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RAF P-40 (M) KITTYHAWK Mk.III Seat belts.


Tolga ULGUR

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  • 5 months later...

hi all,

 

where / how did the Sutton seatbelts anchor?

 

the Hasegawa kit instructions show the (US) seatbelts just lapped over the back of the seat and disappearing down out of sight between seat back and bulkhead / armour plate.

 

this is fine but also in the Hasegawa bulkhead part there is just above where the top of the seat would line up some moulded on padding with what looks like a slit in it, and i am wondering whether the seat belts actually went through that and anchored somewhere the other side of the bulkhead?

 

I cannot find any suitable pictures online or cockpit walkarounds which show me what i am looking for 

 

any help much appreciated

 

Kind regards

Nick

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Hey Dennis

 

in a way it does because it would seem to tie in with what i am seeing in Ultracast's seat with a Sutton

 

now i know looking at aftermarket to deduce what the real thing was like is akin to looking at most profiles to determine original camouflage ie extremely flaky!, but what they depict does make sense

 

do they have it right you think, with the rear straps split, one part going in down the front, and the other going over the back?

 

pics from ModellingNews

 

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1 hour ago, spitfire said:

Not sure where I got this but it was in my P40 file, it may help.

 

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Cheers

 

Dennis

You possibly got it from a post I made on Britmodeller some time ago in answere to a similar question.

The aircraft is a P-40K of No. 77 Sqn RAAF.

Peter M

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These pages from RAAF Kittyhawk Order No-1 may assist.  Pages can be found in the National Australian Archives as per references on the bottom of the images. They relate to the P-40E and up in RAAF service, and the Order gives guidance on lengthening the harness to fit.

Although the Order requires fitting the Sutton only if a lap belt is present, it is possible that later P-40M's and P-40N's delivered with shoulder harnesses could also receive the Sutton harness.  There appeared to be a mixture of types in service with RAAF.  Others may have more info on RAF use.

Cheers

 

QCU4WpW.jpg

 

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Edited by Ozhawk40
added info
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17 hours ago, nicholas mayhew said:

Hey Dennis

 

in a way it does because it would seem to tie in with what i am seeing in Ultracast's seat with a Sutton

 

now i know looking at aftermarket to deduce what the real thing was like is akin to looking at most profiles to determine original camouflage ie extremely flaky!, but what they depict does make sense

 

do they have it right you think, with the rear straps split, one part going in down the front, and the other going over the back?

 

pics from ModellingNews

 

spacer.png

 

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That ultra cast seat is for a Tomahawk not a Kitty hawk ..very diffrent

Edited by HBBates
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4 hours ago, HBBates said:

That ultra cast seat is for a Tomahawk not a Kitty hawk ..very diffrent

 

whilst the shape of the seat is indeed very different, the principles are the same given they both have the hole at the bottom of the seat back etc.

 

anyway, thank you to all who have replied, it's much appreciated

 

i am happy now that belts should indeed go as ultracast cast them

 

i also realise there was (still is?) a large can of worms with how the belts went on early Spitfires, having seen threads both here, Hyperscale and LSP where the late and much missed Edgar was among many of those who took part.

 

anyway, thank again and enjoy your Sunday

 

Nick

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Compare the drawings in Ozhawk's very useful post above with the unpainted 'round -backed' seat of the P40 e discovered in the Sahara some years ago.I believe this is an RAF as opposed to an RAAF aircraft but procedures for such a modification were I suspect, unlikely to differ. As the harness has either been cut or rotted away and the lap sections of the harness are not visible, it's not altogether clear that this is a match,or indeed exactly which type of harness it is although my feeling is that it's as per the one visible in the photo of Gibbes in his cockpit posted by Bs_w, also above.

The section at the bottom of the seat back could be the top of the extension piece. 

 

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