Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules
Wojtek, just a thought: could this be a war-time reuse of an older dial? I see all the changes you described but they could be old as well. With other words the part could have been used in its repurposed form and is not a "fake" manufactured in our days, for profit.To sum up ... IMHO the indicator could be a fake....
Wojtek, just a thought: could this be a war-time reuse of an older dial? I see all the changes you described but they could be old as well. With other words the part could have been used in its repurposed form and is not a "fake" manufactured in our days, for profit.
The only purpose I can see is that the part they needed could not be delivered by a sub-contractor anymore and somebody else manufactured a part in primitive conditions that could be used for the time being.Ives, I have thought about that as well. However , what purpose would be the kind of the modification ? For sure the entire indicator looks orginal externally with no doubt. The dial and the indicator case look like the one of the 1939. But the dial got the graduation made manually. If it would be a factory made indicator the dial inscriptions, the glass would look differently. So there is a question ... which WW2 German aircraft had someting that was moved 3 degrees forward and back ? Slats .. rather not , because these were automatic and there wasn' the need of controllingl their moving. Flaps, landing gear, ailerons and trim tabs were moving down and up usually. The LWK abbreviation may stands for the tail assembly ( Leitwerk ). I mean the horizontal stabilizer and vertical stabilizer. But agin what part could be moving forward and back? Either up and down or left and right , right? Additionally I have thought it might be made by a maintenance crew to replace a damaged factory indicator. But again I haven't seen a such factory gauge for a WW2 German aircraft so far. So because of all these doubts I think it is bogus. Of course the indicator could have been used for any purpose but not necessarily on a plane although it could have been used for it initially.
The only purpose I can see is that the part they needed could not be delivered by a sub-contractor anymore and somebody else manufactured a part in primitive conditions that could be used for the time being.
Or another thought: the part was taken in its original condition from a WWII a/c and re-modified post-war for a different one.
What exactly does the part control, in its new condition, I can't guess.
That's the reason why I thought from the beginning that it might have been used as a modified instrument to indicate the bomber's position, in relation to the intersection point of the two rays of the Knickebein system. "Zurueck" = Bomber's position before the rays intersection point (target location), "Voraus" = Bomber has passed the target location as it was after the rays intersection point (target missed). Can't this be possible?Wojtek, I believe this could be the gauge in question even with different writing on it. IMHO 3 degrees as in temperature is a minor difference to be detected by this type of instruments. The German words "Zurueck" and "voraus" = back and ahead, clearly identify movement to me. This is also interesting: it's not up and down like it could be for a flap.
On your photo "Schwanz- and Kopflastig" means the tail or the "head" (front) of the a/c goes down. Great find and the detective story deepens: who did it and why? (changing the old instrument to a new one).
Good night on the other side of the big water, my friend!
Can't this be possible?