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Spitfire rearming and gun muzzle patch application films


Troy Smith

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1 hour ago, Peter Roberts said:

Missed these the first time around, thanks for dredging this up again. Great information and films, thank you to all who have posted.

 

Troy, I think the Spitfires in your post may be Vb's - cant see any Coffman bulges on starboard cowl panels (where they are shown) which would be indicative if they were II's (?) Curiously, early style exhausts (not 'fishtail' type) though the film is of at least two aircraft - one with squadron codes, one without.

 

Nice reminder regards the rearming and opening of just the lower panels to speed the process during the BoB, so likely less scuffing and wear on upper wings.

 

PR

This is definitely an early cannon armed spit on the basis that the gunsight still has the oval sight glass. The reflector sights were modified with a square glass  after the Battle of Britain.

 

Selwyn 

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I may be forgetting things, but I don't recall the small bulge inboard to the rear of the large cannon bulge.  Could this be a distinguishing feature of something?

 

There's a bit of a mix of aircraft in the film, so be careful of assuming that detail seen in one segment necessarily applies to a different detail seen in another.

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Oh yes, Graham, it certainly is indicative of something.  But what?!  It also reminds me that I recently noticed a small bulge inboard of the large cannon bulge on the underside of one of the "cannon Mk.Is" (in Mk.Vb form).  I wonder if both small bulges indicate the same something?

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Yeah, but is it definitely not on the standard B wing?

 

This might link to the matter of whether the first cannon aircraft were rewinged or just modified, and whether they had the outer machine gun positions throughout.  Or are we looking at an early standard of B wing?  It's late, my brain hurts.

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