CMK LTF5b torpedoes Ju88/Ju188 pylons?

[thierry laurent]

Notwithstanding the main shapes accuracy, something is missing on the CMK pylon: a close examination of pictures of Junkers 88 and 188 with torpedo pylons show that all of them add a flange around their perimeter edge. The ETC bomb pylon fairings had a similar one.

[Isar 30/07]

1 hour ago, thierry laurent said:

I got an interesting information from Pastor John: the planes set up to carry the LTF5b torpedo on the PVC pylon required a small cut out in the trailing edge of each wing. A triangle-shaped area was removed out of the corner of the movable surface close to the wing root fairing. I found a picture of a KG26 plane with that modification. I never heard anything about that before and do not believe I have ever seen a 88 or 188 torpedo bomber model with such a feature!

Thierry,

 

very interesting discussion on here as one of my favourite projects will be an Ju 88 A-17 (having all the stuff to start with - except time).

Had a talk to John/AIMS a few years ago and he told me the same - some modification on the wings had to be done.

 

Could you post the picture of the KG 26 plane with the cutout here, please?

 

Thanks!

 

Reimund

 

[thierry laurent]

44 minutes ago, Isar 30/07 said:

Could you post the picture of the KG 26 plane with the cutout here, please?

 

Thanks!

 

Reimund

 

Sure,

 

Here it is:

 

 

There must be a technical manual somewhere as John showed me one view coming from what looks like an official document. It had the FTV-Dru B88/62 reference. I'm still trying to identify it.

 

Hope this helps

 

Thierry

[thierry laurent]

Found it on the web!

 

Look here:

 

https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/547239-2130123-missing-lt-f5b-torpedoes-on-the-junkers-ju-88-a-4/

 

[Isar 30/07]

Thierry, thank you very much - much appreciated!

[thierry laurent]

Note as well that the TM view shows there is a slope in the vertical cutout. So it is probably easier to assemble the wing part, then do the cut and finally fill the gap.

[Isar 30/07]

Inspired to build a Ju 88 A-17 (and maybe a Ju 188 t as well) was the book "Überlebenschance gleich Null" (hardly no chance to survive) from Bodo Diemer, published in Germany by Helios Verlag (ISBN 978-3-86933-042-6).

 

This autobiography started when Bodo Diemer became a Bomber pilot and then a Torpedoflieger.

He describes a lot of the training, the first missions in the Med, the Channel during Op. Overlord and finally the last missions from Norway in a very personal and impressive way. Unfortunately there are only a handful of photographs provided that don´t show any Ju 88 he flew.

A few years ago, I contacted Helios as I hoped for a chat to Bodo Diemer, but he has passed away.

Helios told me that there are no other photos available.

 

I don´t know if this book has been published in english or french, but I would highly recommend this if interested in the missions flown by Torpedoflieger.

[thierry laurent]

Thanks for the insight.

 

The pictures of torpedoflieger Ju-88 and 188 are unfortunately elusive to say the least...

 

I'm still scratching my head to find sufficient information to rebuild the scheme of a plausible one KG26 Ju-188A3 with FuG-200 and PVC1000 racks... This is far from easy as you typically have views from the front but not the rear or the opposite! Moreover, it looks KG26 used various variants of recce/bomber planes. this means with or without additional lower nose windows, with or without radar, with or without torpedo launching fuselage fairing, etc. etc. The only ship hunter scheme included in the AIMS Ju-188A/D conversion is by the way presenting a strange combination of torpedo racks, FuG200 but NO torpedo launching fuselage fairing! Really weird!

 

And the more I look at the Kagero PVC rack plan and the CMK 3d copy, the less I'm convinced this looks like what I'm seeing in the pictures...

 

Thierry

[Isar 30/07]

One thing we all face from time to time:

Searching up and down on a certain project but no information available what we are looking for.

Ok, let´s do this without the questions answered (if I didn´t get an answer on my questions, then no one can say that I´m "wrong") - and after completing

the project someone comes around and has the answers I was searching for....

Modeler´s fate.

 

One last note of Bodo Diemers memories:

When based in Norway, his Ju 88 A-17 coded 1H + NH (strange enough he describes his A/C as the one without the BoLa BUT the crew still 4!) was equipped with FuG 200 in late 1944. Happy to be enabled to detect allied convoys (and no more flights for hours and hours without any contact to an allied convoy) from now on, they soon realised the other side of the coin: Their so equipped could be detected by the allies as well. As soon as they realised this, the FuG 200 was no longer used (but still mounted).

 

Let me see, if I can help Thierry. It might take some days.

 

Reimund

[AlanG]

On 6/2/2022 at 3:10 PM, Isar 30/07 said:

 

very interesting discussion on here as one of my favourite projects will be an Ju 88 A-17

 

 

I have the same plans too. I have had a conversation with John regarding these aircraft and our very own Max very kindly did a set of masks for Ju88 A17 1H+VH from 1./KG26 based in Norway 1944. I need the time (and space) for this project, but really would like to give it a go.

[thierry laurent]

Hi again,

 

Even if the Ju88 and Ju188 possibly had different racks (I'm not convinced!), the CMK depiction of the PVC rack is far from accurate. Have a look at that picture:

 

 

This is the best I have ever seen that is showing the fairing as, unfortunately, all the technical manual views only show the internal rack. You will see that the fairing actually has the following features:

- It looks like a deeper ETC rack fairing with similar smooth edges whereas the CMK resin part has sharp edges.

- The sway braces have different locations: the rear one is closer to the center and the front one is also closer to the front.

- Moreover, it looks they are too thin.

- Panels are missing on the resin part.

- The rear notch is also missing.

- The actual fairing had a seam between its sections whereas the resin part has two welds.

- It is also probable the front face of the actual fairing is more vertical whereas the resin part is showing a quite regular slope.

- The edge flange is not visible here but can be barely seen from the front views and is corresponding to all the other types of rack fairings seen on German bombers.

 

Another thing is puzzling. The 1/72 Hasegawa pylons had a quite strange perpendicular extension going out of the middle of the fairing. If you look at the picture hereabove you will see it as well, joining the rack fairing and the fuselage! What was the purpose...? Good question!

 

So, I'm afraid that making a ship hunter 88/188 will either ask for scratchbuilding new racks or use the CMK part has a starting point... I still have to check but it is possibly easier to start with an ETC rack!

 

Damn it!

[thierry laurent]

The more I'm looking at that fairing, the more I'm wondering if modifying the CMK part with epoxy putty and use it as a vacform master is not the best idea. This would allow the new parts to keep the correct geometry under the wing but with more accurate shapes and features. This would also ease the possibility to depict correctly all the openings in that fairing.

 

In any case, this will not be a ten minutes work...

 

Wait and see!

[thierry laurent]

I can confirm that the front face of the actual fairing is actually close to vertical. I found another picture of a Ju188 in Norway showing it quite clearly.

 

There's a copy here:

 

 

Finally, it looks the only pylon that looks quite accurate is the 1/72 Hasegawa one!