Why is it upside down???

[KevinB]

I didn't mention earlier. I've been told the inverted V gives better visibility over the nose from the pilots perspective.

I know some of the late Spanish built 109's had merlins in them. Was the Merlin converted to run in an upside-down configuration in this setup? anyone with Pics or knowledge of how this was accomplished?

KB

[Denniss]

Originally Posted by KevinB

I didn't mention earlier. I've been told the inverted V gives better visibility over the nose from the pilots perspective.

I know some of the late Spanish built 109's had merlins in them. Was the Merlin converted to run in an upside-down configuration in this setup? anyone with Pics or knowledge of how this was accomplished?

KB

Bf 109 with RR Merlin does not look very decent:
Buchon 109 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Hispano Aviación HA-1112 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[GADGET]

The Hispano Aviación Buchones has a regular Merlin engine with no special conversions on them. Those Merlins also had propellers that turned in anticlockwise direction, the opposite the airplane was designed for, so making those Messer very tricky to fly and specially during take-off.

Armament of the Buchones has to be placed on the wings as there was no provision on their Merlin engines for a centershot cannon. I have been told by pilots who flew them that gunnery was on the trcky side due to assymetrical vibration and ammo stoppage of a single cannon made hitting a target impossible due to the induced yaw of the other cannon.

[The Basket]

Didn't the prototype 109 fly with a RR Kestrel which must have been fitted uninverted. So the engineers would have had to redesign the engine installation for the RR 109s and the DB 109s. No easy fit.

I have read nothing saying the original 109 was ever intended for night fighters so not sure about the exhaust configuration.

[antoni]

Originally Posted by The Basket

Didn't the prototype 109 fly with a RR Kestrel which must have been fitted uninverted. So the engineers would have had to redesign the engine installation for the RR 109s and the DB 109s. No easy fit.

I have read nothing saying the original 109 was ever intended for night fighters so not sure about the exhaust configuration.

The first intened engine, BMW 116 was rejected but its replacement, Jumo 210, was not yet available. With the help of Ernst Heinkel several RR Kestrel IIS engines were obtained.

RR had originally proposed, with the agreement of the Air Ministry, that the new engine that would later be known as the Merlin, have an inverted installation in order to provide improved visibility to pilots plus other sound technical reasons. In general, the airframe manufacturers at the time were totally opposed when a mockup was revealed to them at the end of 1932. An inverted installation invoved too many akward design problems. The new engine was revised for upright installation.