Me109 Aux fuel tank?

[Guest]

Can someone please tell me if the Me 109 E stationed in North Africa used the centre line Aux tanks?

The Tamiya instructions say the go on the Europien planes but say nothing about the Trop 109's

The pic I have of "Red/black 8" in mottle cammo shows no tank.

Surely the distances flown in Libiya was longer. What gives???

Thanx

Theuns

[spanner570]

Theuns, I'm in the middle of making the Tamiya Bf109E-4/7 trop.

I am doing the European 1940 version, but it has the option of doing the African version and it deffo shows the central drop tank.

Cheers,

Ron

[Guest]

Anyone perhaps have any pix of a 109 up on a tresstle to calibrate the guns is the field maybe? I recon it might be a nice little diorama.

Was the tail anchor point about 6" ahead and 3" higher than the lower end mounding point of the tail strut?

What did German ammo cases look like for the guns and cannons?

I know I am streching it a tad, but any info is welcome

Theuns

[spanner570]

Theuns, I too am building a Tamiya Bf109E-4/7 Trop....

I am doing a 1940 European version.

According to my instructions the drop tank is only fitted to European versions, and like your's, no mention is made of fitting the central tank to the African version.

I don't know enough about the subject to help you anymore, but I'm sure Steve (stona) will be winging in with the answer! lol

Cheers,

Ron

[Guest]

Thanx Ron.Yes I do find it rather strange that they say nothing about the tank for N/A. Maybe the fighting distance was short enough to not need it,I have no idea.

Have you posted any pix of your 109 build yet? I would like to compare notes.I am basically close to the final assembly and than painting, just need to get this little Tempest out of the way first!

Are you going for the JG26 or JG2 collours? that stipple on the side of the JG2 plane looks pretty hard to achieve correctly, that's what keeps me from doing that one.

Here is another question re the paint on the 109's - where exactly does the wing's paint stop at the root? Does it go onto the wingroot faring or does it stop at that fairing line? Was it a hard or a soft edge on the paint there???

Theuns

[spanner570]

Hi Theuns, I suspect the fighting was close enough not to need the drop tanks, I really don't know. At least it won't stop your modelling as I suppose it could be added last thing...

I've not posted any pix as yet.

I am going to have a crack at the stipple finish on the JG2 Bf109 flown by Major Helmut Wick during the Battle of Britain in 1940.

I have some great information given to me by Steve (stona) on this aircraft. I only hope I can do it and all Steve's help justice!

Regarding the wing root question, it seems some finish on the wing fairing line and some where it flares into the fuse. sides. Steve will probably know or you could try Google Images....

Hard or soft? I don't know. That's why I've gone for the stipple 'cos it doesn't matter! lol

Sorry, but my knowledge of painting aircraft is very limited.

Ron

[stona]

I'm marooned away from home at the moment but I can say that an E-7 was plumbed for a drop tank so it could carry one. I'm struggling to remember a picture of them in use in North Africa,I've definitely seen Fs carrying them there so why not Es?

On the standard scheme the wing colour carried onto the fillet. The demarcation is a softish line along the top of the fillet. Lots of variations,they didn't always follow the script for resprays.

The ammunition boxes on the E fitted into a slot under the guns. They had a leather handle and were either aluminium or RLM 02 depending who you believe.

Here's a piccy,posed I think,judging by the way they are trying to show as much of the belt as possible to the camera!

I'll get back to you on the "trestle" image. I know I've seen one but I doubt it's on my HD. I remember a diagram in the handbook showing a wooden trestle with a bar through the jacking point which could be ballasted to prevent the aircraft tipping onto its nose when the engine was bolted on,unfortunately that too is at home.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Exelent replies guys ,Thanx!

Steve I think I know what you mean about the bar throught the reat fuse anchor point to stop it tipping over.We do the same thing on the T-6 Harvards when they are rebuilt.

I see the E7 has a fairing (looks like piece of an egg shell) that the tank would actually attach to.Was this a thing that was left on the plane even if the tank was not used, or would it have been remeved?

T

[stona]

You mean this fairing over the attachment rack above the tank here?

It's a good question! Most Es seem either to have a tank fitted or be clean and yet they must have flown with just the rack sometimes. The rack wasn't difficult to remove,maybe if they were in a period when they were usually flying without a drop tanks they'd take the rack off. There must have been a drag penalty when it was fitted.

I found one trestle piccy on the HD for you.

Not great but it looks to be done by the book.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

You are a star Steve!

I think it might make a nice diorama of sorts.In my case though the engine cowlings will have to be colsed while on the tresstle......to keep the sand out you know!LOL

Interesting the jack under the forward fuse to keep the plane steady on the UC oleos.

Theuns

[stona]

Here's a couple more,a nice colour one from the Balkans,changing an engine by the looks of it.

And this one is supposedly calibration of the armament before test firing.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

And here I thought they would have used a wooden trestle with buckets filled with cement as balast! Then again it was the Germans LOL!

Steve , I am starting to see a problem with my idea of the gun fire dio. In all you stunning pix the cowls are off, the Tamiya has no engine detail, so I am slightly screwed.Unless I tell people that the tests have just been completed and the cowl was put back................just before everyone went on lunch!

Theuns

[spanner570]

Theuns, interesting photos from Steve.

When I looked at the rear trestle, I noticed the cross support for the tail section seems to go right through the fuselage! Could be just sockets let in a bit though.....

I have had a look at my Tamiya109 and sure enough there are the two holes on the model. I wonder if these had a small cover fitted over them when in service?

Any thoughts?

Ron

[Guest]

Ron on the T-6 harvards and the Chippies I have worked on there is a tube that goes through the rear fuse.It serves as an anchor point and as a lifting point aswell.

Theuns

[stona]

It does go through the fuselage. As far as I can tell the two ends were not usually capped. The Fw190 had a similar system.

Theuns to make adjustments to the fuselage armament you have to remove the cowling. Unlike later models this wasn't a two part hinged affair on the E model but just one large panel.

Cheers

Steve