JU-88 Props--wood or metal?
 

Hello,

Nice (new) forum!

On the JU-88 A-4, were the props made of wood or metal?
I built a model and chipped the prop tips as metal JU-88 Model

While on the subject, how many Luftwaffe acft had wooden props, escpecially <1943? I've a photo of a bellied-in Dora with a splintered wooden airscrew.

Thanks in advance for the help!

All my best,

Fred

Re: JU-88 Props--wood or metal?
 

The Ju 88 A-4 should have had the broader VS-11 (compared to the thin cord metal VDM) propellers made of wood. The wooden propellers also had a final coat of RLM 70. The composition beneath was plywood with a very narrow metallic leading edge and a very thin metal mesh all over the propeller blade. Then everything was covered with a red-brown primer and finally coated.

Cheers, Azi.

Edit: PS: Fine model!! :)

Re: JU-88 Props--wood or metal?
 

Hi,
Writing from memory the Ju 88 A-0´s had four blader VDM metal props at first but survivors had three blader VDM metal props later. The Ju 88 A-1, A-5, D-2 and D-5 variants had VDM three blader metal props.
Early JFM A-4´s (1941) also had VDM three blader metal props but most later A-4, D-1, A-4 LT and A-17 had VS II wood props (1942 / 1944). Many early A-1 / A-5 examples were later re-engined with the later Jumo 211 J engines and had VS II wooden props fitted (fm 1943?). Those last mentioned were mostly used by training units, I think.
The BMW 801 engined ones had three bladed Metal ones (e.g. Ju 88 R-1, R-2, G-1), but the Jumo 213 engined had three bladed wooden props (Ju 88 G, Ju 188 A / D).

However one should be careful to judge an Ju 88 variant from the props only, many hundred were re-built examples and Im not an expert (yet).

Cheers
ed

Re: JU-88 Props--wood or metal?
 

"The Ju 88 A-4 should have had the broader VS-11 (compared to the thin cord metal VDM) propellers made of wood. The wooden propellers also had a final coat of RLM 70. The composition beneath was plywood with a very narrow metallic leading edge and a very thin metal mesh all over the propeller blade. Then everything was covered with a red-brown primer and finally coated.

Cheers, Azi."

"However one should be careful to judge an Ju 88 variant from the props only, many hundred were re-built examples and Im not an expert (yet). (EdNorth)"

Both are correct. Since any engine could take either the metal (narrow bladed) or the wooden (wide bladed) props, you should get a photo of the actual a/c you are modelling. But, the tendency was for the wider wooden blades to be fitted.