John Hollway

I am hoping someone can can help me with some questions regarding the different mounts for the GGS in Spitfire IX. There seems to be at least two quite different mounts: One has a triangular (side profile) bracket attached to the top of the instrument panel. This is the style in the Tamiya 1/32 kit and the Barracuda resin sets. The other is a tubular bracket that attaches to the cockpit sides under the windscreen quarter panels. This is the style in the LF IX e (TE 565) in the WWP book and also illustrated in the SAM publication on Merlin Spitfires. The ancillaries, such as dimmer switches and spare bulbs, are in different locations as well, but the identical sight unit GGS Mk IId appears in both configurations. Does anyone know whether the different mounts indicate early versus late production or retro-fit? I think TE 565 was a very late production Mk IX so this might indicate that the tubular mount was a late production configuration. Yet the fabricated bracket with the triangular side profile also appears in later aircraft like the DH Hornet just to confuse matters. Hoping someone can help clear this up. Thanks.

Thanks for the link guys. An interesting thread with a considerable divergence of views! The only image I couldn't open was the drawing that Edgar Brooks posted. Not sure if it has been deleted or if I am having finger trouble. I think the only safe conclusion is that there were a lot of possible configurations for hanging rockets on Hunters plus a number of different racks and rails. I am assuming the rack/rail was the same regardless of whether you hung one or two rockets from it?

Hi All, I am hoping to finish my Revell 1/32 FGA.9 as XF523 as it appeared in the early 60's with 54Sqn, looking thoroughly warlike with 16 x 3in rockets mounted in double tiers. Does anyone know of an aftermarket set with the appropriate mounts, rails and rockets? Alternatively, does anyone know of any close-up photos or drawings of the rails and mounts and the two-tier rocket set-up? I have looked at the Fisher Models Meteor set but they are quite a different mount and rail. TIA

Thanks for checking. The reason I ask is that cockpit photos in the 4+ book seem to show both SN329 and NV778 fitted with the GGS-style mounting bracket. I'm not sure if this was fitted as part of the TT Mk5 conversion process or did they get these brackets on the line at Langley? The GGS bracket would not have been much use for either the Type I Mk III or the Type IIL. Then again, I can't find any photos of 2TAF aircraft where the GGS is clearly fitted I'm looking for an excuse to fit my PCM Tempest V with the GGS.

Does anyone know if any of the Tempest Mk V used on operations by 2TAF were fitted with the Gyro Gunsight unit ?