
German Landing Gear,
Design and Testing
BIOS 251
Reported by
Mr. P.H.
Watson (R.A.E.)
Mr. S.A.
Makovski (R.A.E.)
Royal
Aircraft Establishment
Farnborough
Hants
BIOS Target
Numbers
C25/554,
25/203, C25/560, 25/110
3.2 Short
visits and enquiries were made at the following targets:
-
25/10/45
V.D.M. Hedderheim
Herr Pleimes C25/560
-
26/10/45
Hutchinson Gummi Werke Mannheim Dr. F Huslacher
-
29/10/45
Elektron G.m.b.H. Bad Cannstadt
Ch.Ing. Burkhardt 25/110
-
30/10/45
Veith Gummi Werke, Höchst in Odenwald Herr Turner
-
1/11/45
Deutsche Dunlop, Hanau Herr
Turner?, Dr. Kramer, Herr Fitjer (Late Landing gear Specialist of Rechlin)
Keywords:
Object of investigations; the object is to ascertain German experience of
aeroplane undercarrages and their methods of design; Outstanding troubles .. due
to the very high landing speed - up to 150 m.p.h. (360 km/h); Structure german
methods of construction followed orthodox practice generally except for their
much use of welding including flesh welding. In this respect they were much more
advanced than British practice and probably as much as American; V.D.M.
Grossauheim, near hanau, This firm was also known as Continental Metall A.G. and
made landing gear and shock absorbers, wheels, brakes and hydrolic equipment;
main undercarrage tailwheels Me.110, Fieseler Storch Main undercarrage and
nosewheel unit He.219 and He.280 (jet tricycle limited number) and main
undercarrage Ju88, Ju188 and Ju388 - Ju52 and Ju252 - Me.210 and Me.410 - Me163
- FW189 - He.111 and He.177; He.162 and Me.109 was Elma unit; Siemens Flash
Welding ...; Shock Absorbers .. the early type of shock absorber made by this
firm was the Faudi or V.D.M. type which uses air only as in the Avro Anson type
unit .. ; Elma G.m.b.H. Waiblingen .. F.W.190 and F.W.152 ... main undercarrage
Me109, FW190, FW152, Do335, Me262, Ar234 .... ; The plant was well equipped foor
welding and there were A.E.G. flash welding machines .. ; According to the chief
engineer very extensive tests had been made on flash welding before it was
adopted ... ; The new test building had been constructed to contain two drop
testing machines, a 150 ton press and a pulsator for fatique tests .. The normal
endurance test was taken as 10,000 strokes; Design of shock absorbers .... its
main advantage were stated to be the ease of production and small hydrolic fluid
content .. The use of grease was not favoured .. ; It appeared that that
the large drag forces ... ; ..... but failing this prerotation of wheels was
considered desirable ... ; Shimmy Nosewheel shimmy had caused a certain amount
of trouble which was cured by hydrolic shimmy dampers ... ; Landing gear layout
... ; Strength under landing conditions .. ; strangth under taxying conditions
.. ; Aircraft wheels; Wheel brakes ..
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