The Ruhrstahl X-4 - German Forces | Gallery

The Ruhrstahl X-4

The Ruhrstahl Ru 344 X-4 was a wire guided air-to-air missile designed by Germany during World War II. The X-4 did not see operational service and thus was not proven in combat. The X-4 was the basis for the development of experimental, ground-launchedanti-tank missiles that became the basis for considerable post-war work around the world, including the Malkara missile. The first flight test occurred on August 11, 1944 using a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 for the launch platform. Subsequent tests used the Junkers Ju 88 and Messerschmitt Me 262, although they were not launched from the latter. The X-4 had originally been intended for use by single-seat fighters (including the Me 262 and possibly the Dornier Do 335),but the problems in guiding both the missile and the aircraft at the same time proved unworkable. Instead, the X-4 was re-directed to multi-seat aircraft like the Ju 88, while the unguided R4M rocket was to be used in single-seaters. The X-4 was designed to be easily assembled by unskilled labour, and airframe production began in early 1945, incorporating low-cost (non-strategic) materials, such as wood for fins. Production was hampered by Allied bombing of the BMW rocket engine factory at Stargard, though as many as 1,000 X-4s may have been completed. It is possible some X-4s were used in the closing weeks of World War II, although the missile was never officially delivered to the Luftwaffe. The fighter-interceptor designed to use this missile as its primary weapon was the Focke-Wulf Ta 183 Huckebein, which never got out of the project stage. After the war, French engineers tried to develop a domestic version of the X-7, the Nord SS.10. 200 units were manufactured between 1947 and 1950. However, the program was disbanded due to the dangerous pre-flight refuelling involved (the nitric acid and Tonka combination was highly explosive).


This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.ww2incolor.com/gallery/german-forces/53939/the-ruhrstahl-x-4

The SS-10 MCLOS ATGM was built in quite large numbers and exported to several nations as well as being in Service with the French Armed Forces.

the SS 10 ATGM led to the SS11 and SS12 with the family becoming very popular as first generation ATGM’s

I am assuming this has been confused with the Soviet SS 10 ‘Scrag’ ballistic missile which was cancelled.