wmcgill

The Starboard Formation Keeping Floodlamp (10) is shown in the December 1940 Hurricane Mk.II Pilot's Notes (https://ibb.co/zNJcZL0).

Formation-keeping lamps control, #33 in the March 1940 Hurricane Mk.I Pilot's Notes.

I think your theory about the shielded window being for station keeping (formation) lights, as found on Spitfires for a while, is correct because there actually is a similar one on the starboard side as well. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205208839

I thought AN-L was JG726 (as mentioned above).

Airhistory lists Spitfire Mk.Vc BR483 as the only BR4.. serial number machine to fly with 417 Squadron. But BR4.. AN-V clearly has a B wing in the photos.

Note that the starboard wing is on the right of this photo, with AR-G very close, and the starboard tailplane in the top left corner of the photo. The serial W4783 is in it's normal position.

As mentioned above the Wingleader Lancaster Mk.I/III books have lots of good photos and you can download sample pages from their website... https://wingleader.co.uk/books/lancasterearlywpa5/ (Early Production) https://wingleader.co.uk/books/lancasterlatewpa15/ (Late Production)

Of course you're free to believe whatever you want, but I'm pretty sure what I'm looking at is a roughly painted roundel.

Here's one from the Air Force Museum of New Zealand collection with folded wings (and a rather roughly painted wing roundel). High resolution version can be downloaded from here https://fotoweb.airforcemuseum.co.nz/fotoweb/archives/5003-Search-the-Collection/Collection/PR4367.jpg.info#c=%2Ffotoweb%2Farchives%2F5003-Search-the-Collection%2F%3Fq%3Dcorsair and 267 more RNZAF Corsair photos https://fotoweb.airforcemuseum.co.nz/fotoweb/archives/5003-Search-the-Collection/?q=corsair

I would say, based on photographic evidence, that Spitfire seats had the rear padding fitted. I've certainly never seen a WWII photo showing a Spitfire prototype/Mk.I/II/V/IX seat without padding, but my mind is open to being changed...with evidence.

This logic doesn't quite ring true for me as a reason why there might not be cushioning on the back of the seat because, just like the real Mae West, all the cushioning on the RAF life preserver was in the front. Again, I don't think I have ever seen a WWII era photo showing a Spitfire seat without padding (they were easy to remove and can be seen in various photos showing routine maintenance). The RAF Mae West https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30013157 The real Mae West!

Not interior green in this image of Mk.Ia R6692 from the well known film.

I read this sometimes on here but wonder what proof there is of unpadded Spitfire seats. Even the prototype K5054 seat was padded, based on crash wreckage photo from September 1939. The seat padding recovered from archeological crash digs of Mk.I & Mk.II Spitfires appears very dark, practically black.

I think flat varnish would be a good way of representing the frames. It looks like the seal varied between gray and red brown Many more high resolution color photos here https://catalog.archives.gov/search?page=1&q="Image Courtesy of Mackenzie Bell and Thomas Guffey" B-17

There was a photo of DL-N in Aviation News V15#7 1986 and if I've done things correctly it should appear here. Spitfire Mk.I DL-N from Aviation News V15#7 1986.jpg