Sutton-harness in Spitfire XIX and XIV

[hans2000]

I'm currently working on the new Airfix Spitfire XIX and want to add seatbelts to the seat.

Can one use a Sutton-harness in a Spitfire XIX and XIV? And what about a late-war Spitfire IX?

Have got a Eduard-set and a Ultracast-set (resin-seats).

Hans

The Netherlands

[Edgar]

You can use a Sutton in any Spitfire (apart from the low-back XVI & [possibly] low-back XIV,) until August 1946, when the QS took over.
Note that very late-war Suttons', and the QS' "thigh" straps were moved back, and bolted to the corners of the seats, making them hip-straps; this was done to stop pilots lifting, and sliding, out of their seats during negative-G manouevres.
It's impossible to say exactly which seats had this done for the Sutton, since it could be effected by the units, but depended on the thickness of the seat walls. The seats had to be strong enough to use the post-war QS.

On the XIX, the changeover from Sutton to QS was PM564, but remember that Supermarine went "backwards," with their XIX serials, so the RM--- & PS--- serials would have had Suttons, at least until the afore-mentioned August 1946.

Edgar

[Spitfires Forever]

Thanks for the information Edgar, now I can put the Sutton harness in my Meteor Mk I and Mk III.

Cheers

[Edgar]

I wouldn't recommend it, since I've never seen a Sutton in a Meteor, and the Tempest didn't have one, either. As speeds increased, the Sutton seems to have fallen out of favour, and been replaced by what everyone calls the "Q" harness. The only mention, of the harness, in the Meteor III's Pilot's Notes, says "Test lock," which sounds more like the parachute box-type fitting than the Sutton's pin & clip.

Edgar

[Spitfires Forever]

I wouldn't recommend it, since I've never seen a Sutton in a Meteor, and the Tempest didn't have one, either. As speeds increased, the Sutton seems to have fallen out of favour, and been replaced by what everyone calls the "Q" harness. The only mention, of the harness, in the Meteor III's Pilot's Notes, says "Test lock," which sounds more like the parachute box-type fitting than the Sutton's pin & clip.

Edgar

Thanks again Edgar, I posted a topic on the subject of type of harness used in those jets but never got a response to it. I figured the harness would have been a Q type but needed your confirmation.

Cheers

Edited March 26, 2013 by Spitfires Forever