109s autoprop - did it ever existed?

[pupo162]

Hi all

genuine question. throw some time in 1946 i was led to believe germans had on their planes some sort of CSP wich managed them to control automatic the all engine with a single leaver.

could someone enlighten me, if such a thing ever existed in any 109, or if what the 109 had was what we have in game now, a manual pitch prop.


cheers!

[JG53Frankyboy]

mid 1940 was just a time when both systems were used....

[pupo162]

Originally Posted by JG53Frankyboy

mid 1940 was just a time when both systems were used....

Could you pelase tell me what system were this an how did they work? or link me to them ? thank you

[JG53Frankyboy]

well, the manual system you have in CoD now and a "one lever" system where each rpm was "locked" to a special ATA setting, such combinations were called "Leistungszustand".The automatic controlled the propeller pitch to achive that.,

This automatic could still be 'overwritten' manually by the pilot if desired.

[JG14_Jagr]

When you see how complex and pilot intensive all that is you can see why the Fw190 was such a difference animal with the "automatic" engine controls..

[IvanK]

Auto function in the case of the 109E came in to general operational use in late 1940. The earliest reference I have seen is Sep 18 1940 when it was being tested in a machine of II/JG53. The 109E in the RAF museum Hendon was Field Modded to AUTO it is an E3B I believe. It was brought down on 27 Nov 1940. Steinhilper's book "A Spitfire on my tail" refers specifically to Manual prop pitch technique still being used as late as Sept 1940. There is a translated OKL document discussing the introduction of AUTO on the 109E its subject header is "Increasing the revs of engine types DB601A and DB601N. It is hand dated 14Th Nov 1940.

Here is an image of the translated document :

[Kurfurst]

Originally Posted by IvanK

Auto function in the case of the 109E came in to general operational use in late 1940. The earliest reference I have seen is Sep 18 1940 when it was being tested in a machine of II/JG53. The 109E in the RAF museum Hendon was Field Modded to AUTO it is an E3B I believe. It was brought down on 27 Nov 1940. Steinhilper's book "A Spitfire on my tail" refers specifically to Manual prop pitch technique still being used as late as Sept 1940. There is a translated OKL document discussing the introduction of AUTO on the 109E its subject header is "Increasing the revs of engine types DB601A and DB601N. It is hand dated 14Th Nov 1940.

I note it here, too before someone starts a new myth..

The information regarding the date of availibilty of the auto function is wrong.

The Bf 109E1 and E-3 manual of December 1939 already notes the automatic system (Verstellautomatik), and gives different operating instructions to those planes with the old manual system ("Options 1 and 2") and the auto prop pitch system.

Auto and manual props pitch systems also had differently designated VDM propellor type numbers.

[IvanK]

Do you have documentation Kurfurst that shows operational employment of the Auto function rather than early test data ? I would be happy to be proven wrong. I have indicated in my post general operational employment not that it didn't exist in some form prior to that.

[Pluto]

... I remeber in the old IL2 you could change from automatic pitch to manual pitch control in the ME109, even the early Emils.
But it was not advisable to control pitch manually, it quickly turned too high and busted your engine, so I always flew the 109 with auto-pitch-control.

Which one is more realistic, I dont know, anyway you get used to both.

[JG53Frankyboy]

not only Prien is talking of this testing of a automatik in his JG53 History book.



Also Steinhilper is mentioning in his book how the pilots handled thier manual propellers in their 109s.