Hi there

Can anyone help me out with some photos of the FuG 217 Neptun search radar aerial-array on the underside of Fw 190As like these on Eagle Cals' sheet?



Maybe there were variations in the layout - I've got a number of conflicting refs (drawings and photos) - but so far I haven't come across a really clear wartime photo to help me decide what to do on my model.

Thanks in advance and all the best

Rowan

Hi Rowan!

The only refs I found were in the "Squadron" books ("Walk Around" and "in action"). I suppose you have them already...

Is it the way the antennas are attached on the underside of the wings or the fuselage you want pictures of?

Sorry but I can't help you much on this one...

Jean-Luc

Hi Rowan, there are a couple of photos here,
www.choiquehobbies.com.ar/revista/notas/nj/nje.htm
Hope this helps .
Andy

Hi Jean-Luc and Andy

Many thanks for replying. This build just goes to show that you can never take anything for granted in modelling! I should have known better by now, but I thought positioning the aerials would be the easy bit... :-)

Andy - many thanks for the link to José's beautiful model. I have to say I think he's mis-interpreted the reference photos as regards the lower aerials being positioned behind the drop tank.

The following pics will explain my quandery. Eagle Editions have very generously sent me a copy of their stunning book - JG 300 Vol. 1. (This is going off-topic but, suffice to say, this is far and away the best reference on this unit I've ever seen and I'll be reviewing it very soon.) Anyway, in the book is a pretty clear photo of the aerials under the starbord wing of one of the unit's A-5s:



This seems to be backed up by A.L. Bentley's classic drawing drawings which appeared in Scale Models way back in 1978 (hence the nicely yellowed page!):



Strangely enough, José depicts the aerials in this configuration on his 1/72 scale Academy kit.

But here's the fly in the ointment. :-) I'm basing my build on an original TriMaster Fw190 A-8. It's actually "A-7-ready" in terms of the mounting holes for the pitot tube etc... and it must have been released as a nightfighter at some point, because it has the positions marked for the aerials. The trouble is, on the underside, it has two sets of angled aerials (sort of mirroring the upper-surface configuration)!:



I guess, if nothing else turns up to the contrary , I'll go with Mr Bentley.

All the best

Rowan

Well, I'm no expert, as you know, but I'm not sure we are talking about the same radar installation here. The FuG 217, is noted as a rear attack warning radar, in references I've found, so the under fuselage rear mount makes sense, I think the dual array wing mount is for a different purpose ? But what do I know ?

I think perhaps the dual array wing mount is a targeting radar configuration for the nightfighter ?

Then of course there is this:

Hi Rowan,

Being a big fan of the Fw-190 (7 built, 19 in stash).
I had a look through some of my books and came up with a picture in 'Schiffer Millitary History Vol.46' The Fw-190, on page 32 there is a close up of the port (left) wing root area that only shows antennas above the wing defiantly none below. This is a Fw-190A-6 of 1/NJGr10 with wing tanks, theres also the same picture thats on Andy's link showing aircraft White? 11, which is also an A-6.
However the antenna layout on the wing is slightly different with 'White? 11' having three antenna while the other has three plus one in line with the others but mounted further back above the flaps.

Sorry I cannot supply you with pictures but I dont have access to a scanner.

Now I've mudded the water so to speak I will do some more checking through books tomorrow.

Ciao and good luck.
Luciano

Hi Chuck

You quoted back to yourself exactly what I was going to use to help explain the confusion as to whether we're talking about tail-warning or search radar. :-)

But, of course, they don't mention the aerials on the underside... Nooooo.... :-)

Cheers Luciano - no, I can't find any pics of aerials under the port wing either...

All the best

Rowan

Oh lets muddy the waters some more :


:-)

:-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

Pics! I want pics! :-) I presume TriMaster based their ideas on something... I just can't find it! LOL! To be honest, you haven't muddied the water for me any more than it was already - hence my original post:




All the best

Rowan