Everything you always wanted to ask...

[Guchi]

Whats the deal with those notched tailfins on mig-29s and most flankers? Besides the fact that they just look cool.

It (the notching) is for structural strength.  It allowed the Russians to use less (quantity and quality) material and yet retain the same structural integrity.

[Aircav]

Why does the Horten Ho229 have such a large nose wheel ?

[RP1]

Dork, (Erm, may I call you Dork?)  you have that contrari-wise.  Boot topping used to refer to the process of anti-fouling in the days of sail, but now means the narrow band of a dark colour at the waterline.  the anti-fouling paint is the usually red material below that.  

It is not always red - the Castle class originally had an advanced scheme using blue paint.  Various colours exist for yachts etc.  I think it may have been red due to the materials used (Tin, now banned).

RP1

[Leigh]

Why does the Horten Ho229 have such a large nose wheel ?

Yeah and where the hell does it go when it's up doesn't look like enough room under the cockpit to fit it.

[RP1]

QUOTE (Aircav @ Jul 5 2006, 11:18 AM)
Why does the Horten Ho229 have such a large nose wheel ?

Yeah and where the hell does it go when it's up doesn't look like enough room under the cockpit to fit it.

- It just swings up aft of the cockpit, see the plans at:

http://www.albentley-drawings.com/horten_ho229.htm

RP1

[gooberliberation]

I think its huge because:

-It supports most of the aircraft's weight

-To give it a nose-up attitude for takeoff without heavier, longer nosegear leg

-Its the first wheel to hit the ground while landing, since its all-wingness makes it dangerous to go nose up past a certain point to land.

-Some gliders have a single large wheel and outriggers, dont they? The Hortens made gliders and mabye they like that scheme

-Didnt it come off a different airplane, like an He 177? Perhaps production models wouldve had a different wheel.

(Total guesstimations. I'm no engineer)

[Dork the kit slayer]

Dork, (Erm, may I call you Dork?)  you have that contrari-wise.

Yes you are quite correct...I got it arse about face in my rush to display my feathers.......DUH  

[jcf]

Dork, (Erm, may I call you Dork?)  you have that contrari-wise.  Boot topping used to refer to the process of anti-fouling in the days of sail, but now means the narrow band of a dark colour at the waterline.  the anti-fouling paint is the usually red material below that. 

It is not always red - the Castle class originally had an advanced scheme using blue paint.  Various colours exist for yachts etc.  I think it may have been red due to the materials used (Tin, now banned).

RP1

Yep, red lead primer, white zinc and copper based anti-fouling paint in the old days. Tin anti-fouling compounds didn't start showing up until the 1960s.
This is  fun;
USCG Painting Regs from 1916
calls out green copper paint for the anti-fouling compound.
and Lightship painting instructions
Lightship

Cheers, Jon

[Eddie M.]

Okay, here's one that would sure get me laughed off some boards. How many versions are there of the BF-109 and FW-190? I like the design of both A/C, but not enough to know them all.
    Eddie  

[gooberliberation]

Okay, here's one that would sure get me laughed off some boards. How many versions are there of the BF-109 and FW-190? I like the design of both A/C, but not enough to know them all.
     Eddie

Imma take a crack at the messerchmitt, according to vectorsite.net(of course, credibility goes out the window since he hyphens german designations i e ME-109 )...

Bf/Me 109:
Prototypes: Highest number I see is V54, so id say 54 prototypes. Unfortunately every time Willy's folks tried something new, weither its a new engine or a different shade of paint, it gets its own designation.

A series:(first prototypes count as A)

B: 1(?)

C: 4, 3 if you dont count experimentals.

D: 3

E: 8, although the number goes up to E-9

F: 5

G: 13, but goes up to G-16 at least

H: 2, i dont think they were production tho

K: 7 but goes up to K-14

S: Never built

T: Three, one variant sort of produced T-0's were converted to T-3

TL: None built

Z: One prototype

Me 209: 1. not really related though

Me 209-II: Abanonded super-G series

Me 309: Prototypes only?

Me 609: None built

Avia S.99 and related: Three?

Hispano variants: 5?

Thats all i could find so far... feel free to add that up any way you like  

[Eddie M.]

Thank you.
  Eddie

[gooberliberation]

And here comes the FWs...

Prototypes: 3, goes up to V5, but there's gotta be way more than that

A: 11 including A-0 and 2 prototypes

B: Various prototypes

C: One, experimental

D: 2 listed, D-0 and D-9. However I'm sure D-11 and D-12 exists...

F: Five, including 2 prototypes. Goes up to F-8

G: 4, not totally sure they were mass produced though

Ta 152C: Prototypes only

Ta 152H: Not sure, at least one production model

190s came with exta modification suffixes and numbers, U for factory upgrades, R for field-installed jobs. Therein it gets ugly

Seriously, luftwaffe nomenclature has enough to it that any hyperscaler with teaching credentials could start up his own jr college level class... JUST for the 109

[nev]

someone should ask this over on HS, stand back and watch the fur fly

[lancer]

someone should ask this over on HS, stand back and watch the fur fly

Now that would be fun to watch

[Aircav]

Daddy, whats a Bf109 ?
is it something nasty cos a heard a man use the word......................