Fliegerfaust

Infobox Weapon
name= Fliegerfaust/Luftfaust


caption= Fliegerfaust B
origin= flagicon|Germany|Nazi Nazi Germany
type= Surface-to-air missile system
is_ranged=yes
is_bladed=
is_explosive=
is_artillery=
is_vehicle=
is_missile=
is_UK=
service= 1944 - 1945
used_by= flagicon|Germany|Nazi Nazi Germany

wars= World War II
designer=
design_date=
manufacturer= HASAG
unit_cost=
production_date= 1943 - 1945
number= 10,000 launchers, 4 million rockets
variants= Fliegerfaust A, Fliegerfaust B
weight= 6.5 kg (loaded)
length= ~ 1.5 meter
part_length=
width=
height=
diameter=
crew=
cartridge=
caliber=
action=
rate=
velocity= 350 m/s
range= 300-500 meters
max_range=
feed=
sights=

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

;flag|Germany|Nazi

References

*cite book | last = Fitzsimons | first = Bernard | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = The Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare | publisher = Columbia House | date = 1978 | location = | pages = p. 962 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn =

External links

* [http://www.multiplayer.it/forum/2615652-post1.html]
* [http://www.displacedminiatures.com/Scratchbuilder_Christian/article.html?articleId=103] .