Messerschmitt 110 engines

DazDaMan, are you asking if the 110’s had the capability for syncronising i.e. by selection? Not wanting to belittle anyone, but some aircraft do have a selectable capability. The pilot gets the rpm’s near to equal and then selects ‘synco’ on. One of the propeller governers is then automatically and continually adjusted to keep the engines syncronised. This system is still in use today on many GA twins. I don’t know if 110’s had this facility. Looking forward to finding out.

Cheers Moggy.

That is the theory I have always heard for the Luftwaffe’s doing this.

Moggy

I have read that the Japanese “Washing Machine Charlie” bombers desynched their engines purposely to upset the ground range finders that used sound apparatus to pinpoint the range for gunners. Would this by correct?

No it wouldn’t have been as far as I can see. The bombers were more or less at cruise speed whereas the ME110 would have been after maximum performance. No time to play around with engine revs for effect, just firewall them and get home if you can.

That sounds reasonable – I just wasn’t sure if it was done on all twin types, or just the bombers.

Thanks.

Yes, that’s what I’m talking about. I’d heard of it being done on bombers (but I wasn’t sure why), but don’t know if the same applied to Me110s.

No it wouldn’t have been as far as I can see. The bombers were more or less at cruise speed whereas the ME110 would have been after maximum performance. No time to play around with engine revs for effect, just firewall them and get home if you can.

It applies to any multi-engined aircraft.

It is a pilot action, not a design feature.

Moggy

What do you mean synchronised? All that means is pulling back the revs on one to match the other so that there is no ‘beating’ as the frequencies interact. The Luftwaffe is alleged to have left engines unsynchronised on the bombers to add to the terror on the ground.

Yes, that’s what I’m talking about. I’d heard of it being done on bombers (but I wasn’t sure why), but don’t know if the same applied to Me110s.

The Japanese did this over Guadalcanal as well, not that many of the US troops would have been asleep during the bombing anyway. IIRC this is to the term ‘Washing-machine Charlie’ for the bombers.

DS

What do you mean synchronised? All that means is pulling back the revs on one to match the other so that there is no ‘beating’ as the frequencies interact. The Luftwaffe is alleged to have left engines unsynchronised on the bombers to add to the terror on the ground.