Simon Cornes Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 Having clarified that the Mustang was fitted with a Sutton Q harness, was it also fitted with an RAF gunsight of the day, or was the American sight left installed? I could guess the RAF sight was fittted but I've just Googled the question and drawn a blank! Thanks Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham T Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 Well I'm no expert but the British Ferranti Mk II Gyro sight was manufactured in the US under licence by Sperry & used in the Mustang so I imagine that USAAF & RAF were fitted identically? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Cornes Posted November 1, 2015 Author Share Posted November 1, 2015 Well I have some Quickboost K14 gun sights to hand so that is why I wondered if one of these could be used? More googling required! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Cornes Posted November 1, 2015 Author Share Posted November 1, 2015 Just discovered that the k14 is the Ferranti Mk II !! Job done, thank you! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paramedic Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 Yeah it is a British invention, right? About the Sutton harness, that is what I should use in my Mustang Mk. IV? (Polish 303 Squadron) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Cornes Posted November 2, 2015 Author Share Posted November 2, 2015 In a thread last week I was told that the Sutton Q - with quick release box - would have replaced the USAAF harness it was originally fitted with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveBrooking Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 Hi Are you still talking about KH655/QVP? There is a reasonable quality a2a photo of this a/c that has been published several times in recent years. It does not look as if it is fitted with the Gyro Gunsight. All the early MkIVs were fitted with the American N9 gunsight. KH655 was delivered at Dallas in August 1944 and the Gyro Gunsight was not introduced on the production line at Dallas until March 1945. The first RAF a/c with the GGS was KM493 and that and subsequent a/c were not toc by the RAF until the very end of April 1945 - most were delivered to India after the war. The RAF did have a modification to fit the GGS on MkIVs but the changes in the design of the windscreen and the instrument cowl suggest that it was a very radical/complicated job. As far as I know there are no photos of MkIVs earlier than KM493 that show the GGS. Steve 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Cornes Posted November 3, 2015 Author Share Posted November 3, 2015 Hi Steve, Yes, thats the one. Thanks for the info. Of course I have 6 x K14's and not a single N9 - rats!! Well it is SMW this weekend so I'd better check the Hannats website!! Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 How many people do you know who can tell one reflector gunsight from another? How many can you identify, especially on a scale model? Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Cornes Posted November 3, 2015 Author Share Posted November 3, 2015 Well Chris, I suspect that the Tamiya Mustang kit comes with a N-9 sight (never heard of it before mind you!) as it seems like all 'D' models were so equiped, hence that is why Quickboost don't do an N-9 but they do do the K-14 which was fitted to various types - according to Quickboost - presumably all late war marks. Unfortunately I am renovating a built kit and the original gunsight is missing, hence acquiring the K-14s. As you say though, a piece of square section styrene with a bit of clear plastic on top will probably do the job!! Simon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveBrooking Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 I am not a modeller so I am reluctant to intervene in these issues but it seems to me that a reasonable examination of the GGS against all its predecessors would show that it is a fairly large cube/box that is probably three times as large as the N-9 or any of the well known British gunsights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
303sqn Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 All the gunsights you could ever ask for Here: http://gunsight.jp/b/english/data/sight-e-aa.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RZP Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I would agree with the N-9 on the wartime Mk.IVs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
303sqn Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 (edited) The photograph is of KM237 PD-R which was a Mk IVa/P-51K, not a Mk IV/P-51/D, delivered to the squadron in September 1945. The majority of 303 Squadron's Mustangs were Mk IVas which were only fitted with N-9 gunsights. The K-14 was only fitted to Mk IV/P-51D. According to 'Building the P-51 Mustang' author Michael O'Leary: MCR C-429-3 Gun Sight - Installation of K-14 Computing Installation of the K-14 gun sight became effective in production on and after airplanes P-51D-20-NT AAF 44-12853 and P-51D-20-NA AAF 44-72227. MC is Modification Center, not sure what R is, possibly Reference. Edited November 5, 2015 by 303sqn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now