Fw.58 Weihe undercarriage variations?

[Bonehammer]

Hi all,

I was looking at an Fw.58 walkaround and it seems that there were two different undercarriages: a "standard" one, with a single leg holding the wheel on one side) and another one with a "stirrup" holding the wheel. Does anyone know which version carried which type? I'm especially interested in the Austrian and Brazilian exported aircrafts.

[Jure Miljevic]

Hello Bonehammer

I understand at least one Fw 58 A-0 (D-ALEX, Kurt Tank's personal transport, later KK+UB) had been for a period of time reequipped with new, single leg type undercarriage. Versions B, C and G all had ˝stirrup˝ undercarriages, but single leg type reappeared on KL version. Austrians Weihen were of KE-1, -2 and -3 types, but judging by the photo of one of them here, they had been equipped the older type of undercarriage. There are photos of Brazilian example (the last of the type still in existence) on the same webpage just below the Austrian ones, but at least this one has single leg type undercarriage. Cheers

Jure

Edited August 26, 2018 by Jure Miljevic
new information added and some spelling errors corrected

[Bonehammer]

Hi Jure,

thanks for the info, it suits my purpose as all kits I've seen so far have the 'stirrup' arrangement (if there is a technical term I'll be glad to learn it!). There's also a very well preserved Weihe wreck at the bottom of a lake and it has the single leg, too.

[Graham Boak]

I suggest that the "stirrup" part of the undercarriage is known as a "forked" leg.  This and the equivalent "half stirrup" were quite common on aircraft of the period, such as the Magister or the MC202.  However the undercarriage of the Weihe is more distinct than that, being a structure involving an offset pivot point rather than a simple oleo cylinder.  In that way, it is comparable to the Dowty undercarriage seen on the Halifax Mk.V.  The Dowty example is referred to as a levered suspension system, but I suspect that whereas that of the Weihe employed a similar principle, it may not have shared the term.