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Description
Prof. Anton Veeblefitzer designed the Ve-835 in competition to the Bachem Ba-349 "Natter (Viper)" .
Instead of being a ground-launched point-defense interceptor, the Ve-835 "Wurdalak (Vampire)" was to be towed aloft by any Luftwaffe single, or multi-engine, fighter or bomber.
The towing method gave the attackers more flexibility for deployment, as opposed to the limited range of the Natter.
Also, take-off was much safer than the sudden neck-breaking launching of the Natter.
Like the Natter, the Wurdalak was mostly constructed of wood, as metal resources had become scarce late in the war.
Unfortunately, for the Luftwaffe, fuel for the towing aircraft, and qualified pilots to fly the Wurdalak, were in very short supply.
Hundreds of H***** Youth were conscripted and given only several hours of training, and were expected to give their lives, if necessary, by ramming enemy bombers, after having exhausted the single cannon's ammunition.
Experienced test pilots, flying the first prototypes, reported that the craft was stable and actually easy to fly when being towed.
Upon release, the pilot ignited the single solid fuel rocket motor, and sped towards the target, preferable from astern, in order to give the pilot a few more seconds when firing. Head-on attacks were discouraged as the closing speed of fighter and target was so fast, that it was almost impossible to get the several needed hits to destroy the target.
The craft's speed, and small size, made it almost impossible to hit by defending gunners.
When the motor and ammunition were exhausted, the craft was suddenly nose heavy. This actually proved to be beneficial for escaping enemy fighter escorts.
At a safe altitude, the pilot bailed out, and simultaneously, a parachute was ejected to lower the craft for recycling.
Hopefully, the reusable wings and tail would avoid damage upon landing. The fuselage was scrapped, and the cannon and other metal parts were recycled.
The teenage HY were almost helpless from take-off to attack.
Many pilots mismanaged the craft when being towed on the ground, resulting in their crashing, and dragging the tow plane to it's doom as well!
The pilots who survived this, and made it to altitude, often didn't release from the tow plane at the right moment, as the towing pilot had no way of communicating with the HY pilot, that enemy aircraft were in range. The Wurdalak carried no radio!
Tow pilots resorted to lowering their landing gear as a single for release, but this slowed the pair down, making them vulnerable
to attack from escorting fighters.
Even with a successful decoupling, the HY pilots often lost control when the rocket motor was ignited. The motor was positioned at an angle, to provide room for the tail control rods, in the fuselage. The thrust of the exhaust came out at an angle, which tended to push the craft to the left. A skilled pilot could compensate for this by merely keeping pressure on the vertical tail plane.
It was quite a spectacle to witness dozens of Wurdalak's spinning out of control.
The very few pilots who were able to control the craft and attack the enemy, encountered another problem, when the heavy cannon was fired. The recoil was so severe that control was easily lost. Again, a skilled pilot could compensate, but the HY pilots usually lost it, and tumbled out of control.
The very, very few pilots who survived all this found the Wurdalak almost impossible to aim, and almost no hits were scored, and no enemy bombers were destroyed, in the weeks that it was deployed in.
Prof. Veeblefitzer lamented that "It looks okay, but it's a piece of crap!"

Description
Prof. Anton Veeblefitzer designed the Ve-835 in competition to the Bachem Ba-349 "Natter (Viper)" .
Instead of being a ground-launched point-defense interceptor, the Ve-835 "Wurdalak (Vampire)" was to be towed aloft by any Luftwaffe single, or multi-engine, fighter or bomber.
The towing method gave the attackers more flexibility for deployment, as opposed to the limited range of the Natter.
Also, take-off was much safer than the sudden neck-breaking launching of the Natter.
Like the Natter, the Wurdalak was mostly constructed of wood, as metal resources had become scarce late in the war.
Unfortunately, for the Luftwaffe, fuel for the towing aircraft, and qualified pilots to fly the Wurdalak, were in very short supply.
Hundreds of H***** Youth were conscripted and given only several hours of training, and were expected to give their lives, if necessary, by ramming enemy bombers, after having exhausted the single cannon's ammunition.
Experienced test pilots, flying the first prototypes, reported that the craft was stable and actually easy to fly when being towed.
Upon release, the pilot ignited the single solid fuel rocket motor, and sped towards the target, preferable from astern, in order to give the pilot a few more seconds when firing. Head-on attacks were discouraged as the closing speed of fighter and target was so fast, that it was almost impossible to get the several needed hits to destroy the target.
The craft's speed, and small size, made it almost impossible to hit by defending gunners.
When the motor and ammunition were exhausted, the craft was suddenly nose heavy. This actually proved to be beneficial for escaping enemy fighter escorts.
At a safe altitude, the pilot bailed out, and simultaneously, a parachute was ejected to lower the craft for recycling.
Hopefully, the reusable wings and tail would avoid damage upon landing. The fuselage was scrapped, and the cannon and other metal parts were recycled.
The teenage HY were almost helpless from take-off to attack.
Many pilots mismanaged the craft when being towed on the ground, resulting in their crashing, and dragging the tow plane to it's doom as well!
The pilots who survived this, and made it to altitude, often didn't release from the tow plane at the right moment, as the towing pilot had no way of communicating with the HY pilot, that enemy aircraft were in range. The Wurdalak carried no radio!
Tow pilots resorted to lowering their landing gear as a single for release, but this slowed the pair down, making them vulnerable
to attack from escorting fighters.
Even with a successful decoupling, the HY pilots often lost control when the rocket motor was ignited. The motor was positioned at an angle, to provide room for the tail control rods, in the fuselage. The thrust of the exhaust came out at an angle, which tended to push the craft to the left. A skilled pilot could compensate for this by merely keeping pressure on the vertical tail plane.
It was quite a spectacle to witness dozens of Wurdalak's spinning out of control.
The very few pilots who were able to control the craft and attack the enemy, encountered another problem, when the heavy cannon was fired. The recoil was so severe that control was easily lost. Again, a skilled pilot could compensate, but the HY pilots usually lost it, and tumbled out of control.
The very, very few pilots who survived all this found the Wurdalak almost impossible to aim, and almost no hits were scored, and no enemy bombers were destroyed, in the weeks that it was deployed in.
Prof. Veeblefitzer lamented that "It looks okay, but it's a piece of crap!"