Delving Deeper into the VT Proximity Fuse: An In-depth Analysis
In the heart of World War II, a small, durable, and cost-effective device known as the VT fuze was developed, revolutionizing anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) and changing the course of the world market. This article delves into the intriguing history and workings of the VT fuze, a radio proximity fuze used in artillery shells and spin-stabilized rockets.
The VT fuze, despite its significant impact, was not without its challenges. The electronics used in the fuze had to withstand 20,000-g loads experienced during artillery fire, a feat that required immense ingenuity from the engineers involved. The challenges of getting this to work under battlefield conditions were immense, yet the VT fuze proved to be a resilient and effective solution.
The VT fuze's one-tube transmitter-receiver is a grounded-grid Hartley oscillator, with Navy versions using a modified Colpitts oscillator. The single triode in the transmitter-receiver acts as both the oscillator to transmit the RF signal and a detector for the reflected signal.
For naval use, a wave-suppression circuit (WSC) was added to prevent early detonation of a shell due to ocean waves reflecting the transmitted signal at low angles of elevation. The WSC decreases the sensitivity of the amplifier in the presence of a steady signal, such as when the shell travels over waves.
The actual transmitter frequency isn't crucial due to detection being based on the difference in frequency between the transmitted and reflected signals, and the beat frequency generated by the changing range between the shell and the target. Given their design to detect airplanes, a minimum wavelength of above the size of a plane, perhaps 5 to 10 meters, or between 28 to 60 MHz or so, seems reasonable.
The development of the VT fuze was informed by British experiments with a radio proximity fuze, which were brought to America at great risk by the Tizard mission in 1940. More details about the circuits used to make the VT fuse work are not widely available, but a 1946 Bureau of Ordnance VT fuze manual reveals several details, including schematics.
The video titled 'The Secret Weapon That Changed World War 2' by Real Engineering provides an excellent overview of the development of the VT fuse. However, it does not offer extensive detail about how the VT fuze works. Nevertheless, it offers valuable insights into the history and impact of this remarkable device on the world news.
Despite the lack of information about the name of the electronics engineer or engineering teams involved in the development of the VT fuze for artillery use in World War II, the cost per unit had dropped as low as $18 by 1945, demonstrating the efficiency of the manufacturing process.
The VT fuze is a testament to the ingenuity and resilience of engineers during World War II. Its development and implementation significantly impacted the outcome of the war, making it a crucial piece of history worth exploring.
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