ETC 501 rack and drop tank attachment-question

[Alte Hase]

Hi All,

Quick question- I was wondering, in instances where a FW190A-8 had an ETC 501 rack fitted, did they attach the drop tank using bolts or some form of fastener? I've seen a sort of strap around most 300l drop tanks too-was that used on the ETC 501 equipped FW190A-8s to secure the tank?

If anyone would be kind enough to post a photo, I would really appreciate it! I've googled ad nauseum, to no avail!

 

[vanir]

Rod's WarBirds

tried here? Not going to go through 733 photos of 190s myself just now.

A7 onwards standardised ETC fitment, they were routinely fitted to A5/6 by late 43 anyway. There are a few different tanks used made of different materials, including more than one 300l type. The straps might be specific to one particular tank type. FW played a lot with the attachments and fittings of ETC for 190s too, this about drag and loading. I can't remember the exact ratings but I have it on disk somewhere, the fuselage ETC for most 190s were either an ETC501 or an ETC503 (the dora one). The 501 you shouldn't really put a 500kg bomb on (you can but it's an upper limit, not ideal), the 503 you can put an 800kg torpedo on no worries. Both can be wet piped. The ETC503 might have annoying fittings for the 300l droptank, so you might need to use straps if it's a 503 instead of a 501 which several 190F8 had...and the F8 is largely indistinguishable from an A8 and was also produced in huge numbers and it replaced the 190G series so F8 aircraft had to be very ubiquitous in day to day arming options...and 190s were often slinging 500kg bombs in 44-45, ergo often an ETC503, so that could be it.

There's a couple of members who know specific details on these things, we should probably wait for them to pipe in, I'm kinda rambling here.
The annoying part too is off the top of my head like this I could be misremembering ETC designations but I don't think so.

 

[Alte Hase]

Hey. I'll check out that link-haven't come across it before.

You're quite right VANIR, the ETC 501 was the one on the FW190A-8s and the ETC 503 was the Dora-installed version.The ETC 501 had the 'sway bars'. I'm trying to get my hands on a picture of how the drop tank was attached to FW190A-8s using the ETC 501 rack-and in particular if the strap around the drop tank was used, and how it was used.

Most drop tanks had the indentation groove around the midpoint for the strap-but was it used on FW190As using the ETC 501?

 

[Crimea_River]

Im pretty sure the strap connected to a hook on the rack. It was drawn upward and tightened against the guides with a small screw. There's a drawing of this I have somewhere on my other computer and you may find it in the manual section.

Pressed fro time now but I'll see if I can locate it tonight.

 

[Airframes]

Does this help?
Note the connecting points on the spacer bar, and the 'strap' around the tank itself.

 

[Alte Hase]

That does help immensely! Thank you! So I guess the strap would snap once the tank was released?

 

[Airframes]

As far as I know, the 'strap' was a metal band, and integral to the bracket shown attached to the ETC. This bracket would be held in place by the jaws of the bomb-release mechanism, shown in the upper diagram, with 'pins' on the tank locating into holes on the spacer bar, acting as steadies. Once the bomb/tank release was activated, the jaws would open, and the tank, with the 'strap', would fall away, severing the frangible joints of the fuel feed and pressure lines.
Somewhere, I have a pic of a tank, on the ground, with the 'strap' in place, but blowed if I can find it !