Focke Wulf Ta 338 D-2 (inspired by Flyer & Dizzyfugu) Finished Pics Pg 4

[zenrat]

Womby - i've put a 45 degree twist into them - a figure picked purely because it was easiest when making the jig.  I think any practicalities went out of the window very shortly after Brad came up with this concept*.  However, shall we say the blades are made of unobtanium which as we all know is not only shock proof but can be tuned to play Ode to Joy as it passes mach one.

Nighthunter - the thought had crossed my mind.

*for example the Pogo required 4,500 hp to lift off.  Would my imagineered supercharged deltic be up for that?

[ysi_maniac]

Props are built.

WOW!!

[zenrat]

I've started painting.
RLM65 undersides (wrapping around on the leading edges - an idea I pinched from a luft 46 build I found goggling) with RLM71 uppers.
I'll be adding something else to the top.  Probably RLM73 splinters.
Nose, spinners, rudder and undercarriage pods will be red.

[zenrat]

And then I opened my new copy of Airfix Model World and saw this...

[PR19_Kit]

Hm, that's 9 x exhaust ports on the top bank of the engine, so does that mean it's an H-36 engine? 

[zenrat]

It's a three crank opposed piston supercharged two stroke diesel - a "deltic".
Three banks of 9 cylinders - 27 cylinders containing 54 pistons.

[PR19_Kit]

It's a three crank opposed piston supercharged two stroke diesel - a "deltic".
Three banks of 9 cylinders - 27 cylinders containing 54 pistons.

I LOVE it! 

Complexity Rules OK! 

[zenrat]

The Germans had got pretty good at complexity by the end of the war.

It's all painted now apart from a second coat of red and the undercarriage.  Then clear, decals and weathering.

[Old Wombat]

I intend turning a 1/72nd (Blasphemy!!!! ) P-40 into not-a-one-of-these-but-similar-in-concept.



The externals of the Focke Wulf Ta 338-D2 look complex enough without delving into the propulsion unit!

[zenrat]

I intend turning a 1/72nd (Blasphemy!!!! ) P-40...

Gasp!  Guy comes to the dark side!
Once you're here brother you'll find you'll like it and never leave...

[Captain Canada]

Coming long nicely...sure looks powerful !

[zenrat]

Decals are on, cleared over and selected panel lines washed.
Satin clear tomorrow, attach the wheels and canopy and its done.

[Old Wombat]

I intend turning a 1/72nd (Blasphemy!!!! ) P-40...

Gasp!  Guy comes to the dark side!
Once you're here brother you'll find you'll like it and never leave...

Nope, I started out with 1/72 but I'm moving into 1/48 'cause of the auld eyes not bein' whut they wuz.

[zenrat]

