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Aviation History
1941
1941 - 1955.PDF
AUGUST 28TH, 1941. FLIGHT First of a New Series FRIEND or FOE ? Tail Unit Design as an Aid to Identification (Continuing a regular weekly series whichcommenced in Flight of January 9th, 1941, and incorporated 33 comparative studies indetailed points of identification) THIS week begins a new phase ofthe '' Friend or Foe ? '' identifi-cation series. The first phase, just concluded, presented a total of 66 different types of military aircraft during 33 consecutive weeks. These were illustrated by three-quarter front views, accompanied by sets of general arrangement drawings showing front and side elevations and the plan from beneath. Identification of aircraft continues to be a subject of first im- portance and general interest, and Flight's correspondence files bear ample witness to the usefulness of its "Friend or Foe? " pages. The new phase will continue to present current types from a different angle and one which brings tail design into prominence. Quite often a machine can be more readily identified by its empennage than by any other single feature, and it is easy to imagine circumstances in which the spotter may have to depend upon recognising a characteristic tail design in order to confirm identity. For that reason the normal G.A. drawings will be replaced by plan and elevation drawings of the tail-unit alone. We begin this week with the Hawker Hurricane and Heinkel He 113. Both these tail groups are on the same general lines; that is, the tailplanes are cantilever and are mounted just below the base of the fins, and the rudders extend down between the elevators to the bottom line of the fuselages. But they can be distinguished from each other at a glance by the fact that the tail outlines of the British machine present a series of graceful curves, while those of the German fin and rudder are far more angular. This difference, while cer- tamly a national characteristic in design, must not be regarded as any- thing like an infallible clue to nationality, for there are a number of exceptions on both sides, as will be seen in subsequent examples in this series. Hurricane He 113 HAWKER HURRICANE. Cantilevertailplane set just below base of fin. Rudder projects between elevatorsand extends down to bottom line of fuselage. Navigation light on rudder.Curved outline to all surfaces. All that can safely be said on this point, therefore, is that any machine seen to possess an angular outline to its tail assembly should at once be sus- pected of -hostile origin until the spotter has had sufficient chance to identify it with certainty. This only applies, to any appreciable extent, to machines seen over this country or its adjacent waters; in the Middle East and Mediterranean theatres of war, where Italian aircraft are occasionally en- countered (when a rear view is particu- larly likely!), the more artistic Latin temperament seldom indulges in aerial angularity. Certain detail differences will be observed from a study of the accom- panying pictures. The Hurricane, for example, has a navigation light fitted to the extremity of its rudder and im- mediately below this is an inset trim- ming tab ; each elevator, however, has a projecting tab. Probably because it is never safe for a German machine to display navigation lights at night—not even over its own territory, these days—no tail lamp adorns the rear of the Heinkel. In the fitting of trim- ming tabs the reverse method has been adopted on the German fighter, that on the rudder projecting and those on the elevators being inset on each side of the " bite." Yet another divergence is in tail-wheel design. That of the Hurricane is fixed (it retracted on earlier models), but a shallow fin, which acts to some extent as fairing, runs along the bottom of the fuselage from just aft of amidships to the base of the rudder post. The He 113 tail- wheel retracts completely. Next week: The Spitfire and the Me 109F. HEINKEL He 113. General layout of the tailgroup is very similar to that of the Hurricane, but outlines suggest a series of straight lines and sharpcorners instead of curves.
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