Re: Late War Fw 190 Build Quality
 

It becomes even more complicated as many of the new builds were really rebuilds.

Re: Late War Fw 190 Build Quality
 

This is an interesting and important point, and it's often forgotten when discussing German aircraft production. And I'm always ready to hear more about it if anyone is willing to share their insights and knowledge.

Bronc

Re: Late War Fw 190 Build Quality
 

I think even very later war Fw 190s were often upgraded/rebuilt early airframes... where one could even find a traits of old version on the aircraft "built" to new specification.

Please note - regarding "interchangeable" parts - it is not the same if we talk about grafting complete subassemblies like a pre-produced tail ready for installment on Fw190 fuselage compared to rudder of the same tail. I think that's where the problem comes from.
Rudder would easily fit with it's standard size of the hatches from machine to machine even probably on different model (i.e. G-6 tail to G-10 if the distance of hinges was the same) but a tail who's holes were drilled to fit certain fuselage would be hard to fit to new fuselage. Otherwise we would be seeing many more Franken-crafts out there built of different sub-assemblies that need riveting. I think holes for bolts or screws were more precisely drilled since such parts would presume easier removal (i.e. wings on Bf 109s and so on).
Best,
Miloš

Re: Late War Fw 190 Build Quality
 

I can give you two examples of first hand knowledge that the workmanship on late war Luftwaffe fighters was poor. Bf 109G-10/U4 "Black 2" of II./JG 52 was in Atlanta, Georgia in 1965 when I first saw it. The owner died and I arranged for John Caler to buy the fuselage and have it shipped to his home in California. We spent the next months working on it in including removing the skin. The quality of the construction was terrible. For instance, the left side of the rear fuselage did not line up with right . As a result the left side was longer and was crudely hammered over so the rudder would work. We measured the fuselage panels and was amazed as to how different the dimensions were. The riveting overall was not straight and was poorly done. This G-10 has been restored and is now in the US Air Force museum with JG 300 markings. The Fw 190D-13 was owned by the same person and was sold I had the opportunity to work on it also. It to was poorly constructed. For instance when the wing was opened up for restoration their were a lot of shims and pieces of aluminum forced into areas that did not line up properly. Interestingly there were many autographs of the builders of the wing inside. The riveting was also of poor quality.
Cheers, Jerry

Re: Late War Fw 190 Build Quality
 

The Messerschmitt fuselages were manufactured by unskilled, nearly-famished KZ workers under terrible conditions in subterranean production sites at Mauthausen-Gusen. Wings and final assembly were done in former quarry buildings in KZ Flossenbürg. The left-over skilled workers were busy with development of high-tech weapons. German skilled workers were sent to the slaughter at the fronts in east and west. Production in wood was introduced, not because material was scarce, but because there was still capacity in timber-processing industry with semi-skilled workers, foreign workers and KZ convicts. Read Peter Schmolls description of the working conditions and you´ll know, why the craftmanship was poor. Those final planes are soaked in blood, sweat and tears - that we must not forget in spite of our enthusiasm for those machines.

Regards
RolandF

Re: Late War Fw 190 Build Quality
 

Thanks, both to you Jerry for sharing your experience, and to you Roland, for remembering us by whom and where those planes were crafted.

Sincerely
Marc

Re: Late War Fw 190 Build Quality
 

another example of 'crude' workmanship is the Bf 109 G-14/AS (U4?) fuselage preserved at the Military Museum in Brussels.

ClinA-78

Re: Late War Fw 190 Build Quality
 

sorry talking about FW 190...