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spitfire BASTA mod what exactly was it ?


brewerjerry

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Hi All,

The tread on LF spitfires, reminded me of a term i have seen used in the history of some ASR spitfires :-

fuel system and basta mods

Always wondered what the 'basta' mod was, anyone any ideas ?

presumably it is to do with low flying ?

is it the ' clipped and cropped' or is that something different again ?

cheers

jerry

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25lb boost mod?

Hi

Yeah, thanks

co incidently I just found a post by edgar about it on another forum about the basta mod.

but seems it applied to the merlin 45 as well, maybe a smaller boost ?

cheers

jerry

Edited by brewerjerry
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"Spitfire the History" shows the 25lbs boost as being "Basta," but, so far, finding anything with the word "Basta" included has proved frustratingly impossible.

Mod 1096 "To introduce a Merlin engine with 25lbs boost" was issued, for the VIII, IX & XIV (yes, really,) and the Merlin 66, but was eventually made applicable only to the XVI, according to the Vickers ledger, which would make it applicable only to the Merlin 266.

As well as (whatever they were) the modifications to the Merlin, the airframe also needed stronger engine bearers.

Edited by Edgar
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Is this linked to the use of 125/150 octane fuel to chase the V1s? This would permit the use of higher boost - and hence stronger engine bearers. Tis would be associated with the Marks.IX and XIV, but the later restriction to the Mk.XVI doesn't make a lot of sense.

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Hi All

Thanks for the replies, well its still a bit confusing for me as the spitfires I have seen it mentioned in their histories are mark V's with merlin 45, used by an ASR squadron.

but presumably was the same 'type' of mod to the aircraft

cheers

jerry

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The RR Heritage Trust has produced a series of booklets of great interest, the relevant one here being No.2 The Merlin in Perspective - the combat years. In two different places it confirms the link between 25lb boost and 150 grade (strictly 115/150) petrol as arriving in 1944. There's a similar comment on page 318 in Spitfire The History. Neither mentions the code word "Basta" in these comments - I'll obviously have to look further into STH for the link Edgar found. I suspect you will find this in other works, dealing with the Diver campaign which is the reason for the 25lb boost.

There's no hope of the Merlin 45 and its variants achieving 25lb boost, and the column referring to 115/150 fuel is blank for these variants. (Appx VII of the RRHG book.) Quite why any power boost would be required for an ASR squadron is beyond me.

The code word "Basta" does sound similar to the slang term "Buster" for full throttle. It seems unlikely to be a coincidence.

Edited by Graham Boak
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I'll obviously have to look further into STH for the link Edgar found.

Appendix VI, bottom of the page on the Merlin variants.

The code word "Basta" does sound similar to the slang term "Buster" for full throttle. It seems unlikely to be a coincidence.

No idea if it's relevant but "basta" is Italian for "enough." There was also a Czech engineer, Jan Basta, but he died in 1936, so that's a real longshot.

the later restriction to the Mk.XVI doesn't make a lot of sense.

It might, with the extra fuel tank, giving them more time for patrolling, plus them having the gyro gunsight as a must-fit. For some reason, though, low-back Marks were not passed for Service use until the end of 1944, so too late. Edited by Edgar
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"Spitfire the History" shows the 25lbs boost as being "Basta," but, so far, finding anything with the word "Basta" included has proved frustratingly impossible.

Mod 1096 "To introduce a Merlin engine with 25lbs boost" was issued, for the VIII, IX & XIV (yes, really,) and the Merlin 66, but was eventually made applicable only to the XVI, according to the Vickers ledger, which would make it applicable only to the Merlin 266.

As well as (whatever they were) the modifications to the Merlin, the airframe also needed stronger engine bearers.

+25 lbs boost on 100/150 grade was cleared for the Merlin 66 in March 1944 (http://www.spitfireperformance.com/25lbs_approval.jpg) and entered service with the Preddenack Wing's No.'s 1 and 165 Squadrons in May (http://www.spitfireperformance.com/no1_25lbs.jpg). They continued to use it through at least September. The Griffon 65 was tested at +25 lbs boost but was cleared for +21 lbs boost. By the end of February 1945, 2nd TAF's Spitfire IX and XVI wings were all using +25 lbs boost and the mk XIV squadrons at +21 lbs.

ADGB's Mustang III/IV squadrons converted in late February/early March 1945, although No.'s 129, 306, 315 and 316 utilized +25 lbs boost from early July until at least mid-September.

As for the enigmatic 'Basta' modification, I have seen it mentioned with reference to MTO Spitfires but there is absolutely is no evidence that 100/150 grade fuel made it the MTO for either the RAF or USAAF. If the ASR Spitfires were LF IX/XVIs, then it is possible, though unlikely, that they received +25 lbs boost.

All the details (including Mosquito use of +25 lbs boost) are covered here:

http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org/150grade/150-grade-fuel.html

Also, note that USAAF VIIIth Fighter Command converted entirely to 100/150 grade in late June 1944, although the V-1650s in USAAF service were limited to +21 to +22 lbs (72" to 75" Hg) boost.

HTH,

Brent

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Hi

No the ASR spitfires were Mk V aircraft.

so now I wonder if the basta mod was something else ?

cheers

jerry

Jerry,

Purely conjecture, but could 'Basta' be a term related to +18 lbs boost in the Merlin 45M? Or even back to the 1942 increase from +12 to +16 lbs boost on the non-cropped Merlin 40-series?

Brent

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