#8 - OTDAEABT 2-Maly Modelarz FW-189 8-9 '98

[Leif Ohlsson]

Nice to read about this one, too. You have many things going on, Chris.

I noticed in the photo that Ron supplied in an earlier post (attached below again for convenience), that the FW 189 had the same thingumajigs on the prop hub as the Siebel Si-410 being designed by Alin Osarik (see this thread).

Does anyone know what these were for? I'm just guessing that they had something to do with providing some sort of airstream reference for automatic prop setting, but it would be nice to know.

I looked up the two aircraft and found that they had almost the same engine, French Argus As 410 (FW 189), and As 411 (Si-401). Both were produced in France and Czechoslovakia during the war.

Also found out that the FW 189 was regarded as possibly the best observation plane of them all during WWII.

Leif

[Leif Ohlsson]

Or is it just some device for streamlining the airstream over the center of the props???

Anyway, I thought you might be interested in seeing images of the one and only recovered FW 189. Very dramatic story. It is now sold to a collector in the US.

Lots of good contemporary b&w photos (and one colour!) at this anonymous blogspot. Among them one painting of the final flight of the last surviving example in your favourite winter camouflage, and a photo of one with the prop thingumajigs off - the underlying structure somehow strengthens my belief that they had something to do with prop settings.

Someone will know, I'm sure. Never seen them on anything but these French engines.

Finally, a beauiful painting by Mark Postlethwaite of the ill-fated FW 189, which became the last suriving example.

L.

[cjwalas]

Great finds, Leif! I had tracked down that last anonymous one. Some interesting shots. I was trying to figure out the set up in the back cone for the shots with MGs installed. They seem to have pulled out a section or two of the canopy for the guns traverse? They look like field modifications to me.
Those reconstruction shots of the canopy show the angles better than anything I've found so far. What a great help! Thanks.
I had noticed those prop thingamajigs as well, both on the 189 and the thread with the SI 410. Your guess as to what they are is a s good as mine (actually much better).
Chris

[CharlieC]

It looks as if the rear cone could rotate around - the gun(s) fired through a "missing" segment of the cone. In the images of the Fw189 (World War II: Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu) that Lief found there are 2 images of the cone rotated left and right - the normal position seems to have been with the cutout segment facing downwards.
Just in case you need some drawings - FW 189. "Ëåòàþùèé ãëàç" Âåðìàõòà - 2nd to last link.

Regards,

Charlie

[milenio3]

Very good research, Leif!! As always!

Cjwalas, for a not s known airplane, you are doing a very clean job on the Maly. Congrats!

[shrike]

The vanes are part of the Ratier propeller's automatic control.
The section with the vanes rotates independently of the propeller itself (notice that they aren't spinning in the first picture at idle) As the engine speed picks up they begin to turn, but airflow over the vanes tends to hold them still. Between those two forces they regulate the rotation(twist) of the prop blades to maintain proper pitch for a given engine speed and airspeed.

Ratier started making props in 1904 and still manufactures props and components for Airbus

[Don Boose]

Lots of good info is showing up in your thread, Chris!

That tail cone seems reminiscent to me of that of the Fokker G.1.

Don

[dansls1]

I'm surprised I've missed this plane until this thread. It's a twin-boom design (my favorite) AND a nice ugly duckling to boot. Will definitely have to add this to my want list of something to model in the future.

[Leif Ohlsson]

Shrike,

I never said thank you for enlightening us about the Ratier propeller automatic pitch control. That was really interesting, and ingenious. Makes one wonder how others solved the problem, and what, if any, were the drawbacks of this system.

Leif

[cjwalas]

Yes, Shrike, thank you for coming to the rescue on the thingamajig question!
Finally got a little bit of time on this one today.
All of the clear plastic is in, except for the tail cone;

In my foolish haste, I managed to drop the completed machine gun bubble in a can of contact cement; yes, the whole thing. After some mad panicking, I cleaned it up as best I could;

A couple coats of Future will help after I do the touch up paint.
The diagrams are a bit confusing here and there and a little incomplete. I'm assuming the assembly order is specified in the directions; it's not in numerical order. I'm still piecing it together a little. The interior is in bulkhead sections and it would have been nice to have a diagram that showed the basic crew section assembly, especially as there are a couple of mismarked pieces;

The fit is a little erratic, as you can see in the wing formers above. Overall, it's not bad, but there have been a few minor misfits.
Unfortunately, this kit is printed on that textured paper that MM used. It delaminates with handling, and the printing is more like painting, the color almost chips off. Even with delicate handling, edges are turning white everywhere and the edge coloring is falling off. I'll be spending a good deal of time with touch-up painting. Final assembly of the center pod is going to be a slow, slow, slow process. The fit looks like it will be an issue from the test fitting I've done. But it should be close enough to make work.

The outer wings did go together perfectly and without incident, so I'm hoping once I get the center section together I can pick up the pace on this one a bit more.

I'm off to Japan for a week on Wednesday and it's going to be a hectic next couple of days, so it'll be a while before I get further.
Chris