News at MeierMotors GmbH / Bremgarten South Germany

[ChrisDNT]

A question which interests me for a long time : are the shapes of the Flugwerk 190A engine and guns cowlings different from the real 190A for some mechanical reasons, because of the different engine ?

[Avro Avian]

ChrisDNT - I believe the oilcooler was located in between the gun troughs on the original Flug Werk machines - if you look closely at some photos, you will see an air intake.

Matthias - fabulous metal work the guys are performing on the cowls! I wish I could do that! Many thanks for sharing your photos.

[Matthias Dorst]

A question which interests me for a long time : are the shapes of the Flugwerk 190A engine and guns cowlings different from the real 190A for some mechanical reasons, because of the different engine ?

Yes, both reasons.

As you know, the wartime Fw190 had a special oilcooling system with the socalled "Ringkühler" (ringradiator), the "Panzerring" or "Nasenspaltring" ("armoured ring" or "nose-gap-cowlring" in front of the cowling) and of course the axial-fan. The BMW was an aircooled engine and the fan was attached to a gearbox. The fan rotated about three times faster than the propeller. The fan produced an "overpressure" (dont know the right English term) in the cowling. This pressurized air was at first importent for the compressor of the engine, and second to cool down the oiltemperature while pressing fresh air through the ringradiator.
To regulate the temperature in the cowling, the socalled "Panzerring" (armoured ring) was able to sweep about 10centimeters up and forward. Between "Panzerring/nasenspaltring" and cowling the hot air had the chance to leave the cowling through this gap. The radiators were placed in the cowling, as a ring-radiator. With that "Nasenspaltring" or "Panzerring" the temperature of the oil and of course of the cylinderheads were regulated. Tricky construction.



In fact, the ASch82T does not have any gearbox for an axial-fan, so its no use to use an axial-fan to cool down engine and oil. If the fan is not attached on a gearbox, is turns with the same rotations per minute as the propeller. Worst case, this can "block" the airflow in the cowling and you can have heavy temperature problems. The fan must (!!) rotate faster than the propeller. No fan, no pressure in the cowling, will say temperature-problems. Flugwerk used a radiator under the gun-hood to cool down the oil. MeierMotors went the other way and placed the radiators in the wing of the aircraft (D-FMFW) and replaced the "gun-hood-radiator by a big oiltank, and it works perfect. In fact, the client who bought the Ex-G-FWAB ordered the ring-radiator-solution.

The cowling of those Flugwerk-planes dont have that "Nasenspaltring" which regulates the airflow in the cowling, cause there is no overpressure and as I said, the construction is not so easy. In fact, all wartime Fw190 had temperature problems.

As I said, if you have not enough pressurized air in the cowling, you must go another way. At the WkNr980554 the cowling/cowlring got special metalsheets to direct the airflow to the ring-radiator and the cylinders. The hot air is lead through the cowling and will leave the plane at the exhausts and the socalled "Kiemenklappen" (3 flaps at the exhausts).

On the picture you can see the "metalconstruction for the airflow" in dark-grey, behind the ring-radiator in medium-grey. The fresh air will press through the ring radiator and cool down the oil.



As read above, Flugwerk used the place under the gunhood for a radiator. Because of this radiator, the shape of the gunhood is different to a wartime Focke Wulf. Form follows function. In the middle of the gunhood there is the intake for the oilradiator.

But if you have not enough pressurized air to cool down the oil, than you have to increase the quantity of oil. MeierMotors is using 126ltr-oiltanks !! This oiltank is placed under the gun hood, the Flugwerk-radiator is not no more used, cause of the ring-radiator (WkNr980554) or wing-radiator variant (D-FMFW).

here you can see the huge oiltank under the gunhood



Pretty hard to explain in English, but I hope you understand what I want to say.

[ChrisDNT]

Thanks Mathias for your quick and extensive answer
Interesting, a very clever alternate way to cool the engine !

[Elliott Marsh]

Tremendous thread, this. Really looking forward to future updates.

Mr Dorst - you have a private message, sir.

[Matthias Dorst]

The newest project is shipped and we await the fighter in December 2010. It will be rebuild as the doubleseater/doublesteering as it was in the 50ties. As you might know MJ772 was converted to a Spitfire Trainer by Vickers Armstrong Ltd. in 1950; Vickers had a contract from the Irish Air Corps for two-seat Spitfire Trainers and MJ772 was one of those converted fighters. Private owner, Germany.

here the first pictures





I´ll keep you informed

[GliderSpit]

That is interesting news.

By the way, you promised us weekly updates. Up to now we get 3 updates per day

[MK959]

The newest project...

Only one new project?

[DazDaMan]

I'm looking forward to progress reports on MJ772!

[Bruce]

With the exception of TE308, are all the 2 seat Spits; old and new; back in Europe now?


Bruce

[Yak 11 Fan]

With the exception of TE308, are all the 2 seat Spits; old and new; back in Europe now?


Bruce

What about the ex Melton 2 seater last seen in New Zealand?

