A6M Zero cockpit item

[lee1974]

Hi, does anyone know what the black box with two cylinders was for at the rear port side of the cockpit? The only image i can find is this artwork. Would appreciate any images/ref material. Kind regards

 

[Wurger]

It is a dynamo-generator power unit ( a dynamotor module ) for the Type 96 Model 1 voice/telegraph system radio devices that later was moved to the bottom of the fuselage section from the left rear cockpit with the adoption of the Type 3 Model 1 radio set. The larger cylinder is the transmitter dynamotor while the smaller one is the receiver dynamotor.

 

[MIflyer]

It looks like dynamotors to me, although the drawing and photos of the captured A6M3 do not show it. Which model Zero is it?

 

[Wurger]

An addition to my post above ....

The dynamotor power supply for transmitter of model 96 Type 3 airborne radio set.

the pic source: the net.

 

[lee1974]

Thanks Wurger, good find. Its for the model 21.

 

[Wurger]

Thanks Wurger, good find. Its for the model 21.

My pleasure.

 

[Engineman]

It looks like dynamotors to me, although the drawing and photos of the captured A6M3 do not show it. Which model Zero is it?

View attachment 828014View attachment 828015View attachment 828016View attachment 828016

The mount is shown on the top pictures of page 124 (just partly) and 125 (clearly), with the butterfly wingnut clamp.
These mechanical motor/generator's are noisy, and I can understand them being moved out of the cockpit . Mind you, Messerschmitt put the one in the Bf 109 back into the cockpit of the last Bf 109 K-4, partly for C of G reasons, on earlier versions it was in the rear fuselage.

Eng

 

[Wurger]

Thanks Wurger, good find. Its for the model 21.

And there is a diagram of the unit ....

the source: Radio Systems in the Early A6M Zero

 

[lee1974]

Perfect, thanks.

 

[MIflyer]

These mechanical motor/generator's are noisy, and I can understand them being moved out of the cockpit .

Do you really think you'd hear the noise from the dynamotors in an airplane cockpit? I have some dynamotors and I'd never hear one running in the cockpit of my 85 HP airplane without holding it in my lap. The tanks used them, too, and had them right there in the compartment.

The transmitter dynamotors were generally more voltage and more amperage but they usually only cranked them up when the pilot hit the transmit button.

One thing I wonder about is that for at least the receivers a vibrator power supply should have been cheaper to build, at least as reliable, and well within the technology capabilities. Yet there does not seem to be any mention of them in general until around the end of the war.

 

[Engineman]

Do you really think you'd hear the noise from the dynamotors in an airplane cockpit? I have some dynamotors and I'd never hear one running in the cockpit of my 85 HP airplane without holding it in my lap. The tanks used them, too, and had them right there in the compartment.

The transmitter dynamotors were generally more voltage and more amperage but they usually only cranked them up when the pilot hit the transmit button.

One thing I wonder about is that for at least the receivers a vibrator power supply should have been cheaper to build, at least as reliable, and well within the technology capabilities. Yet there does not seem to be any mention of them in general until around the end of the war.

The Bf 109 one was to generate AC for the Artificial Horizon. That was usually used from before flight to get the gyro up to speed and it was certainly noisy. Of course, nowhere near as noisy as the engine though. An additional factor is the Ozone that can be produced.

Eng

 

[MIflyer]

I have tried converting WW2 vintage dynamotors from 24VDC input to 12VDC and it did not go well. While they do have two series windings for the DC input, it depends on the rotational speed to handle current loads on the output and using the two windings in parallel is hardly any better than just running it on 12VDC.