Fairey Firefly Mk.V bomb pylons

[LanceB]

I am interested in building the Special Hobby 1/48 Firefly Mk.V as shown on the kit box art, with rockets and bomb pylons fitted.  The pylons (parts I5) are included, but as they are "not for use" there is no description as to where they should be attached.

 

I have seen the instructions for their 1/72 Mk.I, which shows placement of the early pylons and auxiliary fuel tanks, but the instructions are not exactly clear as to where to fit the pylon exactly, other than it being well inboard of the guns.  Which makes sense, but raises another question: the tanks are also included in the 1/48 Mk.V kit, and a review online points out how the kit parts correctly have the cutouts in the mounting pylon to clear the link ejection chutes, which would mean the auxiliary tanks must have been mounted directly in-between the guns.  A test-fit of the 1/48 tanks on the wing shows everything lines up perfectly when you place the tank there, so was this where the hard point was for the bomb pylons as well?

 

But if so, shouldn't there be cutouts in the sides of the pylon to allow the ejected links to fall free?

 

I did find this pic of WH632 from the 1950s, with the pylons fitted, but no apparent link ejection cutouts and from what I can see it is mounted just inboard of the serial number painted on the wing underside:

 

So was this pylon mounted inboard of the guns, on a separate hard point from that used for the fuel tanks, and if so can anyone point me to where, exactly, it should be attached to the wing?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

[NAVY870]

Same hard point as the drops. inline with the inboard cannon

[LanceB]

1 hour ago, NAVY870 said:

Same hard point as the drops. inline with the inboard cannon

Hi Steve,

 

I was hoping you'd drop by!

 

It was your review on Aussie Modeller that I saw.  With the kit parts in front of me, I see now how the 90 gallon tanks should line up, which was a bit different than I initially thought.  When you said the tanks had cutouts for the link chutes, I was picturing the smaller chutes that are between the two larger cartridge chutes.  And, it was possible to fit the tanks there between the link chutes, with the cutout on each side of the tank clearing the corresponding link chute.

 

Now I see you meant that the cutout in the inboard side of the 90 gallon tank is for the (edit) INBOARD gun's cartridge chute, and the cutout that is in the tank's outboard side is for the link chutes?  

 

So, now that I know exactly where to drill the holes for the pylon mounting pins, next question:

 

Do the bomb pylons have an opening or cutout for spent cartridge ejection?  If I line up the bomb pylon centerline with the centerline of the inboard gun, the pylon covers the spent cartridge chute and link chute for the gun. This would seem to be detrimental to safe operation of the guns.  Should the bomb pylon have a cutout in each side to allow clearance for the spent cartridge chute and link chute for the inboard gun, like the 90 gallon tank pylons have?

Edited May 20, 2018 by LanceB
Lance can't read

[NAVY870]

We found a pic of VX.388 onboard HMAS Sydney on her way to the Korean unpleasantness

As you can see she has racks fitted with the cut out clearly visible.

 

 

Edited May 20, 2018 by NAVY870

[gingerbob]

Complete with fanfare! [was going to insert appropriate emoji, but good lord, that's all gotten too complicated!]

[LanceB]

Thanks for that, Steve, exactly what was needed!

[NAVY870]

18 hours ago, gingerbob said:

Complete with fanfare! [was going to insert appropriate emoji, but good lord, that's all gotten too complicated!]

Sole surviving RAN Mark 5, only former RAN Firebox to see combat and the only one left that's still in her in service configuration

I think she deserves an entire orchestra.

[gingerbob]

Now that I look at the image again, the upright bass seems a rather incongruous addition to the ensemble?