Re: White Spiral on Me 109G Spinners
 

Ahhhh thank you very much. Now I'm begging to understand the method applied to this spinner.

http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/...psb0a9e8c1.jpg

Re: White Spiral on Me 109G Spinners
 

That´s WNr 163824, isnt it? Built by Mtt Regensburg, July '44.
This Bf 109G-6 is a plane which had been repaired several times. I think this is either a spinner of an earlier batch or one of the last spinner with a "Kullerschnauze".
Brought to "spiral" standard by the last operational owner of this 109.
On earlier photographs of 163824 the white segment is not visible.

Regards

roland

Re: White Spiral on Me 109G Spinners
 

It's obviously a nonsense to confuse enemy gunners, as not only Axis fighters, but bombers, recce, etc. had also the Spiralschnauze.

Re: White Spiral on Me 109G Spinners
 

Yes that is W.Nr.163824. According to the book, 'Augsburg's Last Eagles Colors, Markings and Variants' By Brett Green, he says the spinner most likely original.

I guess a good way to find out for sure would be to find other spinners painted the same way, more or less.

Re: White Spiral on Me 109G Spinners
 

Hello,

unfortunately I noticed this thread only very recently. I must say that I do not believe the impression by the movie because a motion picture is a close sequence of static pictures. This can produce unrealistic effects like e.g. the wheels of a running car standing still or even turning in the opposite direction.
The Daimler Benz engine of a Me 109 could be running at over 2500 rpm, and its reduction gear worked at a ratio of somewhat above 0.5. so it seems to be realistic to assume that the prop often was spinning at around 1200 rpm, that is 20 rotations per second. Although I have never seen it in reality I cannot imagine that at that rpm the human eye would perceive anything else but a solid mix of the two colors. So, at least rationally, the purpose of the spiral spinner could not have been confusing the gunners.

Best regards,
klemchen

Re: White Spiral on Me 109G Spinners
 

I just seen that today in real life. I was watching a car rim at about 62kph, depending on the angle, I could see the rim speed up, slow down, looked to be stopped moving, and reversing, while still going at 60kph. There's a name for this phenomenon I just can't remember at the moment.

Re: White Spiral on Me 109G Spinners
 

Hi Oberst

The phenomenon is known as stoboscopy.

Cheers,

D.B.

Re: White Spiral on Me 109G Spinners
 

D.B, would you mean "stroboscopy"?

Re: White Spiral on Me 109G Spinners
 

Airliners have a similar spiral on the hub of the fan at the front of the engine. When the engine is running it is still visible as a white area which seems to "pulse" if that makes sense.
Nowadays it is a safety feature rather than an IFF marking as on a Luftwaffe spinner.

Re: White Spiral on Me 109G Spinners
 

Yes, the infernal typo rears it's head again.

Cheers,

D.B.