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Spitfire Fin Device?


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Hi all,

Been a while...

 

I am embarking on an early MkI (K9795) below.

I think I am pretty much sorted but cannot find information or drawings on the device on the fin?;

 

 

39ac77d3-949e-41b2-b966-e7981d4b01da.jpg

 

Last Question; I know the Radio Cable was stainless steel, how was it secured to the mast and the tail?

 

Many thanks

Steve

 

 

 

 

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afair the device on the fin was to stop the pilot's parachute from getting hung up on the tail.

As that event was found to be very rare the device was no longer fitted

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That looks like the mass balance devise like you might see on Luftwaffe aircraft.

 

I'm not sure about the parachute thing. Once he bailed out, it would only take a second or two before the pilot was well clear of the tail. 

 

 

 

 

Chris

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The fin device is an anti-spinning parachute guard, "a spin recovery parachute was proposed for early examples as the spinning characteristics of the new heavier monoplanes were still unfamiliar." On the cable, I believe there was a tensioner on the fin aerial mounting, and a smaller tensioner at the top of the pole, visible though not clearly in most photos. By the way, the tail number 19 is white not yellow as sometimes depicted.

 

Annoyingly, while I have many photos of K9942 at the RAF Museum Cosford, I have none of the pole aerial mast of fin tip aerial attachment because I'm modelling a later Spitfire Mk.1a.

 

Hopefully someone else her on BM can help.

 

Have fun with the Spitfire!

 

Nick

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The walkaround pics from this site might help with the aerial connections. The two below are the best to show the connections but you can zoom the photos on the linked site.

 

i-85vR24X-XL.jpgi-jRH9T5F-XL.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

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