Spitfire Oxygen Bottle Location

[Brad-M]

Guys,

 

Was the oxygen bottle located in the right side of the cockpit not moved further aft of the fuselage in later models? If so, which model did this occur on?

 

TIA

 

Brad

[spitfire]

Not sure if this is the whole answer but found these in my Edgar files.

 

Difference between early and Late Spitfire IX

 

The "first" 294 were converted from Vc, and some (maybe not all) can be identified, in photographs, by the "carbuncle-like" excrescences on the upper cowling; the serials, for those, are known.
25-9-42 smooth synthetic paints introduced, with consequent filling of rivet divots, and panel lines over the first 20-25% of the wings,.
12-10-42 oxygen bottle moved to rear of fuselage
24-10-42 gun heating introduced (this appears to mean for the outer Brownings, and involved the heating pipe running alongside the 20mm cannon, in the redundant outer cannon compartment.
23-12-43 armament was standardised as 2 x cannon + 4 x .303", which led, for a short time, to the outer cannon fairing, on the l/e, being removed (cancelled 16-11-43.)
5-3-43 Mk.III I.F.F. introduced (bar aerial under starboard wing, instead of twin fuselage wires.)
7-1-44 single (narrow) blister cannon door introduced
13-9-43 Internal painting of fuselage deleted
13-9-43 increased horn balance elevators introduced.
10-6-43 flush rivetting on rear fuselage
7-2-44 "Mk.XII" (pointed) rudder introduced
26-2-44 gunsight dimming screen deleted
11-8-44 u/c indicator rods deleted
24-5-44 first scheme for bomb-carrying introduced
21-2-44 rudder pedal toe straps deleted
21-4-44 E wing conversions introduced
Oct/Nov 43 provision for torque link oleo leg (small triangle removed from the wing by the wheel well.)
27-11-44 extra cowling fasteners fitted
Jul/Aug 44 four-spoke wheel introduced (mandatory for bomb carriers)
25-7-44 modify cowling (bulged upper cowling, caused by the Merlin 266, but done to IX & XVI)
Jun/Jul 45 bulge introduced over wheel well, due to change of wheel tracking
6-8-46 QS (parachute-style) harness introduced
There were plans for bubble-canopy IXs, but no bubble-canopy Spitfires, of any Mark, were passed for Service use before (at least) mid-December 1944. There was no fixed date for the introduction of the gyro gun sight (some pilots didn't like, or want, it.) Apart from the house-brick shape, and size, of the sight, it also had a different style of throttle control, with a pair of cables leading up to the side of the sight; mid -1944 seems the favourite date for its introduction.
I think that's basically it.
Edgar

Posted 24 February 2014 - 06:27 AM

wellsprop, on 23 Feb 2014 - 10:44 PM, said:

I'm not sure, but he may have meant the outer ports for the 303's that need to be removed?

Trevor

I stand to be corrected but they were not removed on the XVI but kept empty. I *believe* that the holes in the leading edge were absent though.

Posted 24 February 2014 - 08:27 AM

Edgar
The redundant gun covers, over the .303" compartments, were replaced by plain examples, so no holes or bumps were present.
There was a third oxygen bottle in the rear fuselage, and all three were replenished through a connection fitted to the starboard cockpit wall.
On the low-back XVI, the l/e holes weren't drilled out, and the outer compartments were far from empty, since they housed two oxygen bottles, and the compressed-air tanks which were removed from the fuselage to make room for the fuel tank behind the pilot.

Cheers

Dennis

 

 

[Brad-M]

Thanks. The info seems a bit vague. I'll keep looking.

 

Cheers

Brad