Spitfire Browning ammunition boxes

[Pak75]

HI

Hopefully a simple question but i could not find answers by searching site, so apologies if it is answered elsewhere.

 

There are lots of period photos of BoB Spitfires being rearmed with access panels hanging down and ammunition boxes on ground or being handled by armourers, etc but how were the boxes actually secured in place?

Price "Spitfire at War" p43 says that 'the boxes clicked into place.'

What does this mean?

 

Later edit:
gingerbob's second video in Spitfire Mk1A gun bay thread illustrates this quite well

 

Thanks

 

Edited August 11, 2019 by Pak75
Tried to add link

[Junchan]

This is a diagram of the Mk. V manual, but I believe the arrangement is the same as that of the Mk. I.

The manual text describes as follows;

6. Ammunition boxes - The ammunition boxes (see fig. 3) are mounted laterally between the guns and are supported on three spring-loaded pins at the bottom. Two of these pins are attached to the box at the feed neck end, with corresponding fittings on the adjacent ribs, and the third is fixed to the rib at the other end, the female fitting for this pinbeing on the box. When installing a loaded box into the plane, the pins on the box should then be offered up till the pins are in line with their holes--a osition stop is provided--whereupon the pins should be released from their notches by the fingers. The box can then be pivoted on these pins to engage with the third spring-loaded pin. All the pins should be turned into their locking slots. Illustrations showing the details of the ammunition boxes etc. are included in Vol. III of this Publication.

 

Cheers,

Jun in Tokyo

https://www.flickr.com/photos/horaburo/albums

[Pak75]

That's great Jun, thanks!

Yes, MkV installation was same as Mk1. That explains the clicks.

I think you can see the pin locating plates with the three holes in some photos

 

 

Also yr diagram confirms layout feed trays which was part of info i was after in Mk 1A gun bay thread - the long feed to number 3 gun is horizontal.

Cheers

[Junchan]

3 hours ago, Pak75 said:

That's great Jun, thanks!

Yes, MkV installation was same as Mk1. That explains the clicks.

I think you can see the pin locating plates with the three holes in some photos

 

Also yr diagram confirms layout feed trays which was part of info i was after in Mk 1A gun bay thread - the long feed to number 3 gun is horizontal.

Cheers

My pleasure.

Jun in Tokyo