Luftwaffe Tail wheel

[Snoopy]

Hello

I am not shure, that it's the correct forum for this one, but I would like to show you all, a tail wheel from my collection. It's of the type that was used on early types of the Messerschmidt Bf 109. It's in good condition, still with the white wall intact on both sides.

Snoopy

[Bob Lyons]

Great stuff Snoopy, I had one with the hub, and the bracket still intact, but sold it off a couple

of years back for something else that was more needed at the time, wish I still had that now!

Bob

[Snoopy]

Great stuff Snoopy, I had one with the hub, and the bracket still intact, but sold it off a couple

of years back for something else that was more needed at the time, wish I still had that now!

Bob

Hi Bob

Glad you like it. I have allways wanted a tail wheel like this. I have seen a few from larger aircraft, but they are a tad to big. Last summer I was offered this wheel, as part of a trade. Just the right size for my den, and from one of my favourite aircraft. I could not say no.

Snoopy

[Jan Arne S]

Great Wheel , Snoopy !

Always liked the 109 parts .

Jan Arne

[Scott]

Snoopy, are there any markings on the tire?

Thanks.

Scott

[Snoopy]

Snoopy, are there any markings on the tire?

Thanks.

Scott

Hi Scott

The markings on the wheel, are as follows, "350_135 SPORN U10". It allso has a manufacturers logo, with the letters "PFL".

Snoopy

[Scott]

Thanks!

Scott

[Bob Lyons]

I will have a dig around and try and fins some photos of the tail wheel I had, but as you like Bf 109 aircraft, this

might be of some interest, the bit that sits above the tail wheel, Hakenkreuz from a Bf 109...

Edited May 18, 2007 by Bob Lyons

[Bob Lyons]

The back of it....

[Bob Lyons]

How about a control column from a Bf 109...

[Bob Lyons]

Detail on the manufacturer's plate....

[Bob Lyons]

Arming controls....

[Bob Lyons]

Trigger in the 'down or armed' position....

[Bob Lyons]

Last view of it....

Bob

[Bob Lyons]

And here is another swastika from a Bf 109, this one is from North Africa...

[Snoopy]

Hi Bob

Wow, I'm speachless. What a wonderful collection of Bf 109 parts. Difficult to single out a favourite item, since they are all great. I would love to get one of those panels, with the insignia preserved, but it's just a dream. A panel from a tropical 109, well, you don't stumble over them every day. Thanks, for posting these items.

Snoopy

[Marcus H]

A Direct Reading Compass from a Me 109E, the date of manufacture is October 1939.

Ths was aquired from an ex RAF Transport guy who recovered the crashed aeroplane during the Battle of Britain era - like a fool I never enquired exactly where from !!

Edited May 18, 2007 by Marcus H

[Marcus H]

..

[Marcus H]

...

[Snoopy]

Hello Marcus

Nice compass. Is it still full of oil? In my collection, I have a "Fk 38" oil filled compass.

Snoopy

[Marcus H]

Hey Snoopy,

It's not oil based, the compass card will be suspended in a mineral or alcohol based liquid in a bowl, with a means of trailing wires to dampen or act as a brakeing system and with magnets to reduce the moment of inertia (which keeps mass to a minimum)....it's a clever simple little thing that stops the card and helps it to settle down after a turn and to not spin like a top and hunt for north at an inertial rate.

Not many people know this, but inside these you should have a sapphire cup, on which a iridium tipped pivot balances......buy them all up now for the jewel's

It's about 4/5's still full of fluid I guess.

Oil filled ? I've never heard of that. I'd have thought the viscosity of the oil would have caused too much resistance - can you show a picture of it please.

[Snoopy]

Hey Snoopy,

It's not oil based, the compass card will be suspended in a mineral or alcohol based liquid in a bowl, with a means of trailing wires to dampen or act as a brakeing system and with magnets to reduce the moment of inertia (which keeps mass to a minimum)....it's a clever simple little thing that stops the card and helps it to settle down after a turn and to not spin like a top and hunt for north at an inertial rate.

Not many people know this, but inside these you should have a sapphire cup, on which a iridium tipped pivot balances......buy them all up now for the jewel's

It's about 4/5's still full of fluid I guess.

Oil filled ? I've never heard of that. I'd have thought the viscosity of the oil would have caused too much resistance - can you show a picture of it please.

Hello Marcus

Thank you very much, for the information. I am grateful for all new information. I am new to collecting aircraft instruments, and someone once told me that these compasses was filled with some sort of oil. In one of my reference books, The Fk 38 is called an "oil filled standby magnetic compass". The book is "German aircraft interiors 1935-1945", written by Kenneth A. Merrick. I made an attempt at taking a picture of my compass. My camera does not like to take close ups, so this is what I could manage right now.

Snoopy

[Marcus H]

Hi Snoopy,

Well, I've just read on the net that they do indeed have oil filled campasses !!!! I never knew that, it's an aid in needle dampening. Some of the survival compasses are oil filled too.

I don't know about aircraft instrument collecting either, I fly them for a job and have a limited knowledge on some instruments, but thats it really.

So oil it may well be in this instance and in very nice condition by the looks too. Sorry top have mislead in my first post.

Kr

Marcus

[Snoopy]

Hi Marcus

That's what makes collecting these items fun, finding new information. What kind of aircraft do you fly? I consider myself more of an armchair aviator, and modeller.

All the best

Snoopy

Edited May 18, 2007 by Snoopy

[Snoopy]

This is my aircraft instruments. I guess, that not all of them can be related to the Bf 109.

Snoopy