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Hurricane pilot oxygen tube?


Basilisk

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Like the Spitfire, the Hurricane had one too, but I struggle to get information how it was entering the cockpit.

The oxygen bottle was behind the seat as can be seen on the Finnish Hurricane undergoing restoration.

IMG_1687.jpg

This is the only picture I could find showing the tube dangling down the seat.

hur_f1.jpg

How does it get there from behind the seat? on the port or starboard side? It looks the valve on the bottle is on the starboard side, but the tube ends up on the port side of the seat...

It would be great if anyone could shed some light onto this.

Many thanks, Peter

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I don't know if you are doing a Mk.I or Mk.II but they appear different - According to the MK.I pilot's manual there is a bayonet fitting for the hose just above the throttle, 59 in this picture from the manual. Your picture is a Mk.II(to IV) and 6 in that picture is the supply cock for the oxygen, but there seems to be no other mention of the oxygen in the MK.II manual, unless I'm missing it.

Cokcpit33a.jpg

Edited by Tbolt
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I assumed it is the same for all Marks, but that is obviously not the case. I am looking for the Mk.I fitting, so thanks for pointing out the difference. I assume it is a fix pipe from the oxygen tank to the bayonet fitting No.59.

Is the tube to the mask then part of the pilots gear and not left behind in the cockpit as is the case with the Spitfire?

Cheers, Peter

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I assumed it is the same for all Marks, but that is obviously not the case. I am looking for the Mk.I fitting, so thanks for pointing out the difference. I assume it is a fix pipe from the oxygen tank to the bayonet fitting No.59.

Is the tube to the mask then part of the pilots gear and not left behind in the cockpit as is the case with the Spitfire?

Cheers, Peter

To be honest I don't know if it's a pipe or hose to the cylinder, but yes as far as I know the hose would stay attached to the pilot's mask - you can see the long straight oxygen hose dangling from the pilot's mask here.

hurricane-pilot.jpg

Edited by Tbolt
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As shown in the photo posted above by Tbolt, the early Hurricane pilot oxygen tube was attached to the mask and was connected to the bayonet fitting on the port cockpit 'shelf' once the pilot was seated in the cockpit. Later, at some point during the overlap of very late Mk I and early Mk II production the oxygen system was modified whereby the supply hose was attached to the left shoulder strap of the Sutton harness and the pilots' mask hose connected to this via a simple bayonet connector.

I'm not sure of the date this was initiated but I could check my Mod lists and find out.

HTH

Cheers

Dave

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Thank you Tbolt and Dave for this information. So this does clarify that there was no oxygen hose in the Mk.I cockpit.

Dave, If you could put a date to this Mod, that would be great. So after this Mod, there was a permanent hose in the cockpit attached to the Sutton harness as shown on the picture in the first post. Did the other end connect to the oxygen tank behind the seat or to a valve in the cockpit?

Cheers, Peter

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