The X-4 was a small, wire-guided, air-to-air missile designed as a standoff weapon against Allied bombers. It was slated for use with the Me 262 jet fighter, but could also have been fired from a number of piston-engine aircraft such as the Ju 88, Ju 388 and Fw 190, which test-launched test missiles beginning in August 1944.
This wire bobbin would have been placed in one of two of the missile's four wing tips, from which the control wires paid out until they reached the breaking point. Nothing is presently known about its origins, but the U.S. Navy transferred it to the Smithsonian in a shipment of missile artifacts in 1948.
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
EQUIPMENT-Autopilots
Dimensions
3-D (Wire Bobbin): 40.6 x 15.2 x 12.7cm (16 x 6 x 5 in.)
3-D (Tube): 19.1 x 4.4cm (7 1/2 x 1 3/4 in.)
Materials
Steel, Plastic, Adhesive
Inventory Number
A19510070000
Credit Line
Transferred from the U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
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