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The Bv 246 Hagelkorn (Hailstone) was a German air-to-surface unpowered missile

of World War II. It was an experimental guided glide bomb released by a carrier aircraft, usually Heinkel He 111 or Junkers Ju 88, at a distant range. Stability was attained by a gyroscope, while guidance was to be by a radio beam transmitted from the parent aircraft. The high aspect ratio of the wings provided a very large 1:25 gliding angle which permitted a missile release as far as 210 km (130 miles) from the target, with a release altitude of 35,000 ft. The missile was never deployed.

This wing fabric was removed from the metal core, cement-covered wings of the Smithsonian's Hagelkorn during restoration. The missile and its wings was a gift of the U.S. Naval Supply Center, Cheatham Annex, Williamsburg, Virginia.

 Display Status

This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Country of Origin Germany Type ARMAMENT-Bombs Manufacturer Blohm & Voss
 Physical Description Doped fabric covering Dimensions 3-D (Folded lengthwise): 289.6 × 25.4 × 10.2cm (9 ft. 6 in. × 10 in. × 4 in.)
 Materials Uncharacterized Fabric
Paint
 Inventory Number A19710759002 Credit Line Transferred from the U.S. Navy, Naval Supply Center, Cheatham Annex, Williamsburg, Va. Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.