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Vol 2 All the Spitfire questions here


Sean_M

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I suspect that I might have asked the following question in the previous "volume" of this thread. If so, I can't locate it nor, for whatever reason, can I recollect seeing any response. If this is a repetition may I crave your indulgence.

The question is :

After completion of the batch of Vc to IXc "conversions" did the subsequent "early production" IXcs carry the clear (white) light seen on top of the Vc fuselage behind the cockpit ?

Cheers

John

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Hey Troy

Re your enquiry about AB??? in reply #319 above, were my comments in reply #321 above of any use to you :winkgrin:

Cheers

John

yes, thank you, and hopefully others too. I thought I'd clicked the 'like this' but on checking, I hadn't!

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Hi All,

Two new (I hope) questions for you guys...

I've not long just completed a new-tool Airfix Mk Vb as a USAAF machine - Don Gentille's of the 336th FS, Debden, 1942 (here if you want to see it). While researching USAAF Mk V Spitfires I came up with these two issues/questions:

  1. IFF wires. On all the images I have of USAAF machines, I can't see a single instance of tailplane-to-fuselage IFF wires. I can see some images with the fuselage insulator clearly visible, but no wire. On others there's not even the insulator visible. On standard RAF machines of this period I do see a number with IFF in this location. My current understanding is that the under wing dipole installation didn't come in until 1943? So did these USAAF machines not have IFF? And if they did, what was the fitting - is it just co-incidence that all my photos are missing a clear view of the wires? I thought too that a large number of these machines were ex-RAF and operatiing out of the UK I would have assumed they were fitted with the same IFF equipment.
  2. Gun camera ports. On the Mk V airframe this appears to be in the port wing root. I've seen a couple of images where there is clearly some sort of patch over the camera port. Why? It looks like the same sort of patch that's put on over the gun ports. But that makes no sense. Is this as simple as the camera's not fitted so they've put a patch over the hole and used something that was easily to hand? Or what?

Cheers,

Paul.

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I was at duxford today. Can anyone tell me if td314 was a C or E wing. My big spitfire book doesn't say distinguish. Other than a HF going to SAAF in 44, I am non the wiser

It is a completely new build wing configured as a HF Mk IXe as originally built.

'IXc'...who he? I can find no official paperwork for this designation.

PeterA

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Two new (I hope) questions for you guys...

This is where I have to choose my words carefully; the Americans were developing their own version of I.F.F., known as the Mk.IV, with which the British appear not to have been overly impressed, but seem to have left them to get on with what looks to have been a sizeable investment.

What it looked like, I know not; whether it was ever fitted, here, I also know not, but it could explain the lack of wires on U.S.-owned Spitfires. It was also common practice to cover the fuselage holes, and the tailplane fitting with fabric patches, with the camouflage paint touched up to match.

I don't know about the camera, but, if the preferred U.S. type didn't fit (even the voltage difference might count,) taping over the redundant hole would have made sense.

Can anyone tell me if td314 was a C or E wing

All of the IXs delivered, as new, post-war are listed as IXe.
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Sean-M

Just googled spitfire TD314 - many of the links that came up claim that TD314 was a IXe.

This might help.

John

Edit: serial added.

Edited by Sky Pilot
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1. Why doesn't the Tamiya 1/32 IXC seat have padding?

2.anyone recommend a colour in acrylic for the Letters and spinner. it says sky but looking at TD314 the spinner looks much lighter than sky???

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Hello,

Can anyone help me to identify this particular ac please ? ( four guns Vc )...look like EN767 to me ( could be 763 ?) ...

EN76x_zpsjfwpsmfe.jpg

EN76x%20DETAIL_zpsjbhfmk0m.jpg

( my collection // silver print / Vickers Photograph neg# 4946-934 )

many thanks

olivier

Edited by JOAN
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Hello,

Can anyone help me to identify this particular ac please ? ( four guns Vc )...look like EN767 to me ( could be 763 ?) ...

EN76x_zpsjfwpsmfe.jpg

EN76x%20DETAIL_zpsjbhfmk0m.jpg

( my collection // silver print / Vickers Photograph neg# 4946-934 )

many thanks

olivier

Lovely photos, Olivier, thanks for sharing them.

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Lovely photos, Olivier, thanks for sharing them.

Your welcome Steve ! I still have a photo database in mind to share some others I have in my small collection. The great point is the possibility to make some close up with original prints...and the very very good point is the possibility to have some invaluable comments from Edgar and other specialists !! thanks to them !

I definitely love Britmodeller !!

:)

cheers

olivier

Edited by JOAN
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Edgar, any idea what the White 'bandage, around the collars of the cannons is?

Possibly just unpainted tape; there were so many faults found with EN767 that it was rejected as a usable airframe, so it was ordered to be returned to Castle Bromwich, to have the wings removed, put into jigs, and the positions of the ribs (among other things) corrected.
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Possibly just unpainted tape; there were so many faults found with EN767 that it was rejected as a usable airframe, so it was ordered to be returned to Castle Bromwich, to have the wings removed, put into jigs, and the positions of the ribs (among other things) corrected.

Thanks for that, no reason for asking other than being curious!

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just added this to my SAAK Mk VIII thread, but its too interesting not to add here too.

http://saafww2photographs.yolasite.com/johnny-seccombe-italy-album-1.php

pic 20. wingtips

Jonners

there is some thought that the wing tips may not be cropped - just painted in a colour that "happens" to merge in tonally with the background in the BW shot.

I cant make my mind up - but the coloured wing tip idea does make sense.

Jonners

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just added this to my SAAK Mk VIII thread, but its too interesting not to add here too.

http://saafww2photographs.yolasite.com/johnny-seccombe-italy-album-1.php

pic 20. wingtips

Jonners

Nice foto collection! :speak_cool:

But interesting for us ist this here:

two sources and two fotos from the same Spit AC. Both fotos are not the same, note some little perspective differences!

JSI61.jpg

Lt. Dave Hastie (left) & Lt. Sidney "Dick" Richards, with "Billy Boy II" displaying their "kill" markings,

Spitfire Mk.VIII, AX-A, JF406, 1. sqdn, Trigno, Italy, February 1944..

1944-03_Hastie_Richards.jpg

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OK. I know that this has already been discussed I couldn't find it. What were the cockpit colours - was it only Grey-Green under the "glass" or the part occupied by the pilot was green and aft the seat aluminium?

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