Focke Wulf Ta 338 D-2 Schwartzwaldteufel.  Todtnau, May 1946

"The Focke Wulf Ta 338 originated as a response of request by the RLM in mid 1943 for an aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), optimized for the interceptor and point defense role and without a hazardous liquid rocket engine as means of propulsion...
...(It) was based on the proven Fw 190 fighter, but the similarities were only superficial. Only the wings and a part of the fuselage structure around the cockpit would be used, but Tank assumed that using existing parts and tools would appreciably reduce development and production time..."
Extracted from "Secret designs of the Luftwaffe:  Volume One.  Focke Wulf " by Dizzyfugu.  Published by Ukranian Fanboy Publications
Ta 338 D-2 Schwartzwaldteufel 15 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
The Ta 338 A-0 entered service in late 1944 but as was always the way development of improved versions had begun as soon as the initial production drawings were were finalised.  This meant that the first aircraft to feature changes resulting from operational feedback were the long nosed Dora series. 
The most obvious change was probably the replacement of the Anton's BMW 803 engine with a Junkers Jumo 213.  Developed in parallel with the Junkers Jumo 223 the 213 was an opposed-piston, valveless, supercharged, uniflow scavenged, two-stroke Diesel engine.  It differed from the rhomboid four crank 223 engine in having three cranks arranged in a triangle (the "Deltic" layout as it became known following Napier's adoption of it for their all conquering range of performance car engines).  Twenty seven cylinders, each containing two opposed pistons were arranged in three banks of nine.
This change was driven by the unreliability of the RATO packs needed to get BMW powered 338s off the ground with a decent weapon or fuel load.  The units were prone to flameout which would result in an aircraft either toppling or crashing back down to earth tailfirst – engine power alone being insufficient to lift a fully loaded plane.
Ta 338 D-2 Schwartzwaldteufel 9 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
Power output of the Jumo 213 under normal running conditions was equivalent to that of the BMW 803 A-2 at full emergency boost – 4,500hp while a Nitromethane/Nitrous Oxide system could increase that to over 6,000 hp for short period if required.  In addition, the greater torque produced meant much larger contra rotating propellers could be utilised.  Indeed, at 8.7m diameter (against the Anton's 4.25m diameter) they could be more properly considered to be rotors rather than props.
Ta 338 D-2 Schwartzwaldteufel 14 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
While increased power and more than doubling the propeller diameter meant that RATO packs were not required, use of the Jumo 213 brought another advantage.  The three crank arrangement of the "Deltic" layout meant there was a void through the centre of the engine into which a gun could be fitted to fire (with a redesigned contra rotation gearbox) through the propeller hub.  Focke Wulf took full advantage of this by fitting into the Dora-2 a 50mm Mauser MK214 cannon with a 23 round magazine mounted between the pilot and the engine.  Servicing the weapon was time consuming and awkward (barrel changes required removal of the prop and gearbox) and recoil was severe (during post war test firing a well known British test pilot reported that he thought the breech was going to burst through the control panel and end up in his lap) but it was worth it for its hitting power (one hit was sufficient to cripple a B29).  Having an internal weapon meant that the drag inducing external weapons packs used on the Anton were no longer required.
Ta 338 D-2 Schwartzwaldteufel 18 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
The longer engine and nose mounted gun led to another obvious difference between the Anton and the Dora.  The shifting of the centre of gravity to a more forward position required an equivalent move in the centre of lift.  In order to avoid the major tooling changes moving the wing roots forwards would have entailed, and to avoid complications with the forward spar and the gun installation this was achieved by sweeping the wings forward outboard of the wing root radiators.
Ta 338 D-2 Schwartzwaldteufel 2 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
The third obvious difference was the single ventral tail fin.  The Ta 338 A had a cruciform tail with four fins arranged in an X.  They also exhibited lateral instability under certain conditions and a hesitation in changing direction under others.  It was argued that this was due to the unconventional tail arrangements and despite a lack of evidence to support this a switch to a three fin layout was made.  A conventional layout with the single fin on top was trialed but the vertical tail obstructed the pilots view during landing and so the arrangement was inverted.  The sharply swept (for undercarriage length reasons rather than aerodynamic) smaller fins were identical to those used on the Antons.
Ta 338 D-2 Schwartzwaldteufel 5 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
Range was still restricted and some early Doras carried slipper tanks but by the time the Dora-2 entered service this wasn't an issue as their mission consisted of point defence interception of Allied bombers.  The large diameter of the Dora's prop/rotor meant that under full power the tips went supersonic producing a distinctive ear splitting screech which caused the bomber crews to refer to them as Screaming Demons.
Ta 338 D-2 Schwartzwaldteufel 4 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
By early 1946 those Third Reich forces that had chosen to fight on following hitler's suicide were confined to Southern Germany, Western Austria and Switzerland.  Surviving Ta 338s operated from within the Black Forest leading to them being nicknamed Schwartzwaldteufel (Black Forest Devil).  While their numbers were not enough to make a real difference to the final outcome the Devils inflicted a steady stream of losses and their launchpads hidden in clearings in the dark forest proved almost impossible to locate until crude infra-red vision equipment was mounted into RAF Mosquitos enabling them to spot the heat produced by the engines.
Ta 338 D-2 Schwartzwaldteufel 7 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
This tactical breakthrough led to the destruction of most of the remaining Ta338s on their launchpads either at take off or just after landing.  Unsuitable for use on "traditional" airfields because of the difficulty in quickly moving a grounded tailsitter out of or into cover (to move them any distance or over anything other than smooth, hard ground a Dreibeinträger half track service tractor was required) most surviving Ta 338s were explosively disabled in the face of the approaching Allied troops.  A small number of Dora-2s were flown to Austria and surrendered to Soviet troops and one was captured intact by British ground troops and shipped back to the UK for testing (it was later restored and occasionally flies as part of Battle of Britain Memorial Flight displays).
Ta 338 D-2 Schwartzwaldteufel 11 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
The aircraft depicted is red eleven, a Ta 338 D-2 based in the vicinity of Todtnau in May 1946.  It is finished in the "Black Forest" scheme of RLM 71 splinter/mottle over RLM 73 topsides with RLM 65 undersides wrapping round the leading edges.  The name (and fate) of the pilot is unknown but the aircraft is known to have brought down at least 4 Superfortresses and 3 Lincolns before being damaged in a heavy landing.
Ta 338 D-2 Schwartzwaldteufel 1 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
The Model.
Airfix Focke Wulf 190 A-8 (current mould).
KP MiG 21 horizontal stabilisers.
Airfix Saab Viggen vertical tail.
Scratchbuilt engine and propellers using resin Lincoln spinner and resin 1/24 finned brake drum.

[Flyer]

Awesome!