JU88 Rauch Geracht

[Halon]

I heard about this interesting gadget today, a smoke device fitted to JU88s to allow them to feign being shot down which according to the subtitles was called a 'Rauch Geracht' (Smoke Out?). Apparently there is one fitted to the one being restored at Gardermoen. I can't seem to find anything about it though. Would something that niche be modelled I wonder? Are these devices more common than I realise and fitted to other aircraft?

 

Probably might see some minor gameplay use online, although given the propensity for people to be so desperate to land that last bullet during my death spirals that they end up following me into my own crater I suspect it's success would be limited!

 

 

[Avimimus]

Might work better in a single engined fighter - change the mixture to get incomplete combustion/smoke and pretend to enter an uncontrolled dive... then kill the smoke and level out at the last minute?

[Noisemaker]

I'm not a native German speaker, but I've been speaking it for 16 years now, and Geracht isn't a word I know (Nor do I find it in a German dictionary).  Are you sure it wasn't Gerät?  That means simply device.

[danielprates]

3 hours ago, Noisemaker said:

Gerät?

 

That'a what I thought when I read it.

 

I have a very basic understanding of german and I have to admit, when I read the topic, I imediatelly imagined a ju88 crew serving rauschbier beer from a tap (the "gerat"). Maybe the excellent schlenkerla.

[Halon]

I'm just going off the subtitles, however the control panel in the in game cockpit that corresponds to the one in the documentary says Gerät (1 and 2) and is in the bottom left hand corner with a red switch and button. So it seems you're right, and smoke device makes sense. Would love for it to be modelled.

[sevenless]

That isn´t a german word. Trust me, I´m native. What you might mean is the following:

 

Fl.18330-1 AKS-M, 1939 | Deutscheluftwaffe

 

 

That one, called "Rauchgerät" is however a device to help starting procedures by starting rockets which delivered additional thrust and not to fake being hit by enemy fire.

 

So the Rauchgerät, as I understand it, are basically RATO boosters, as they were common with by example the Arado 234

 

http://www.ipmsdeutschland.de/Flugzeuge/Gaeste/Junkers_Ju88/Ju88A_01.jpg

 

There was, however a device called Nebelanlage (lit. Fog/Smoke generator) described in the manual. The device (Nebelanlage and Rauchgerät) were available as early as 1941 going by the date of the manual.

 

 

book813.pdf (virtpilot.org)

 

 

Partly translation from above: For the purpose of using the plane as a smoke generating plane (Nebelflugzeug), instead of bombs, smoke generating devices (Nebelgeräte) can be fitted at hardpoint "Last III".

 

From the manual, page 3 (quick and dirty translation):

 

 

It (Nebelanlage) had apparently two modes of operation:

 

1.) Pushing the button T3/T5 and by that blowing out smoke (Nebel - lit. fog) while the button is pushed down

2.) With activating the 2nd toggle switch (Kippschalter) the content of the device is blown out all at once

 

7 hours ago, danielprates said:

serving rauschbier beer from a tap (the "gerat"). Maybe the excellent schlenkerla.

 

Oh yeah. Bamberg and Schlenkerla. It is now some 30 years I was there the last time. Love that town and the Rauchbier there...

Edited September 1, 2021 by sevenless

[danielprates]

2 hours ago, sevenless said:

Oh yeah. Bamberg and Schlenkerla. It is now some 30 years I was there the last time. Love that town and the Rauchbier there...

 

I'm no stranger to smoked beers but damn, that one is like eating an ashtray. A DELICIOUS ashtray.

[6./ZG26_5tuka]

9 hours ago, sevenless said:

That one, called "Rauchgerät" is however a device to help starting procedures by starting rockets which delivered additional thrust and not to fake being hit by enemy fire.

Correct, although you probably could easily confuse an attacking enemy when triggering them in the air.

Edited September 1, 2021 by 6./ZG26_5tuka

[sevenless]

23 hours ago, 6./ZG26_5tuka said:

Correct, although you probably could easily confuse an attacking enemy when triggering them in the air.

 

Lol! Yeah.

 

Here we have such an assisted Ju 88 takeoff by Rauchgerät.