247 squadron Typhoon filmed in colour- 1944

[silberpferd]

Hi all,

 

Just came across this movie

 

 

 

showing what seems to be Typhoon MM963, as seen in 2nd TAF volume 2, at 30:50

 

 

Sorry if it is old news, I'm quite sure I had already seen that before, maybe on TV.

 

Laurent

 

Edited May 9, 2020 by silberpferd

[ben_m]

Interesting that the gunsight has a reflector panel- I thought most just used the inner surface of the windscreen.

[Anthony in NZ]

29 minutes ago, ben_m said:

Interesting that the gunsight has a reflector panel- I thought most just used the inner surface of the windscreen.

It's a Mark II L with a different head on it especially for the use of RP's.  There was a knob on the front that could tilt the head from 0-5 deg to allow for the fall of the rockets...see here

https://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?/topic/84915-124-reflector-gunsight/

 

Awesome photo's and footage!!

 

P.S. we new one of these sights in 1/24th scale....😀

 

Thanks for posting

[Graham Boak]

The reflector screen was normal.  I know a few aircraft used the windscreen but I think they were some special modification, at least at this time.  Apart from anything else the sight would have to be moved forward and this would be likely to interfere with the structure on some designs.

[Jonny]

I ‘m getting a ‘Blocked on this website’ message (sob, sob)

[Work In Progress]

Yeah, the owner does't want it embedded on third party sites. Just go and watch it direct on YouTube. 

The title is:

From Normandy to Germany in 1944 (in color and HD)

[Chris Thomas]

Laurent, many thanks for posting these shots.  I saw the film nearly 3 years ago and struggled to get stills from it; yours are much better!

 

Yes it is definitely MM963, 247 Sqn, July or August 1944, B.6 Coulombs.  I was stunned when I first saw this.  I had been looking for photos of Typhoons that my father had flown with 247 Sqn, since I was in my early teens.  It took 30 years before I found one!  But here was one, in full colour, with views of both sides and close-ups!  The RAF officer with the forage cap and 'tache is the CO, Sqn Ldr Robin McNair DFC, who was the first Typhoon pilot I contacted when I started my serious research in the late 70s.

 

The downside was ... the profile I did for 2ndTAF Vol 2 was based on the small photo published next to it, so the above photos now reveal a number of errors, not least that rather odd 'W" which was mostly obscured in the original photo. Perhaps it was a stencil as the port and starboard sides match pretty well and there is a photo of a much later 'ZY-W' taking off from Helmond in March 1945 with the same peculiar 'W'.  So corrections to the profile have been made (in case of further use) and include a slight raising of the fuselage stripes.

 

Other items to note (just in case there is anyone obsessed with detail out there. Really?) the mismatched D-Day stripes on the u/c doors, the curve of the camo demarcation line on the port radiator fairing (cf. the starboard side which is standard and is probably due a major repair at Hawker in April 44) and, on that port view, a horizontal line of holes just visible above and below the exhausts - where an exhaust fairing had been fitted and then removed (this is consistent with the serial number).

 

It is so encouraging when significant photos or film turn up after 70 years or more.  Bring 'em on!

 

 

[Ray_W]

… and you need to be a young and nimble lad to climb easily into a Typhoon cockpit. 

[silberpferd]

3 hours ago, Ray_W said:

… and you need to be a young and nimble lad to climb easily into a Typhoon cockpit. 

not necessarily , .....when you have a helping hand around 😁

 

 

Thanks @Chris Thomas for all these informations (and all your fantastic books, by the way).

 

Laurent