When did the Bf-109 get its automated propeller pitch governor?

[percydanvers]

Flying around with the IAR 80, constantly adjusting my prop pitch to avoid killing the engine has really made me appreciate the automated prop pitch system in the 109, but reading about it I'm surprised to learn 109s up to the E didn't have this. I know our E-7 in game has automated governor, but I'm getting conflicting info out there as to when it was added, with some saying that it was added with the E-3 in 1940. Does anyone know for sure when this came it? Were old 109s as much of a hassle as these IAR 80s? 

 

EDIT: going by the video from Greg's Airplanes and Automobiles it looks like it was introduced some time around the E-4, but I would welcome any further insight anyone can give. 

Edited February 21, 2024 by percydanvers

[JG1_Vonrd]

From: https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/threads/109-controllable-pitch-propeller.30021/

 

I think Ratsel's post refers to L.Dv. 556/3 BF 109 E Flugzeughandbuch, of 16 December 1939. The handbook refers to the operation of the "Luftschrauben Verstellautomatik".It also notes that some aircraft are without this automatic system. Accounts from pilots at the time would suggest that many aircraft did not have any automatic control.
It may simply depend which propeller system was fitted. There were two used on the Bf109E,both from VDM. The 9-11081A used a manual pitch control and the 9-11081E had the automatic system.
For the F series, and carried on afterwards, an automatic option was fitted as standard but the manual option was retained.

From a British report on the Bf109F.

" The airscrew has now been fitted with a constant speed unit of novel design. The r.p.m. at which the airscrew is controlled depends on the position of the throttle lever. With the throttle lever fully forward the unit is set to control at 2,600 r.p.m. When the throttle lever is moved back the r.p.m. automatically fall an appropriate amount.
The constant speed unit can be cut out by the pilot and the airscrew pitch controlled in the same way as on the Me 109E"

Here's another excerpt from the R.A.E. report on Pingel's F-2

"The constant speed airscrew is fully automatic and requires no operation
by 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."

 

Note the reference to "which propeller system was fitted". I haven't found definitive info about exactly when constant speed govs were incorporated. Probably in the mid range of the E7:

 

"Early E-7s were fitted with the 1,100 PS DB 601A or 1,175 PS DB 601Aa engine, while late-production ones received 1,175 PS DB 601N engines"

 

This may be the point of integration. 

 

However, I would probably agree with Greg's that the very first constant speeds might have been tested in the E-4. Greg also states that all E-7 and later were all constant speed. 

 

We may never know...

 

 

[percydanvers]

9 hours ago, JG1_Vonrd said:

From: https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/threads/109-controllable-pitch-propeller.30021/

 

I think Ratsel's post refers to L.Dv. 556/3 BF 109 E Flugzeughandbuch, of 16 December 1939. The handbook refers to the operation of the "Luftschrauben Verstellautomatik".It also notes that some aircraft are without this automatic system. Accounts from pilots at the time would suggest that many aircraft did not have any automatic control.
It may simply depend which propeller system was fitted. There were two used on the Bf109E,both from VDM. The 9-11081A used a manual pitch control and the 9-11081E had the automatic system.
For the F series, and carried on afterwards, an automatic option was fitted as standard but the manual option was retained.

From a British report on the Bf109F.

" The airscrew has now been fitted with a constant speed unit of novel design. The r.p.m. at which the airscrew is controlled depends on the position of the throttle lever. With the throttle lever fully forward the unit is set to control at 2,600 r.p.m. When the throttle lever is moved back the r.p.m. automatically fall an appropriate amount.
The constant speed unit can be cut out by the pilot and the airscrew pitch controlled in the same way as on the Me 109E"

Here's another excerpt from the R.A.E. report on Pingel's F-2

"The constant speed airscrew is fully automatic and requires no operation
by 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."

 

Note the reference to "which propeller system was fitted". I haven't found definitive info about exactly when constant speed govs were incorporated. Probably in the mid range of the E7:

 

"Early E-7s were fitted with the 1,100 PS DB 601A or 1,175 PS DB 601Aa engine, while late-production ones received 1,175 PS DB 601N engines"

 

This may be the point of integration. 

 

However, I would probably agree with Greg's that the very first constant speeds might have been tested in the E-4. Greg also states that all E-7 and later were all constant speed. 

 

We may never know...

 

 

 

Wow thank you! This is great info! 

[kraut1]

22 hours ago, percydanvers said:

 

Wow thank you! This is great info! 

As far as I know the automated propeller pitch control was installed already in the E4, available from early August 1940.

This has been considered in CLOD too that is very specialized in the Battle of Britain 1940.

 

Edited February 23, 2024 by kraut1