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Aviation History
1941
1941 - 2365.PDF
OCTOBER QTH, 1941. Seventh of the Series FLIGHT 235 FRIEND or FOE? American and German Types with Twin Tail Booms LOCKHEED LIGHTNING :Egg-shaped fins and rudders intersected by round tips oftailplane. Nacelle-fuselage ends at trailing-edge. SHE type of aircraft exemplified by the Lockheed Lightning and the Focke-Wulf Fw 189 is one which not only introduces a third style of empennage to this series of articles on identification by tail design, but is one which has aroused a certain amount of discussion on whether it could properly be described as having twin "fuselages" with the pilot housed in a central " nacelle." While a "nacelle" may house gither engine or pilot, the writer holds that a "fuselage" is something more than either an extension of the engine cradle or a streamlined cockpit en- closure attached to a cantilever wing. On this basis, the type in question may more accurately be said to have dis- pensed with a normal fuselage, em- ploying instead twin tail-booms and housing the pilot in a central nacelle- fuselage. From the point of view of appear- ance as it affects the spotter, the chief difference between the Lightning and the Fw 189 is that the former's tail- plane and fin and rudder layout is on the same general lines as a twin-tail unit when attached to a normal fuselage. That of the German machine, however, has the appearance of two typical "single-tail" fins and rudders, with a rectangular tailplane as a bracing member between them. The fins and rudders of the Light- ning, through which project the rounded tips of the tailplane, are egg- shaped and the unit is attached to the extremities of the tail-booms where the horizontal and vertical surfaces intersect. The Focke-Wulf, however, has a sloping leading-edge to its fins, rounded apexes and a vertical trailing- edge to the rudders which is rounded off to blend into the bottom line of the booms. The tailplane is attached about a third of the way up the fins and the elevator is shelved off at each end to give rudder clearance. Although not part of the tail unit, with which this series of articles is primarily concerned, there are two other features contributing to identifi- cation from a rear view of these machines which are worthy of men- tion ; it is the twin tail-boom design, in fact, which renders the first of them so prominent. This is the marked difference between, the single-seater nacelle-fuselage of the American fighter and the multi-seater one of the German machine. The former, in fact, is little it any- bigger than an engine nacelle and is faired off to end at fie trailing-edge of the wing's centre-section. But the Focke-Wulf nacelle-fuselage is not only larger in section, but projects well aft of the trailing-edge and has a generous degree of transparency at its pointed stern, from which a gun can be fired. The other difference lies in the presence, on the tail-booms of the Lightning, of "bulges" approxi- mately amidships. Each boom has a pair of these, but information as to their function is not yet released for publication. The tail-booms of the Focke-Wulf have no such excrescences. Next week: Short Stirling and Focke- Wulf Kurier. FOCKE-WULF Fw 189Straight sloping edge to fins, round apexes and vertical trail-ing edge to rudders. Rectangu- lar tailplane set part-way upfins. Nacelle-fuselage projects behind wing.
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