Fliegerfaust
| Fliegerfaust/Luftfaust | |
|---|---|
 Fliegerfaust B | |
| Type | Surface-to-air missile system |
| Place of origin |  Nazi Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1944 - 1945 |
| Used by | Nazi Germany |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | HASAG |
| Produced | 1943 - 1945 |
| No. built | 10,000 launchers, 4 million rockets |
| Variants | Fliegerfaust A, Fliegerfaust B |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 6.5 kg (loaded) |
| Length | ~ 1.5 meter |
| Muzzle velocity | 350 m/s |
| Effective firing range | 300-500 meters |
The Fliegerfaust (lit. "pilot fist" or "plane fist"), also known as the Luftfaust (lit. "air fist"), was an unguided German multi-barreled ground-to-air rocket launcher designed to destroy enemy ground attack planes and is credited as the first MANPAD (man-portable air-defense) system.
Overview
Designed by HASAG (Hugo Schneider AG) of Leipzig in 1944, the Luftfaust was produced in two different versions.
The first version, the Fliegerfaust A, had four 20 mm caliber barrels. These fired 20 mm projectiles weighting 90 g and containing 19 g of explosive, propelled by means of a small rocket.
The second version, the Fliegerfaust B (Luftfaust) increased the length of the barrels, and added another 5 barrels, for a total of 9 barrels. The weapon had a total length of 150cm and weighed 6.5 kg. The nine projectiles were fired in a single salvo with 0.2 seconds between the individual barrels.
A six barrel 30 mm prototype was also constructed.
Combat Use
The Luftfaust was only issued in very small numbers, but it was credited to be a rather effective weapon. Although large orders for the weapon were placed in 1945, and with 10,000 launchers and 4 million rockets constructed, only 80 of these weapons were ever used in combat trials, in this case by a unit based at Saarbrücken.
Operators
References
- Fitzsimons, Bernard (1978). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare. Columbia House. pp. p. 962.
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