[DFS.228 tail Section]

There was a need to bring the weight of the Walter 109-509.D motor forward, close to the centre of gravity. Fitting the main body of the motor was possible in the rear fuselage behind the wing, but the rocket motor's thrust tube was then not long enough for the existing combustion chamber to reach the tail.

Therefore, Walterwerke modified a motor, the combustion chamber being suported by a small thrust N-frame attached to the reinforced fuselage frame near the tail, fitting to brackets welded onto the outer side of the combustion chamber. The C-Stoff and T-Stoff pipes had to be lengthened. Also visible in the photograph is a longitudinally running piece of metal, which Cobb describes as a thirteen feet, nine inch long thrust bearer.


 
 
[Walter HWK 109-509.D in situ in the DFS.228]

The illustration above is a photograph taken of the HWK 109-509.D in situ in the DFS.228 fuselage - to orientate you, this view is taken from the starboard side, looking across to the port side, with the nose to the right, and the tail to the left.

Although it is not very clear from this picture, Walterwerke seem to have completely re-arranged a large number of components. That the motor is derived from an A.2 series is shown by the T-Stoff gravity starting tank, which can be seen at the top of the steam generator. However, the steam control valve, (just visible) is set in a different position, and the C-Stoff fuel filter -on the left of the picture- is tilted up.

Much of the interesting detail is obscured by a welded tube-framed cradle. Beeton makes no mention of it, but The author of the Foreign Aircraft Bulletin 23 "DFS 228 Stratospheric Reconnaissance Aircraft" says that the HWK 109-509.D had pressurised fuel tanks to drive the fuel to the fuel pump. He suggests that at the extreme altitude, the Walter screw pumps would not develop sufficient draw to bring fuels to the centrifugal outflow pumps. The cradle could be the correct shape for a cylinder of compressed gas for tank pressurisation - equally though, the bottle could just as easily be part of the environmental system for the pilot, in his pressurised cockpit.


 
 
 
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