s A-4 test vehicle lifted off at Peenemünde and completed a successful flight. The National Air and Space Museum identifies it as A-4 V4, the fourth test vehicle; the first vehicle had been destroyed in a ground test before launch. The museum says the October flight followed failed launch attempts in June and August 1942. The German Federal Archives also dates the successful launch to October 3. National Air and Space Museum collection record; German Federal Archives account.
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Why call the 1942 rocket the A-4 rather than the V-2?
A-4 was the contemporary program designation for the test rocket. “V-2” is the familiar later name: according to the National Air and Space Museum, the Nazi Propaganda Ministry publicly announced it in November 1944, two months after the weapon’s first deployment. Using A-4 for the 1942 test keeps the chronology clear. National Air and Space Museum: Restoring the Museum’s V-2 Missile.
How far and fast did the first successful flight go?
The National Air and Space Museum reports these figures for the October 3, 1942 flight:
#1 Best Overall
- Detailed markings
- Launch tower
- Detailed launchin pad
- Non assembled plastic model kit
- Altitude: 60 miles
- Range: 125 miles
- Flight duration: 296 seconds
- Top speed: 3,300 mph
- Distance from its target: within 2.5 miles
The German Aerospace Center (DLR) gives the maiden launch’s altitude as approximately 100 kilometers. That is a rounded figure from a different institution’s account; it should not be silently substituted for or blended with the museum’s reported 60 miles. These figures describe the test flight, not general specifications for every A-4/V-2. National Air and Space Museum collection record; DLR timeline.
Why was the A-4 a technological milestone?
The successful flight marked an important step in the development of large liquid-propellant rockets and long-range ballistic missiles. The National Air and Space Museum describes the V-2 as the first large-scale liquid-propellant rocket vehicle and the first modern long-range ballistic missile. Later accounts connected the October 1942 test with the beginning of the Space Age, but that technological legacy should not obscure the rocket’s original purpose: it was developed as a weapon. National Air and Space Museum; National Air and Space Museum restoration history.
Rank #2
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How was the V-2 used, and what human cost was involved?
The A-4/V-2 was later fired at targets in Western Europe. DLR estimates that around 3,200 rockets were launched at targets in Belgium, southern England, and northern France between September 8, 1944, and March 27, 1945, claiming about 5,000 lives. These are DLR’s estimates for that campaign. DLR timeline.
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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →The rocket program also depended on enslaved concentration-camp labor. NASA’s account describes production moving to the underground Mittelwerk facility near Nordhausen, where enslaved prisoners from the attached Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp were forced to work. The National Air and Space Museum addresses the use of enslaved labor and the responsibility of program leaders for decisions to exploit it. This history is inseparable from accounts of the weapon’s development and subsequent influence. NASA: Wernher von Braun; National Air and Space Museum collection record.
Rank #3
- This item is NOT a toy and is intended for modelling use
- Saturn V model with 1.14 m height
- Launch platform with supports
- Power stage with 5 detailed thrusters
- Printed tubular parts made of thin polystyrene strips
The Smithsonian summarizes the tension between the rocket’s appearance and its history: “The black-and-white test scheme, modeled after the first successful flight vehicle, still obscured its history as a terror weapon produced by slave labor.” National Air and Space Museum restoration history.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Two-Stage Adventure: Fly as a single or two-stage rocket; uses D or E Estes motors for the first stage, B or C motors for the second (not included).
- Intermediate Skill Level. Previous rocket-building experience recommended.
- Quality Kit: Over 30" tall, with plastic nose cone, ejection baffle (no wadding required), and pre-marked tubes for easier assembly.
- Decorative Details: Bands, hatches, and decals included; hatches are optional.
- Pre-assembled Parachute: Ensures a safe return to Earth post-launch.
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