AltcarBoB Posted June 16, 2020 Share Posted June 16, 2020 Nearly finished the construction of a Blackburn Skua, I have got to the last page of the instructions and spotted two mystery parts that just appear with no part number and they are definitely not on any of the sprues. They fit into two dimples on the underside of the fuselage and look like pipes. They are located under the fuel tanks I wonder if they could be fuel dump pipes or overflow pipes. The top drawing shows the two dimples ringed in red and the next drawing the two mystery parts appear with no explanation IMG_20200616_235813424 by Stuart, on Flickr You can see the two dimples just slightly forward and to the sides of the bomb recess IMG_20200616_235851535 by Stuart, on Flickr I can easily scratchbuild something to fit the two dimples but not sure if they are pipes or catapult hooks or something similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted June 17, 2020 Share Posted June 17, 2020 Not pipes, but catapult spools. At least that's what I think they are. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hwallen1410 Posted June 17, 2020 Share Posted June 17, 2020 I guess they down scaled it from their 1/48 kit as looking at the larger kits instructions there are 2 parts (D18) that fit into those dimples. Don't think they are catapult spools as they are located further back on the fuselage, so given the location fuel dump pipes seems like a good shout. H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85sqn Posted June 17, 2020 Share Posted June 17, 2020 They would be catapult spools. I don't know if the Skuas had fuel dumping capabilities. Its only required if an aircraft couldn't return 'overweight'. The size of what you have circled in the photo is too big for a vent. With two on either side Its definitely catapult spools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted June 17, 2020 Share Posted June 17, 2020 The two small etched circles low on the fuselage are for picking up the rear supports of the accelerator. (not known as a catapult in those days), the two spools shown (rather like a pair of castors) are indeed for the forward pair of pick-ups. In the RN system of the day the aircraft was raised into flight attitude by these four connections, thus being quite a slow process and not often used. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AltcarBoB Posted June 17, 2020 Author Share Posted June 17, 2020 Thanks guys I will scratch something to look like two hooks/catches. I have seen photos of the 1/48 version and the parts look like pipes nothing like the photo @dogsbody posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AltcarBoB Posted June 17, 2020 Author Share Posted June 17, 2020 Filed up a couple of hooks catches things that look roughly like the hooks catches things in @dogsbody photo. I used the brass etch sprue that came with the kit it was nice thin and soft to cut and file easily. IMG_20200617_134211839 by Stuart, on Flickr and fitted IMG_20200617_135406670 by Stuart, on Flickr 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted June 17, 2020 Share Posted June 17, 2020 Look at the two red objects on either side of this SeaHurricane's radiator. This is what is on the Skua. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 Aha! Found what I was looking for. This is what the catapult spool looks like. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AltcarBoB Posted June 22, 2020 Author Share Posted June 22, 2020 I bodged some bits of plasticard and plastic rod to look like the spools in the Hurricane photo. The Skua looks like this at the moment the black and white doesnt really show the parts very well though IMG_20200622_200807992 by Stuart, on Flickr 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AltcarBoB Posted June 22, 2020 Author Share Posted June 22, 2020 Everyone calls them spools but they look more like castors to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejboyd5 Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 Neat interpretation, but how did the bridle disengage from a closed spool/hook? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 What bridle? The spools and pick-up points connected to a carriage/trolley which was accelerated down the deck and the aircraft just flew off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaudioN Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 40 minutes ago, ejboyd5 said: Neat interpretation, but how did the bridle disengage from a closed spool/hook? I learned a lot about catapults from this RN instructional film: By the way, the style of the fin flash on K5773 is interesting. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick4350 Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 There is a picture in the MMP book on the Blackburn ROC & Skua by Matthew Willis on page 115 that shows and describes the catapult attachment points under the centre section of the fuselage. The picture shown by @dogsbody seems to back this up as correct. The book implies that the Skua was the first British aircraft designed with these features from the beginning. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 Which assumes a very late introduction of the accelerator (HMS Ark Royal) which may well be true, and that all the launches from Battleships and cruisers used a slightly different system. Also possible, given that they were floatplanes and flying boats. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaudioN Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 2 hours ago, Mick4350 said: The book implies that the Skua was the first British aircraft designed with these features from the beginning. 51 minutes ago, Graham Boak said: Which assumes a very late introduction of the accelerator (HMS Ark Royal) which may well be true, and that all the launches from Battleships and cruisers used a slightly different system. Also possible, given that they were floatplanes and flying boats. I think it means it was the first British carrier aircraft designed with these features from the beginning. Underlines emphasize my point: it takes some care to engineer a "first". 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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