Bf 109G-14 ANTENNA WIRE

[fubar57]

I was reading on another site that the antenna wire on this aircraft was only tight when the canopy lock mechanism was engaged. Is this true for this 109 variant...other variants...something modern? At the 6:30 time, the video shows the 109 taxiing and the antenna is tight. All of a sudden the antenna slackens...

View: https://youtu.be/HuUe8GQMlCM

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....notice elsewhere in the video, if the canopy is closed and no one is in the cockpit, the wire is still slack

 

[Airframes]

Looks like the wire slackened as the pilot released the canopy locking latch (on port side of canopy at front.).
As the mast is attached to the canopy, some 'slack' in the wire would be required to allow the canopy to swing open to starboard, and I'm guessing that, once the canopy is unlatched, ither the release of 'locked pressure', or perhaps some connection to the wire tension, releases the wire to allow it to slacken.

 

[fubar57]

Just curious though if this is modern as I don't recall seeing a slack antenna in period photos(not that I've really paid attention though). I'll check my books.

 

[Airframes]

I don't recall seeing slack antenna wires either, but then I haven't looked that closely.
BTW, edited my initial reply to correct the opening direction of the canopy !

 

[Crimea_River]

Very observant of you Geo. Now this could expolain the conundrum I was in when I build my G-14 Blue 11. I couldn't understand why the period photo below showed a slack antenna and I built it that way on my model.

Now it seems possible that the canopy isn't locked and the wire is slack. It might be worth going back and fixing the model as it looks kind of goofy:

 

[fubar57]

I'd love to take credit Andy but I saw this on Britmodeller this morning. You'd have to explain it to the judges as well. Before I caught the camp bus I went through one book on the G model and I've found a photo of a -6 with a slack antenna. Now I'm curious as to how for back the goes in 109 production

 

[fubar57]

Found another -6 with slack antenna, Finnish aircraft. Hard to tell in most photos but it seems the taut antenna far out numbers the slack when there is no pilot in the cockpit and canopy is closed. Is there is a way to lock the canopy from the outside? They must be able to open it from the outside in an emergency

 

[stona]

I have found very quickly some pictures (in a couple of the JaPo publications) of Bf 109s with both Erla Haube and antenna post in which the wire is slack with the hood closed.

There must have been some kind of tension release mechanism linked presumably to the canopy lock, but I have not been able to find out what it was.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Crimea_River]

Found another -6 with slack antenna, Finnish aircraft. Hard to tell in most photos but it seems the taut antenna far out numbers the slack when there is no pilot in the cockpit and canopy is closed. ....

Is that one with the standard canopy or the Erla hood?

 

[Crimea_River]

Have this diagram in my files evidently copied from a manual. Item 10 is labeled Antennaseilführung which translates to "Antenna Wire Guide". It's not clear to me whether or not this has anything to do with the slacking system if it exists or if it's simply the antenna lead to the radio set.

Another diagram but this time the wire is not identified.

 

[Airframes]

That looks to be it Andy. The lead-in for the radio comes off the main wire, via the terminal on the rear fuselage.
As far as I know, the earlier, 'standard' canopy would not have this, as the mast was attached to the rear (fixed) section of the canopy. The Erla hood would require this in order to allow the canopy to hinge without over-tensioning the wire.

 

[Crimea_River]

I agree Terry. That's why I asked about the Finnish specimen as I thought most if not all had the standard hood, though I could be wrong on that.

Good point about the lead to the radio. I overlooked that.

 

[fubar57]

Here is a page of Finnish 109s. Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2 MT-212 (W.Nr.14753, RJ+SW), of 1./LeLv34 Piloted by Adjutant Oiva Emil Kalervo Tuominen June 1943 Scroll down aways and you find MT-445. I don't know much about changes to 109s but this one has what looks like an Erla hood. Not sure about the date as being 1943. The book series "Soumen Ilmavoimien Historia 6: Messerschmitt Bf 109G" has the serial numbers and dates for all(?) of the aircraft received and it says this about MT-445

 

[Airframes]

It would appear that aircraft with the Erla, one-piece hood, had the wire tensioner attached to the hood locking latch, and those aircraft with the earlier, three-piece canopy did not, as it was not needed. The earlier hood had a 'fixed' rear section (although this jettisoned along with the opening section for bale-out, taking the antenna mast with it), and therefore tension on the wire could be constant.
Whereas, the Erla hood opened as one piece, and requires some slackening of the wire to allow it to swing to starboard. The wire was only under tension if the canopy was locked in the closed position, which could only be done from inside the aircraft.

 

[Crimea_River]

I agree with Terry. Here's a pic from my JaPo book on the K-4. You can see the antenna tensioner rather crudely attached to the hood lock. I've looked for any evidence of an exterior lock but have found none.

 

[fubar57]

Great drawings but I still can't figure out why the antenna is both taut or slack when no one is in the cockpit and the canopy is closed. On another note, Wojtek posted a pic of an "E" in Jan's "13" thread and the antenna looks slack. This may have been caused by the incident though...13's....

 

[stona]

I don't think the wire in that image is taught. Very roughly, following the insulators and tensioners, I get this.

The insulator near the mast is STILL below the curve I have draw, due to a lack of skill on my part!

Cheers

Steve

 

[Wurger]

IMHO the antenna mast is bended right a little bit. It seems to be due to the crash landing.In the case the antenna wire can look like slack. For the tension of the wire was responsible a spiral spring attached to the mast tip. As a result all was fine if all still was fixed axially.

 

[stona]

It's a moot point as that mast is on the fuselage, not an opening Erla hood.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Wurger]

My comment is because of the Yellow 13 here that is the E variant.