This motor has been positioned at low level, without an intrusive barrier. It appears to have been preserved in its current state by coating in waxoyl or something similar, rather than being completely stripped and repainted.

Known History.

The exact provenance of this motor is currently unclear. The Deutsches Technikmuseum on its website explains that the historical exhibits which might have made the Berlin Museums amongst the top ranking in the world were destroyed in the bombing during the second world war. They have therefore had to bring together relevant exhibits from salvaged artefacts, or loans and gifts from other museums.

Interestingly, I have a photograph of rocket motors in the RAF Museum store when it was still located at RAF Cardington which, in the background shows Walter rocket motors stored on pallets. Although the full details are unclear, what is visible is a museum accession code painted on the pallet.

A close-up of the Laterne on the Technikmuseum's motor clearly shows this code painted in white. It seems logical to assume that this motor has either been donated by, or is on loan from the RAF Museum.

The following photographs were taken in 2005, by Komet fan Ludo Kloek.

Description.

From the illustrations it looks as though this is not a complete motor. The main body of the unit is present, together with the fuel flow pressure equalising unit, C-Stoff coolant outflow and return pipes and the thrust tube and combustion chamber. As previously mentioned, the steam generator is missing. However, it has all the classic signs of an HWK 109-509.A-1.

Some of the motor parts appear to be either natural aluminium, or painted silver, the steel frame is painted black. Fuel pipework is painted - there is too little detail in the existing pictures to offer an opinion as to how many of the original motor parts are present.

Photographs © Ludo Kloek - used with kind permission

The metal framework and the heavy thrust plate are shown, as is the end of the fuel flow/pressure equalising unit.

Although it's not very clear, there is an empty, circular ring on the port side of the mounting plate, visible through the leftmost cut away panel. This perhaps casts some doubt as to which model this motor may be; if this ring is the mounting for the steam generator, it must be the "A-2" model as the "A-1" steam generator has a mounting bracket welded onto it.

The yellow painted pipes do not have any meaning that I know of, and may be just for effect.

The combustion chamber venturi and the motor thrust orifice. Missing from this motor is the drain pipe for the combustion chamber cooling jacket, which should emerge from the fairing immediately below the motor orifice.

You can also plainly see the cooling slots in the steel shield surround. These were designed so that the motor exhaust flow would draw stagnant (hot) air from within the fuselage acting to cool it. In practice this process was largely unsatisfactory.

The combustion chamber venturi and the motor thrust orifice. Missing from this motor is the drain pipe for the combustion chamber cooling jacket, which should emerge from the fairing immediately below the motor orifice.

You can also plainly see the cooling slots in the steel shield surround. These were designed so that the motor exhaust flow would draw stagnant (hot) air from within the fuselage acting to cool it. In practice this process was largely unsatisfactory.

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