Spitfire Gurus, where are you

[Calum]

Hi All

I working on a 485 Sqn Mk 9 Spitfire. I wanted to do NH432/OU-D which was flown by Max Collet.

The aeromaster sheet mentions that

"This C wing A/C had the 20mm guns moved to the outer bays and a 50 caliber M.G. installed inboard."

This site www.ipmscanada.com/threads/th29-Spitfire%20c%20vs%20e%20wing-01.html

seems to explain things well.

But I'd like some pictures of this set up, particularly the installation of the 0.50 cal guns.

Typically I was all ready to paint this thing and I noticed the small print. :shithappens:

Any one able to help?

Thanks

[AnonymousA667]

Sounds like an 'e' wing to me! The cannons are in the outboard position and the .5's are placed in the inner station, firing through the stub. The stub front is without the hemisphere usually found on it. If your wing is configured as the 'c' you will need to remove and re-position the cannon bulges to the outer station.

peebeep

[Dave Fleming]

There were some 'c' wing aircraft modified to 'e' wing, can't recall the exact details

[Edgar]

To do the conversion, the cannon was moved out, and back, so that the ammunition fed from the rear compartment of the ammo bay. This meant, too, that the fairing, on the l/e, was slightly shorter than with the "C" armament. The .5" would have taken the inboard (forward) position, and taken the ammunition from the front tray, in the bay. Although the fairing, for the .5", was left open, it would have been covered by tape, before a sortie, just like the .303".

The "C" wing was, in fact, known as the "universal" wing, so could take .303", .5", and 20mm cannon in the main compartment. It's very unlikely that the a/c would still have had the .303" in the outer bays, so the muzzle holes, and the ejection slots, underneath, would, probably, have been permanently sealed by tape. I'm not sure if I have any photos of "E" wing armament, so I'll have to check.

Edgar

Edited September 25, 2007 by Edgar

[miduppergunner]

I have two small drawings but suggest we wait until Edgar surfaces - I suspect he has some useful info!

David.

[Test Graham]

The universal wing was not intended to have 0.5s, and there was a modification kit produced to make it possible. Which made it non-universal..... so an e wing is just that.

[Calum]

Thanks Guys

I also posted this on a Kiwi aviation forum and got some good info

Thread is here for those interested

HERE

[Edgar]

One thing that you need to be clear on; Castle Bromwich never built a dedicated "E" wing, and there is no mention, anywhere, in Vickers' mod book, of an "E" mod, or even the .5" gun. All Merlin-engined IXs & XVIs had the universal wing, and, even though the outboard compartments might not have held guns, the covers were still there. On late XVIs the outer compartments held oxygen, and compressed air, bottles. Only Supermarine-built XIVs (some) and XVIIIs (all) had "E" wings with just the main gunbays, and nothing outboard. I have found a book, with some photos of "E" armament, in place, so, if you'd like scans, let me have an E-mail address for them. According to one book some of 485's IXs were not converted, but were built with "E" armament already in place, and they flew them, as L.F.IXEs, from some time in 1944 until February 1945.

Oh, yes, And I've just had confirmation that the reason for moving the .5" guns forward was to make cocking them much easier. When the guns were tight against the rear of the bay, the groundcrew couldn't get to the cocking lever, very easily; it needed some considerable force to move it, and they often skinned their knuckles. They were given a lanyard, to do the job, but found that they cut into their hands, so most hooked their forage caps over the lever, and pulled on that.

Edgar