Probably a silly question…
The center spread photo of the March FlyPast has a fine photo of a Bf-109E.
I notice that its horizontal stabilizer appears to be adjustable.
Since it has conventional elevators, I’m guessing it’s for trim.
Is that correct?
Also, A quick look through Green’s Warplanes of the Third Reich has a cut away of a Bf-109F and it doesn’t show the feature.
Was it deleted on later models?
The feature jumped out at me since most other WWII fighters lack the feature.
By: chumpy - 6th March 2011 at 07:52
In the cold light of morning managed to find the photo I was looking for last night!
Underside view of a 109 F/G tailplane, in the middle are two eye-end fittings that the unit pivots on. At the top, the fitting for the operating jack.
By: chumpy - 5th March 2011 at 23:29
The later F/G variants retained the variable incidence tailplane, main difference was that it was built as a one piece slab unit. Whilst the Emil had seperate port and starboard tailplanes.
Only elevator trim were small sheet metal tabs rivetted onto the t/e, that could only be tweaked on the ground by a pair of pliers!
By: mackerel - 5th March 2011 at 22:35
The tailplanes are adjustable via a screw jack at the rear of the fuselage that is operated by a hand wheel in the cockpit. These are connected by chains & sprockets.
Steve.
By: sycamore - 5th March 2011 at 21:56
MC,the Tiger does not have a V-I tailplane; it has springs adjusted by the `cheesecutter` in the cockpit to reduce the elevator loads and short lengths of `cord` taped to the trailing edges of the elevator,if required..
By: mike currill - 5th March 2011 at 20:26
You are correct in thinking it was a variable incidence tailplane for trim purposes, as per the Tiger Moth and Piper Cub. If it appears to have disappeared on later variants I imagine it would be because they had changed over to elevator mouted trim tabs.of course I may be wrong and talking a load of rubbish which would not be unusual.
Sign In
March 5, 2011 at 7:51 pm