Luftwaffe aircraft technical info

[Rheinmetall]

Does anyone know which, if any, of the following Luftwaffe aircraft was equipped to connect to an electrically heated flight suit? And which specific crew positions could be connected (pilot, gunner, etc.)? ------

Bf110
Do17
Do217
Ju87
Ju88

Thank you in advance for any assistance.

[Funksammler]

None, they all used hot air from the engines to heat the crew compartment... It seems the electrical heating only came in on late war models like the Ju388

regards,

Funksammler

Does anyone know which, if any, of the following Luftwaffe aircraft was equipped to connect to an electrically heated flight suit? And which specific crew positions could be connected (pilot, gunner, etc.)? ------

Bf110
Do17
Do217
Ju87
Ju88

Thank you in advance for any assistance.

[Rheinmetall]

I appreciate your response but must respectfully disagree on the grounds that It can be observed in many period photos from 1940 onward where aircrew are clearly wearing flight suits having electrical heating connections (easily seen at lower sleeve and lower leg). So if these suits were being produced and worn at that time then there were certainly aircraft in the early war period that facilitated their use.

Does anyone else have any information on this topic?

[Sergey65]

..

Hello,

I think that since 1940 all of the aircraft listed have had an electrical connector for heating gloves and boots.
At first it was flying suits and then since 1943 separate flight suits (pants + jacket).

My flight heated gloves have a date - October 1940.

Best regards,
Sergey

[Tevion]

Hi,

I think the first heated suits were produced already in 1936/1937.
So I also think there was a electrical heating in all of these planes.

Best regards,
Lukas

[Sergey65]

I am also sure that all crew members (pilot, gunner, etc.) had access to electric heating.

Bomber crew. Here is an example and there are many such examples.

[Funksammler]

Certainly not in the in the aircraft mentioned in the initial query. The Ju88 manual even specifies that the aircraft is flown in summer weight flight suits. Looking forward to seeing your references to the original manuals of early war types with electrical heating....

Funksammler

[Tevion]

Hi,

I quickly checked a Ju88 A1 manual from 1940 and I really couldn't find an explicit entry for electrical heated clothing.

Nevertheless here's an "Heizbekleidungsschalter" from 1940.
https://www.deutscheluftwaffe.de/fl-...sschalter-1940

Because of the FL number 32403-1 I guess there was an previous type of it.

I don't know if this was an standard or optional component of aircrafts but there was an heated flight suit already in 1937 (Heizkombination K20/24).

I also have two pics of early Me-110 crew wearing heating suits.

Best regards,
Lukas

P.S.: The flight suits or more precisely the zippers were also intended to wear a heating suit underneath.

[Funksammler]

There won't be an entry on electrically heated clothing in the Ju88 manuals, as I said before, the Ju88 uses hot air from the engines to heat the cabin (as did the Do17, He111, Ju87 and Bf110). The use of hot air heating has a number of advantages, not just for crew comfort, but to keep windows clear and equipment free from condensation and ice.

I am well aware of the existence of the control box for electrically heated clothing, it does not mean it was universally used; the only aircraft type I have so far identified that actually used it is the Ju 388. There may be other aircraft types that used them but they do not appear to be commonplace.

regards,

Funksammler

[mjfur]

Just about all aircraft used hot air from either the engine/exhaust/radiators for crew heating/wind screen defogging.

The electrically heated flight gear (which for the most part was only the gloves and boots) were just an additional option in addition to "normal aircraft heat" for the crew to use, when the aircraft was equipped with it. They certainly didn't create electrical flight gear in the late 30's, early 40's waiting on the Ju-388 to arrive.

You will see flight crew wearing electrically wired jackets, pants, gloves, boots, etc. because it was "issued" Luftwaffe gear. Some may have never used the "electrically function" of it. A jacket is a jacket when you need one.


