Auto-Pitch control.

[droz]

Is Auto-pitch control available in complex engine management for the 109? I know there was always an option to mess with pitch control in original IL2, but was auto-pitch by default. I'm curious if the 109 actually had an auto-prop pitch, or was it just a game mechanic?

It does get difficult managing prop pitch in the heat of battle.

Also, is it possible to get some tutorials on the proper engine management of all the aircraft in game?

[Kurfurst]

The first 109Es (production started end 1938) came without constant speed units.
The pilot manually adjusted propeller blade angle constantly at any angle, to match engine RPM and torque.

There were two systems for this: the first one, which we have on our early E-3, was a lever on the dashboard, and ideally suited pilots born with three hands.

On the second system had the propellor blade angle set by a thumb switch located on the throttle. This one become standard for the rest of the war.

Finally, automatic propellor govenor system was introduced:

"The constant speed airscrew is fully automatic and requires no operationby the pilot, as r.p.m. and pitch setting are governed by the throttle opening and engine load. This is a great advantage in combat, being one thing less for the pilot to worry about. He can, however, control the pitch manually in the event of failure of the automatic control."

This automatic system appears to be introduced around late 1939, or perhaps earlier; what is known that the December 1939 already describes it, along with aircraft armor. Evidently not all older production Emils were retrofitted by the BoB started, so they had manual control (like our E-3) though it was eventually retrofitted to older Emils.

Since production of the E-4 (the most important type during the BoB) commenced in May 1940, so I suppose when the E-4 will be introduced it will feature the auto prop pitch and armor.

[fruitbat]

Since production of the E-4 (the most important type during the BoB) commenced in May 1940, so I suppose when the E-4 will be introduced it will feature the auto prop pitch and armor.

you sure?

Hooton in Eagle in Flames gives the percentage losses of 109s by subtype:

July
E1 - 44%
E3 - 30%
E4 - 20%

August
E1 - 40%
E3 - 8%
E4 - 52%

September
E1 - 38%
E3 - 1%
E4 - 61%

October
E1 - 36%
E3 - 2%
E4 - 62%

and from Kurfust, over at ubi a while ago,

"I have some actual numbers. On 31 August 1940, fighter units (excluding JG 77) reported 375 E-1s, 125 E-3s, 339 E-4s and 32 E-7s on strength, indicating that most of the E-3s had been already converted to E-4 standard. JG 77 had around 100-125 aircraft with it, but for the rest of the units, its 75% cannon E-3/4/7, the rest are all MG E-1s. The E-1 and E-3 were produced parallel and in about equal numbers from the end of 1938, but by mid-1940, the production of the E-1 stopped, replaced by the E-4 and then the E-7."

and

In Ulrich Steinhilper's book 'Spitfire on My Tail', he relates quite clearly that they, JG52 didn't get there first cannon armed 109's until mid september , and then only 2, which were hand me downs from another unit. Rest of the unit bar these 2 planes was still in E1's.

Seems to me the E1 was the most important, certainly until september:cool:

of course, i understand why you don't what this too public.....;)

[Kurfurst]

you sure?

Seems to me the E1 was the most important, certainly until september:cool

Look at the loss figures.

All E-3s were converted to E-4 rather quickly, and don't forget that the E-7 is just an E-4 that can carry a droptank, too. In any case, the only difference between E-1 (all MG) E-3 (MG FF) and E-4 (MG FF/M - could fire mine shells) was armament. Since E-4s were of the newest production, they had all the latest upgrades, but the other were retrofitted quickly. The first E-1s produced in 1938 were without armor and CSU, but if you read British reports of crashed aircraft, they found both to be present in E-1s in 1940.

Personally I like the E-1. It will be fun. There's but a 4 mm plate between a pilot in a Spitfire and four MG 17s and their 3000 rounds of custom-belted 7.92 mm AP.. ;)

I'd risk to say that the E-1 will be mighty unpopular with Red on servers for this reason. 8-)

of course, i understand why you don't what this too public.....;)

Yup, that's why I posted it, riiiiight, Sherlock. :D

[fruitbat]

I'm just poking fun, lol.

personally, i'm really looking forward to flying the E1.

it will really cool flying the E1 through july, aug, and then getting an E4.

I do however think that there is a perception with many, that the E1 wasn't in the BoB.....

looking at the loss figures, combined with the figures you posted, its got to be somewhere midway through aug-sept that the E4 became the most common, the loss figures and the figs you posted don't quite tally though....

[Kurfurst]

Ooops.. :oops:

Yeah I guess the perception is because just about any BoB book goes into great details comparing the advantages and disadvantages of the 'Emil's cannon' and the 'RAFs eight gun battery'. No mention anywhere of all MG Emils. Gee, I am a revisionist again, THE BOOKS say it goddamnit! :grin:

Seriously, the thing is just that: if they changed a spring in the MG FF cannon on an E-3, it became an MG FF/M, and that Emil become an E-4 because it had an ff/m.. the rest of the details were all shared accross the model line.

Changes in guns, engine and radio made a 'new' model, not other changes introduced in the midtime in production.. and these didn't have to be radical. The G-4 for example was just a G-2 with VHF radio, and the G-6 was just a G-4 with 13mm MGs... hell the 109G itself was just a 109F-4 with a new engine! In fact the spare part list of the Gustav only lists new parts, and otherwise refers back the to F parts list..

[Kurfurst]

There appears to be a small graphical bug with the E-3 dashboard prop pitch selector.

Currently the switch remains in position when set to higher or lower pithc angle stays up or down; historically it was pushed up until desired blade angle was achieved, and then it snapped back to middle (off, neutral) position.

See Flight article 24 October 1940, Page 348.

Also on the instrument board of one Me 109 seen was the airscrew pitch control. The airscrew is the three-bladed metal V.D.M., an electrically-operated feathering airscrew of infinitely variable pitch but not constant speed. The control is a three-position switch which can be held'in either of two positions to reduce or increase pitch. When released it returns to the central position and the airscrew remains in that pitch. Consequently, the engine revsare affected by diving or climbing, and in air fighting the pilot must either let his engine over-rev at times or else allow his attention to be given to the airscrew pitch control or the throttle to prevent the engine damaging itself.

On another model, evidently a later one, the pitch control was on the knob of the throttle lever, and this is the subject of one of the
drawings. (When the bar switch is pressed on the "' groBer " end, pitch is increased ; on the "kleiner " end, decreased.) The pitch indicator is a small dial with two unequal hands like a clock and with the same twelve markings. It has no figures on it, but while pitch is changing the hands go round. Actual pitch in degrees is not the quantity with which the pilot is concerned, but revolutions per minute of the engine. For this reason the pitch of the airscrew is altered until the rev counter reads the correct value. This instrument and the airscrew pitch indicator are conveniently grouped together.

[droz]

wow. All of this is great information, and it's good to know that when we do finally get the Emil, we will have the auto-prop pitch returned. Thanks fellas :)