Von Braun - Great American?

he couldn't have done it singlehandedly. Not even close. He did,
however, manage to singlehandedly get a heavy-lift booster into
production sporting fins on the first stage that seemed about as
aerodynamically useful as the fins on a '61 Cadillac.

He just adapted to US culture. No joke.
I once saw a documentary with some of his early 1950s designs for a moon
rocket. It was large too, but quite wide. Somewhat like the later SU
design but his seemed even a wider first stage. I got the impression
he counted for direct thrust stabilizing without gimbals in the first.
One of the old guys (dont remember his name) clearly said this first
design "was not sexy" enough and his later was better to sell. If thats
true (it sounds like) its obvious how the Saturn got its fins.
May be he internaly defended it as an emergency exit for weight savings


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