Bf 109K Page 9, #6, http://109lair.hobbyvista.com/techre...4_handbuch.pdf

Ta 152 #44 http://aircraft-cockpits.com/ww2_ta152.htm




He 219 - just to the right of the oxygen hose.




Bf 110



Ju 87, just above trim wheel.

[Sergey65]

There won't be an entry on electrically heated clothing in the Ju88 manuals, as I said before, the Ju88 uses hot air from the engines to heat the cabin (as did the Do17, He111, Ju87 and Bf110). The use of hot air heating has a number of advantages, not just for crew comfort, but to keep windows clear and equipment free from condensation and ice.

I am well aware of the existence of the control box for electrically heated clothing, it does not mean it was universally used; the only aircraft type I have so far identified that actually used it is the Ju 388. There may be other aircraft types that used them but they do not appear to be commonplace.

regards,

Funksammler

Hi Funksammler,

Of course, the aircraft cockpits were heated by an engine, radiators of engine cooling systems.
Everyone knows that the most sensitive parts of the human body to cold are the feet and hands. It is clear that electrical fittings on flight jackets, pants, gloves and boots were an addition to the main heating.
Let's not forget what severe frosts are in Russia. And many pilots and crews of the Luftwaffe experienced this on themselves. Plus, if it is a high altitude and a long flight. Therefore, to connect their gloves and boots to electric heating, it depended on the conditions and preferences.
So these systems could be on any type of LW aircraft IMO.

Best regards,
Sergey

[Funksammler]

Hi Funksammler,

Of course, the aircraft cockpits were heated by an engine, radiators of engine cooling systems.
Everyone knows that the most sensitive parts of the human body to cold are the feet and hands. It is clear that electrical fittings on flight jackets, pants, gloves and boots were an addition to the main heating.
Let's not forget what severe frosts are in Russia. And many pilots and crews of the Luftwaffe experienced this on themselves. Plus, if it is a high altitude and a long flight. Therefore, to connect their gloves and boots to electric heating, it depended on the conditions and preferences.
So these systems could be on any type of LW aircraft IMO.

Best regards,
Sergey

It is not about opinion, but wether we can find evidence of the electrical heating in the aircraft manuals. The majority of aircraft types (and I have reviewed about 10 now) show no trace of an electrical heating installation but you will be happy to learn that I have now found evidence in a second type, the Messerschmitt Bf 110 C which was a relatively early war type.

regards,

Funksammler

[Sergey65]

It is not about opinion, but wether we can find evidence of the electrical heating in the aircraft manuals. The majority of aircraft types (and I have reviewed about 10 now) show no trace of an electrical heating installation but you will be happy to learn that I have now found evidence in a second type, the Messerschmitt Bf 110 C which was a relatively early war type.

regards,

Funksammler

I think, regardless of various points of view, the Rheinmetall was satisfied with the answers to the question posed by him IMO

Best regards,
Sergey

[Rheinmetall]

I think, regardless of various points of view, the Rheinmetall was satisfied with the answers to the question posed by him IMO

Best regards,
Sergey

Yes, I appreciate all responses to this thread. Thank you to mjfur for the cabin photos which clearly prove those specific aircraft were equipped with this feature and also to Funksammler for citing the information found within the manuals mentioned.

It would be interesting to know what other aircraft can be proven to have had the electrical heating option so if anyone finds any further information on this topic please post here.

[mjfur]

Yes, I appreciate all responses to this thread. Thank you to mjfur for the cabin photos which clearly prove those specific aircraft were equipped with this feature and also to Funksammler for citing the information found within the manuals mentioned.

It would be interesting to know what other aircraft can be proven to have had the electrical heating option so if anyone finds any further information on this topic please post here.

The Heizbekleidungsschalter wasn't installed in each and every aircraft. Some Bf 109s, Ju-87s, etc. had it, some didn't. The same could be said for each different type of aircraft. Most likely it was more common in aircraft from the mid-war time period onward.



This electrically wired jacket was dated April 42.