SSW D.III instruments?

allanflowers · 11 August 2009, 09:14 AM

I am trying to determine the instruments shown in these photos of the Siemens Schuckert D.III cockpit. I see a compass on the right side down low, above it in the corner looks like airspeed maybe.
On the left side corner it looks like a Bosch switch. Down below on the left is what? Altimeter, Tachometer,??

John McKenzie · 11 August 2009, 10:38 AM

Hi , LH phots ...This is an " Altimetre" ...Held by three "bungee" spring-rubbers ....
RH photo..This is a "Tachometre "....Cant remember the make off hand , as all my SSW research is put away , (However , it's not Morell/ Phylax Type...It was only used on SH III motor I think ).
Regards , John .

John McKenzie · 11 August 2009, 10:46 AM

ALSO...LH photo ....Yes ,this is a Bosch Ing. switch , .The "key" has been taken out (Std., safety measure ) and hangs upon the chain .
Regards

John

John McKenzie · 11 August 2009, 11:07 AM

Sorry.... The key has NOT been taken out of the switch...

joegertler · 11 August 2009, 12:04 PM

I cannot see it very clearly, but I'm fairly certain that the tachometer, in upper right cockpit, is an "Original Bruhn" tach, as it shows the double windows for the rotating numeral counters. The word "Original" is part of the name, as "Original Bruhn" is the way the manufacturer's name appears on the tach face, also stating that is is made in Berlin.

allanflowers · 12 August 2009, 06:09 PM

Thanks, guys.

allanflowers · 13 September 2009, 07:53 AM

As my model progresses, I am interested in several details. I am assuming that the D.III had metal nails to help attach the skins, like K. Mayrhofer's Albatri. I don't know if they would even show under the dark stain but they might. I can indicate them with silver (or goldish) dots maybe.
Another issue is the rib stitching and tapes. I am planning on stitches every 1/2" (1/6th scale > 3" full scale) and tape about 4mm wide (24mm full scale). Does that sound about right to you historians?
My 3-views and photos don't show any weights, etc. on the fuse side like most German fighters although I have seen a plastic model recently on this site that has some. Any thoughts on this? Also, anybody with a Siemens nameplate information for the fuselage side/right front?
I would be very appreciative of any facts you might have. Thanks.

John McKenzie · 13 September 2009, 08:34 AM

Hi , in most cases the suposed " Dark stain " is NOT in fact stain at all , but is an " Apparent " darkness caused by the type of film used , whereby " yellow " and to an even greater extent , "orange " ,( or red hughed shades ) colourings come out dark to almost black on the final print .
Thus the serial numbers etc on the fin , and the weights table , painted in black lettering over a ( yellow /orange ) shellac varnished fuselage ,are virtualy indistinguishable from the background and appear invisable .
Had the fuselage REALY been dark stained (and as some camouflaged pattern painted Rol.D VI etc ) then more probably , these letterings would have been marked in a lighter (white/L blue ) colour ....As it was ,and in REALITY , on SSW , the black letters showed up quite clearly against the fuselage / fin ....Regards John .
PS . as there are no colour photos ,!, NO one can be 100% certain on these things..so take it FWIW to you

allanflowers · 13 September 2009, 01:20 PM

John, you were of great help on the instruments but I am not so sure about this last post. Mr. Bennett had been clear in his writings that the SSWs were very dark stained and I think he is correct. Also, when I look at some other period photos of Albatros aircraft on this site (Hintsch or Krefft?) it is very clear that a plain yellow wood fuselage doesn't photograph that dark at all.
Any other opinions on this?

allanflowers · 15 September 2009, 01:11 PM

Maybe I should attempt to rephrase at least part of my question from post #7.
On the fuselage side weight table, although I have poured over every photo I can of any D.III or D.IV available, I have not seen any evidence whatsoever of such lettering. There are some of these photos of lighter color airplanes so the dark stain (or photo distortion - whatever) cannot be used as an argument for the lettering not showing. One of the pix, on page 1 of the Windsock Data File, is so close and so clear that no one could claim that the table is there. It simply isn't.
I have come to the conclusion that the assumption that any such lettering exists on a D.III or D.IV fuselage is purely conjectural.
Now it is entirely possible that the photos available to me are not of sufficient resolution to show the lettering. It is also possible that there is other evidence unavailable to me (official documents, first hand accounts, etc.) that may support the case for such lettering.
If anyone has any information of such evidence, please let me know. I have noticed that the most widely referenced drawings of the SSW's, by people like Bennett, Abbott, and Pearson, DO NOT show the weight tables either.