Re: HORST ADAMEIT LAST FLIGHT?
 

Micke,

You are thinking too much...

Upgrading is NOT a total conversion.

You can easily keep an A6 fuselage, and upgrade to A8 "standard".

I am not talking about adding hatches or making it look "physically" like an A8...I am speaking about weaponry, electronics, powerplant, etc..

The wreck that was discovered is 100% proof of this. It was a A5 with A8 upgrades...and this was NOT uncommon.

The Me109 for example went though NUMEROUS changes, when the Me109K was designed in 1942 (when the G2 was still being built). At that time, they already started implementing K-4 designs and modifications into the early G...weaponry, cannon, canopy, engine, tail.

Upgrades were done both in the field AND at major repair facilities, as per government directive.

This is why you see a mixture of later and earlier implementations on various Fw190 models...blown and standard canopies...smaller/taller tails on various models...weaponry, etc.

You are confusing terminology.

"Upgrading" is NOT a total conversion...it is taking an early aircraft and upgrading it as close as possible to the current standard. it is not re-building it in all aspects to make it a later model - only upgrading what you have to current.

This was standard practice on all aircraft.

Re: HORST ADAMEIT LAST FLIGHT?
 

.....just as you can have a part for an earlier model added to a later model, as some parts don't change, but they still keep the same earlier model serial number. I know this is slightly different but you would be lucky to find an aircraft in WW2 that had all the same parts it came off the production line with.

Re: HORST ADAMEIT LAST FLIGHT?
 

I tend to agree that an A-5 would become an A-8 unless its a recycled airframe. Previous A-5 was damaged and rebuilt as an A-8.

I know Fw190A-5 W.Nr1228 was damaged in 1943 and sent back for repair and became the prototype for the S-5 two seater.

Also the Fw190F-8 at the NASM started life as an A-7? (from memory). The fuselage still carried the old W.Nr. It was then recycled and became a F-8. Standard practice.

Also the Fw190A-2 W.Nr 5425 recovered from the sea off Norway had the engine cooling slats of the A-4 onwards which were an improvement.

It might be possible to add A-6/A-7 or A-8 wings to an A-5 fuselage as all carried outer cannons and the electrical connections etc would be there.

Bf109E-1's became E-3's and then E-7's but these were all factory upgrades.

Never seen a photo and generally expect an upgrade (A-5 to A-8) like this to be from the factory.

regards

MS

Re: HORST ADAMEIT LAST FLIGHT?
 

Is the word 'WAREN' in amongst the numbers, a factory where the part was built? Will these numbers tell you the model of aircraft?

Re: HORST ADAMEIT LAST FLIGHT?
 

Hi Andrew, Sorry for not picking you up on this earlier. Which 'e' article in this photograph in?
Regards, Don

HORST ADAMEIT LAST FLIGHT?
 

Hi Mark

Actually the Fw 190 F-8 at the NASM was a new build aircraft and not recycled from an earlier aircraft. The confusion came about when the restoration team came across a data plate in the fuselage with the number 640 069 and assumed that this was the werknummer of an earlier aircraft. In fact, this was the werknummer for the fuselage and nothing more. Fw 190 F-8 (W.Nr. 931 884) was built by Norddeutsche Dornier-Werke and delivered to the Luftwaffe in mid-July 1944. I should correct an error of mine in post 14 where I wrote that I was not aware of an example of a Fw 190 having its armament upgraded but that was prior to remembering the photograph that I linked to in post 17 which is that of a Fw 190 F-3 that has been re-manufactured as a Fw 190 F-8 with the MG 17 machine guns replaced with MG 131 machine guns, later wings as evidenced by the pitot tube location and even the fuel fill point for the auxiliary tank in the fuselage. Interestingly, the original engine cowl was sustained as can be seen by the arrangement of the engine cowl latches.

Horrido!

Leo

Re: HORST ADAMEIT LAST FLIGHT?
 

Leo, I don't think the MG 131s worked with the old panel above the engine, as the MG 131s are spaced wider than the MG 17s. But I guess that the A-8/F-8 gun cover would fit on an earlier plane even if it don't line up with the panel in front of it.

HORST ADAMEIT LAST FLIGHT?
 

Hi Micke

You are absolutely correct in that the spacing of the MG 17 machine guns was narrower than that of the MG 131 machine guns and therefore the original cowl had to have been replaced by a later one. I saw the latches above what looked to be the access panel line and thought this meant the original engine cowl was preserved without realizing the gun spacing issue. For clarity here is a nice photograph of Fw 190 A-8 (W.Nr. 173 001) which shows this area of the aircraft very well. Many thanks for your comment and correction.

Horrido!

Leo

Re: HORST ADAMEIT LAST FLIGHT?
 

Don,

The photograph of this aircraft does not appear in any of our eArticles. It is on page 175 of Peter Rodeike's Focke-Wulf 190 book.

Cheers,
Andrew A.
Air War Publications - www.airwarpublications.com/earticles

Re: HORST ADAMEIT LAST FLIGHT?
 

Thanks Andrew, Don