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New question ? Anyone have photo’s of either side of Beurling’s Malta Vc Spitfire T*D


Corsairfoxfouruncle

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Ok ive been running in circles so im going to ask the forum. What kind of Spitfire did George Buerling fly when flying in Malta ? Ive seen Vb’s and Vc’s accredited to him ? Did he fly both types ? Or is this just a case of confusion from non experts with mis-identifying the V sub-types ?  Yes i know a huge can of :worms:. But im trying to build a Vb from Malta and it comes with the decals for beurling ? 

Edited by Corsairfoxfouruncle
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I'm guessing pilots in malta flew whatever aircraft were air worthy on the day so log books would have reflected a wide variety of entries, thus there would be likely to be be a variety of Vbs & Vcs in Beurling's log book.

Steve.

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Yes, he flew both and multiple air frames at that.   I use to have  a link to his scoreboard that included the serial numbers of each Spitfire.  Looks like wiki might have presented the same layout:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Beurling

 

Another one here, but in Czech and also includes fuselage codes;

https://www.valka.cz/10923-George-Frederick-Beurling

 

regards,

Jack

Edited by JackG
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I have decals for T*L which is a Vb. Am trying to do my build as eithrr T*L or T*D.  Im looking for photo’s of either plane ?

 Besides the cannon move is there any other major difference’s in the B-C wings ?

Tear drop bulges that sort of thing? 

 I know about the landing gear ?  Did they always fly with Slipper tanks on Malta, or was that a ferry thing only ? Any/All help graciously appreciated. 

 

Dennis

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B to C the cannon were differently mounted (C-type could take two cannon per wing), at least one photo shows the single cannon in the outboard position on one Malta Vc.  The cannon bulges were different, early Vc type sometimes(?) had double width bulge in case of twin cannon installation.  Underneath the cannon cartridge waste holes were different, also the position for the inner MG was moved one rib outboard.

Vc cannon barrel shrouds were different from Vb, I think the same gun itself but now belt fed instead of from the earlier drum.

All this feasible with plastic card, filler, a drawing and some scribing if you have the will!

Cheers 

Will 

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Early MkVc always had the wide bulge for double cannon, it was retained well into production.

The Mk.Vb cannon bulge was further aft.

The cannon was always in the outer position on the fighter bombers modified on Malta.

The Mk. VB had a bulge over the wheel well. 

When this was designed out  on the Mk.Vc the wheel and leg sat a little lower when retracted so thato there was a bulge running down the u/c door.

The Mk.Vb had the original windscreen with external armour glass.

The Mk.Vc had the redesigned windscreen with internal armour glass.

 

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Hi Tony,

If you can see the bomb carriers then this is the later AM approved method not the original Malta-designed and implemented modification.  As I understand it an article was being prepared for a Maltese magazine by the son (grandson?) of the fitter who actually did the job, using his original drawings.  I was asked to say no more but the article may be out by now.

Offhand I can't see why the mod couldn't have been applied to the outer position, other than some additional asymmetry problem with a hangup, so perhaps they started doing that when the AM stopped sending 4 cannon airframes out. 

It's interesting to learn that later Mk.Vb had the later windscreen.  The first Spitfires delivered to Malta were Mk.Vc, so there was some time for Castle Bromwich to introduce the change onto the Mk.Vb line.

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The internal glass windscreen came into production at Supermarine in early '41 (Vb) [Edit: I need to check date- for some reason May is in my head, but I'm wondering].  Castle Brom took a number of months to get it going on theirs, though I don't remember when or with what serial it did appear.  Since Westland was a late starter, and with fairly low rate of production, my guess is that all or nearly all of their Vs had the later windscreen.

 

I agree that "all" Vb/c Trops had the later style.  (I think all Seafire Ibs also did.)

Edited by gingerbob
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22 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

Hi Tony,

If you can see the bomb carriers then this is the later AM approved method not the original Malta-designed and implemented modification.  As I understand it an article was being prepared for a Maltese magazine by the son (grandson?) of the fitter who actually did the job, using his original drawings.  I was asked to say no more but the article may be out by now.

Offhand I can't see why the mod couldn't have been applied to the outer position, other than some additional asymmetry problem with a hangup, so perhaps they started doing that when the AM stopped sending 4 cannon airframes out. 

It's interesting to learn that later Mk.Vb had the later windscreen.  The first Spitfires delivered to Malta were Mk.Vc, so there was some time for Castle Bromwich to introduce the change onto the Mk.Vb line.

No worries Graham and thanks for the info,..... although I`m pretty sure that the first Spitfire`s for 249 Sqn in Malta were Mk.Vb`s. 

Cheers

         Tony

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