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Writing a good manual is an art and I took a look at the following historic example I found online. After all, I have worked with similar devices. Most of you will probably not be able to read the text, but the sections about fueling up (and the dangers of the three sorts of fuel) or the section about how to set up the ignition give me the creeps, especially because of the forced humor throughout the entire manual. Just look at the illustrations.
Read the manual before making any attempt to use the device[^]
I expected everything from rocket science for dummies to dry military drill, but not this.
Edit: Why are there penguins on the front cover?
I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.
modified 11-Jan-18 8:22am.
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Bizzar, proves the point there was not that much differnce between yesterday & todays military types.
I have seen a similar thing for a Davy Crocket battle field nuke (because hey, we want to be night lights) 
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glennPattonWork wrote: Davy Crocket battle field nuke
These came only a few years after the A4 and probably were just as primitive. Just to think of having to pump hypergolic rocket fuel into that thing somewhere in the field. I would be more afraid of that than the of the warhead.
I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.
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Well the War head was not the only thing to be afraid of. Mind you the Luftwaffer had an aircraft powered by hypergolics (Me-163) and the fuel was so corrosive that it ate the fuel tanks used to corrode.
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But only for a few minutes and during that time you have far more pressing matters to attend to:
- How do I restart the rocket motor when it suddently goes out?
- How can I be fast enough to be less of a target and keep this thing from breaking the sound barrier at the same time?
- Is there any way to steer this thing?
- Landing without an undercarriage and without any thrust is fun!
I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.
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From a simulation I tried of one (X-Planes) it was great in a straight line or climbing forget about turning, looping, intercepting anything. You can sort of work out why it was test plane pressed to service!
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Strange, I noticed the take off was like some of the old footage of the full size take off, the plane goes straight in a modest climb, levels out and then re-starts the climb, I was under the impression that was due to the pilot (aka poor sod, who got volunteered) looking for Targets before climbing to intercept. Maybe its down to the rocket motor trust, I was under the impression that the rate of burn was controlled via valves feeding the fuel, giving a kind of throttle. However that version had a solid motor that you couldn't control. So either the pilot wanted to replicate the flight characteristics or there a atmospheric reason...
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I think it's as simple as the plane not being fast enough yet to climb when it leaves the ramp, so it levels off, picks up more speed and then can climb without stalling.
I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.
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Yes, but the full size did the same so I suppose they took off with the with the 'taps' open, went into a climb with using the flaps to gain altitude (and drop the under carridge(?)) gain speed, until they have enough speed to trade for altitude. I am not a pilot just a plane nut (in more ways than one!)
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Innit bizaar?
Michael Martin
Australia
"I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible."
- Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Yup. German humour?? 
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glennPattonWork wrote: Yup. German humour??
Turns out I spelt in wrong too. It should be bizarre.
Michael Martin
Australia
"I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible."
- Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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I like the scantilly clad ladder artistes on page 5 - suddenly bombing someone becomes a lot more fun!
Anything that is unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
Anonymous
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The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine
Winston Churchill, 1944
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I'd just like a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
Me, all the time
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That's only the beginning! Just look at pages 9, 10, 23, 24...
I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.
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Really The Friendly Manual that tells you on the last page to shut up!
In Word you can only store 2 bytes. That is why I use Writer.
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And also on the inside cover. So shut up already, before any Tommies get wind of this.
I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.
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That style of illustration is actually pretty common in military circles. If you want a real retro laugh:
PS Magazine
This is what happens when you draft cartoonists into the military.
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
- Benjamin Disraeli
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Oh no! Preventive maintainance! No wonder they needed something like that comic!
I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.
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Not "needed"; that magazine is still in publication, though a little less explicitly hysterical.
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
- Benjamin Disraeli
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You probably know that military service is long periods of boredom, interrupted by a few seconds of terror. PM (preventive maintainance) is the passtime inbetween to assure that you are properly bored.
Like medicine with a foul taste, PM is best administrered with a piece of sugar like this comic. This way your grunts may actually remember to do some of those things.
I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.
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Will Eisner, huh? That's the Spirit!
Anything that is unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
Anonymous
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The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine
Winston Churchill, 1944
-
I'd just like a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
Me, all the time
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Typical German over-engineering. The British version of the manual would be one line:
"Light blue touch paper, and retire."
If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack.
--Winston Churchill
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The sexist pics are great!
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