[DazDaMan]

That's still there, isn't it? It flew after repairs not so long back....

[Mark12]

MH367 New Zealand.

[Matthias Dorst]

That is interesting news.

By the way, you promised us weekly updates. Up to now we get 3 updates per day

uuuups I am too fast I am so sorry :diablo: but I am 48 and life is so short . I will slow down a bit *promised .... or even not

[Matthias Dorst]

Only one new project?

okay , thats the newest Spitfire project ....

The MeierMotors projects (as I know) :

• Focke Wulf Fw190 A8/N WkNr980554 (Ex G-FWAB)
• Focke Wulf Fw190 A8/N WkNr990013 (Ex F-AZZJ)
• Focke Wulf D9 (Flugwerk) powered with a Jumo213 perhaps arriving this year
• Buchon project , HA-1112 M1L WerkNummer 133 / C.4K-64, Reg.: N109FF, on the bench
• North American TF-51 project, arriving next week
• Supermarine Spitfire MJ772, arriving December
• Yakovlev Yak-3 D-FLUG, nearly finished
• Yakovlev Yak-3 D-FLAK, overhaul and repaint, nearly finished
• Chance Vought Corsair repaint, nearly finished

..... and of course some maintenance jobs ..... Yes there is something going on in South Germany at MeierMotors

[Yak 11 Fan]

What about the Yak 11s?

[Yak 11 Fan]

Any more details on the TF51 project that is on its way to you?

[MK959]

Any more details on the TF51 project that is on its way to you?

http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinqu...umbertxt=551TF

Serial number 44-63473.

[Matthias Dorst]

What about the Yak 11s?

D-FMAX, D-FJII, D-FYWM all in best shape and flyable condition

D-FMAX (Ex-G-KYAK, #171101)



D-FYWM (Ex G-IYAK, #171103)



D-FJII (Y-5434)

[Yak 11 Fan]

Thanks for posting them, was nice to see G-IYAK again when I popped into the hangar on my way to Switzerland earlier this year, one crayon I will dig the rebuild photos out of storage and work out a way of scanning them.

[Consul]

Great News Matthias

Here's a shot of MJ772 when she was kept at Strathallan up in Scotland. It was at that time owned by Sir William Roberts who subsequently built up a massive collection of airworthy historic aircraft. Sadly that collection has long since been sold off. MJ772 / G-AVAV was one of his first Spitfires and was at Strathallen at the start of his collecting. My picture was taken on a private visit some years before he opened his site to the public. I recall that Sir William's secretary told me that if I visited the following day the Spit would be doing an air test - sadly other commitments prevented my return the next day but I did capture it in the hangar. I also have a black & white shot I took of it some years previous outdoors at Elstree when in primer and adorned with the civil registration G-AVAV.

Here's the picture I took at Strathallan - ignore the 2005 date - that's when I first published the shot.

Tim

[DazDaMan]

I have a postcard lying around somewhere of MJ772 and the Canadian-built Hurricane (the former Battle of Britain film aircraft) flying in formation.



I believe I got the postcard from the Strathallan museum back in the early 1980s, as I also have photos of the Lancaster that was also there.

Anyway, sorry to totally derail the thread!

[MK959]

Matthias, can you please let us know if the 'new' TF-51D is now arrived to Bremgarten?

[Matthias Dorst]

Matthias, can you please let us know if the 'new' TF-51D is now arrived to Bremgarten?

Oh yes, the TF-project arrived on Monday ! I will post some pictures later next week .... stunning project !

[Oxcart]

Just wanted to add my own thank you for this wonderful thread, Matthias!

[Matthias Dorst]

Matthias, can you please let us know if the 'new' TF-51D is now arrived to Bremgarten?

Here we are, here we go, the TF-project. I think I will start a new thread about this stunning project. As I said, the container arrived at Monday this week and yesterday I had the chance to visit the shop and look after that project .... what should I say ... lot of work and the team has already started with maximum speed >>>>> here is the new thread to that project http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/sho...=1#post1666307

a first climpse at the wing

[Matthias Dorst]

small update

Lot of work on the second Fw190 A8/M at the MeierMotors shop but also this project will be finished soon

lets take a look at the "German Corner"



here you can see the big oiltank (126 litre), one of the specialties of the MeierMotors update to those Flugwerk kits



and the complete ship

[DazDaMan]

That's quite a fleet of Luftwaffe birds in that hangar.

[Matthias Dorst]

That's quite a fleet of Luftwaffe birds in that hangar.

yes, its really stunning ! 3 Focke Wulf Fw190 A8/M , 2 Hispano Buchon and they await a Fw190 D9 as latest project ! 6 German fighters at one place, thats unique in Europe. 4 planes missing for the size of a "Staffel"

btw. the Buchon D-FMVS (Ex-Kindsvater) is in the shop. The plane is undergoing the 25h inspection

[Matthias Dorst]

... small update

The Container with the Spitfire will arrive next week, perhaps on Tuesday. I will keep you informed.

The Yakovlev Yak-3 D-FLAK project is nearly finished ... what a beauty !



.... the shop