Vol 2 All the Spitfire questions here

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Hello its me again, after looking at the images from this link.
 

https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/threads/spitfire-fr-ix-iff-radios-carried.16552/#lg=post-446663&slide=1

 

Image #3:

A close up of the Starboard wing of the plane i am building coded red”X” has an oddity that im curious about. There is an antenna below the wing outboard of the cannons behind the M.G.’s. It is about 8”-12” long and pointing down. What is it for, and how come I've never seen one before on any spitfire photo ? The link is discussing IFF Radio’s and Pr/Fr aircraft. Is it an IFF antenna ? 
 

Dennis

 

PS- If Im not allowed to post images from the tread I will remove it, please let me know. 

[303sqn]

26 minutes ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

 

 Is it an IFF antenna ? 
 

Dennis

 

PS- If Im not allowed to post images from the tread I will remove it, please let me know. 

Yes.

[alt-92]

And of course, it's relatively small and loses definition in pictures even if it gets past the censor.

[Seawinder]

That's the relocated IFF antenna that replaced the tail-to-fuselage wires in 1943. Pretty much standard for Mk. IXs and beyond.

[Ray_W]

Carrying on with the IFF discussion. What did the cockpit installation look like in Spitfire for this version of IFF? What was it the IFF Mk III? We know the earlier version well, mounted in front of the spare bulbs and morse key with its circular red and white dial face. What about this type? Purely electrical, simple switch or more complicated? Seems plenty of discussion on aerials but what did the pilot have in front of him?

Ray

[Magpie22]

Installation in Spitfire VIII.

 

External.

 

Internal. Items 68 and 69 are IFF.

[fastterry]

Interesting question. Having a look through the SAM books on the Merlin & Griffon Spits it appears that there is a small horizontal panel with two switches adjacent, just behind the undercarriage selection lever on the stbd side of the cockpit. Some photos have the panel in red with danger written in white. Under the panel there are two cylindrical objects marked as IFF push buttons. The two switches adjacent are marked as IFF main switch and IFF distress switch. As I was typing this Magpie 22 has supplied the illustration. Talk about teamwork.

TRF  

[Magpie22]

"As I was typing this Magpie 22 has supplied the illustration. Talk about teamwork."

 

That's what we Aussies are all about!!

Peter M

[Ray_W]

1 hour ago, Magpie22 said:

"As I was typing this Magpie 22 has supplied the illustration. Talk about teamwork."

 

That's what we Aussies are all about!!

Peter M

Excellent work. Thanks again Peter!

[Wez]

On bubble canopied aircraft, what was the surface finish of the fuselage behind the headrest under the canopy on those aircraft painted in aluminium?  Was it also aluminium or was it black or grey-green?

[Graham Boak]

Aluminium would have been too bright.  I'd say the adjacent camouflage colour.

[Wez]

28 minutes ago, Graham Boak said:

Aluminium would have been too bright.  I'd say the adjacent camouflage colour.

But what about aluminium finished aircraft? There's no adjacent camouflage colour, it's aluminium paint.

 

I agree that aluminium would be too bright, possibly so grey-green.

Edited April 12, 2020 by Wez

[Dave Fleming]

8 minutes ago, Wez said:

But what about aluminium finished aircraft? There's no adjacent camouflage colour, it's aluminium paint.

 

I agree that aluminium would be too bright, possibly so grey-green.

HK mk 24s appears to have been silver.

 

https://flypast.keypublishing.com/2018/10/18/photo-of-the-week-hong-kong-spitfire/

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 12, 2020 by Dave Fleming

[Peter Roberts]

Just occurred to me - the Mk IX FR 'dicer' aircraft, the so called pink Spitfires - had both cameras and guns. Photos of the camera controls in PR Spitfires show them positioned where the gun sight is usually situated. So where are the camera controls placed when the gun sight is retained?

[Dave Fleming]

It might also depend if they were factory painted or repainted in service

[Wez]

21 minutes ago, Dave Fleming said:

HK mk 24s appears to have been silver.

 

https://flypast.keypublishing.com/2018/10/18/photo-of-the-week-hong-kong-spitfire/

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks Dave.

14 minutes ago, Dave Fleming said:

It might also depend if they were factory painted or repainted in service

I don't think that would matter, I would expect them to have taken the canopy off to repaint the aircraft anyway.

16 minutes ago, Peter Roberts said:

Just occurred to me - the Mk IX FR 'dicer' aircraft, the so called pink Spitfires - had both cameras and guns. Photos of the camera controls in PR Spitfires show them positioned where the gun sight is usually situated. So where are the camera controls placed when the gun sight is retained?

As they're effectively Tactical Reconnaissance aircraft they were more likely to run into trouble so I would expect them to retain the gunsight, the camera controls would have to go elsewhere.

[Graham Boak]

So if the adjacent colour is Aluminium, paint it Aluminium.  I don't see the problem?  OK, I was thinking entirely of camouflaged aircraft.

[Work In Progress]

5 hours ago, Wez said:

On bubble canopied aircraft, what was the surface finish of the fuselage behind the headrest under the canopy on those aircraft painted in aluminium?  Was it also aluminium or was it black or grey-green?

On all of them it was just whatever the rest of the rear fuselage was, there was no demarcation between the skin covered by the canopy and the rest of the aeroplane

[Wez]

9 minutes ago, Work In Progress said:

On all of them it was just whatever the rest of the rear fuselage was, there was no demarcation between the skin covered by the canopy and the rest of the aeroplane

I thought that was probably the case but just wanted to check, thanks for the confirmation.

[Peter Roberts]

 

Wez, yes, the camera controls would have to have gone elsewhere. My question is, does anyone know where?

[Wez]

4 minutes ago, Peter Roberts said:

 

Wez, yes, the camera controls would have to have gone elsewhere. My question is, does anyone know where?

 Probably just a simple switch linked to the gun fire button, fly at a fixed altitude and attitude, let the camera roll...

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

1 hour ago, Wez said:

 Probably just a simple switch linked to the gun fire button, fly at a fixed altitude and attitude, let the camera roll...

I was thinking the same thing, a second switch/trigger/button on the grip would be the most likely position. Too awkward to be reaching and throwing switches. All while trying to maintain altitude, attitude, all while your counting or watching for the target to disappear under the wing. 

[Peter Roberts]

Have been tidying up several memory cards of photos and came across some shots of the Spitfire Mk II at the AWM. This one may be of interest following up the earlier posts here- later IFF aerial retrofitted to the Mk II there.

 

[Ray_W]

I have a question for searching these threads "with all the questions". Is there an easy way. I find if I use the likes of Google and put in "Britmodeller" I can quickly go to a unique thread and usually find what I want but if I am pointed at these "all in" threads I will often go to page 1. Must be doing something wrong. I am trying to not repeat a subject covered already. For example, and my current question, Spitfire MkVIII navigation lights. The underway lights as provided by Eduard the tip round hole.

 

 

Was not used by RAAF VIII's

 

 

First question - simply blanked and painted over and second - what was their purpose anyway - Navigation, IFF, signalling?

 

Apologies if already covered.

 

Ray.

[fastterry]

Curly questions. The kit has holes in both sides ie port & stbd and there are 'lights' there on the restored MkVIII flying out of Tamora in NSW. On the photo I have they look like navigation lights because one is green/blue and the other is red. I don't know if the restoration team converted the existing into nav lights or they were always like that. Strange that they need the extra nav lights as I always thought that they didn't fly Spitfires at night because they were hard enough to land in daylight. After the early models they removed the underwing landing lights as being superfluous. HTH

TRF