Spitfire PR Mk.IV - Wheel Well strengtheners or stiffeners?

[Johnson]

My Sword PR Mk. IV AA810* has just arrived.

 

Looks very nice, fairly typical Sword short run production with a bit of flash here and there but nothing to worry about and I'm looking forward to making it. Decals (by Techmod) look good.

 

 

 

But I wonder if the wings should have the stiffeners over the wheel wells? According to Edgar Brooks they were introduced in Jan 1942, and AA810 first flew on 17 Oct 41. I can't find a picture that shows the top of the wing of a PR Mk.IV, but I suspect that they shouldn't be there.

 

 

So before I remove them forever, I thought I'd just check to see if anyone knows better?

 

*The kit has been specially produced by Sword for the Spitfire AA810 project and supports the Sandy Gunn Aerospace Careers Programme Charity. If you want to know more, or buy the kit, click HERE.

 

Cheers,

[elger]

I don't think this early aircraft would have had them. I'm leaving them off my 1/32 build of AA783. Some discussion with useful insights here, earlier this year:

 

[Johnson]

9 minutes ago, elger said:

Some discussion with useful insights here, earlier this year:

 

Thanks for the link elger, most useful. 👍

[Tbolt]

27 minutes ago, Johnson said:

My Sword PR Mk. IV AA810* has just arrived.

 

Looks very nice, fairly typical Sword short run production with a bit of flash here and there but nothing to worry about and I'm looking forward to making it. Decals (by Techmod) look good.

 

 

 

But I wonder if the wings should have the stiffeners over the wheel wells? According to Edgar Brooks they were introduced in Jan 1942, and AA810 first flew on 17 Oct 41. I can't find a picture that shows the top of the wing of a PR Mk.IV, but I suspect that they shouldn't be there.

 

 

So before I remove them forever, I thought I'd just check to see if anyone knows better?

 

*The kit has been specially produced by Sword for the Spitfire AA810 project and supports the Sandy Gunn Aerospace Careers Programme Charity. If you want to know more, or buy the kit, click HERE.

 

Cheers,

 

Yes while some PR.IV:s did have the strips, the group that are restoring AA810 said on FB that it didn't have them.

 

[Johnson]

16 minutes ago, Tbolt said:

Yes while some PR.IV:s did have the strips, the group that are restoring AA810 said on FB that it didn't have them.

Thanks Tbolt!

[BS_w]

the factory modification started on January 43, but the reinforcement of the wheel arches with stiffeners on the skin of existing planes would only affect the Mk Va & B. (note found on the technical drawing of these stiffeners)

Bizarre, bizarre.....

[Graham Boak]

The PR aircraft were unlikely to experience the stresses of the fighters, so the strengthening may not have been seen as quite such a priority.  Plus the PR Mk.IVs were around a long time before January 1943.

[Tbolt]

1 hour ago, BS_w said:

the factory modification started on January 43, but the reinforcement of the wheel arches with stiffeners on the skin of existing planes would only affect the Mk Va & B. (note found on the technical drawing of these stiffeners)

Bizarre, bizarre.....

 

I thought I saw Edgar mention the mod started being implemented in August 1942 at the factories? So it didn't start till the following year then?

[BS_w]

@ Tbolt: sorry, it's 42; I slipped on a key, the drawing is dated April 42

[Johnson]

10 hours ago, BS_w said:

the factory modification started on January 43

 

37 minutes ago, BS_w said:

sorry, it's 42

 

That accords with the Edgar reference I found;

 

Unfortunately you can't actually look inside it, because the Museum's "Elfin Safety" people have decreed that the danger from radiation is too great (I was even told that it was against the law for me to go near it; total codswallop!) I wasn't the most popular man, in the universe, when I pointed out that the wings still had the stiffeners, over the wheel wells, and they weren't fitted before January 1942.

[Tbolt]

2 hours ago, BS_w said:

@ Tbolt: sorry, it's 42; I slipped on a key, the drawing is dated April 42

 

Thanks.

 

1 hour ago, Johnson said:

 

 

That accords with the Edgar reference I found;

 

Unfortunately you can't actually look inside it, because the Museum's "Elfin Safety" people have decreed that the danger from radiation is too great (I was even told that it was against the law for me to go near it; total codswallop!) I wasn't the most popular man, in the universe, when I pointed out that the wings still had the stiffeners, over the wheel wells, and they weren't fitted before January 1942.

 

 

Okay, here is where he mentions August for the 532 mod, but in your link it also says July.

 

 

 

It looks like the internal stiffeners were from August, on the Vc anyway.

 

 

[Newbie(kinda)]

I think the kit instructions (7th picture in this link) also suggest they should be removed; which fits nicely with everything that's been said above.

 

[Johnson]

8 hours ago, Newbie(kinda) said:

I think the kit instructions (7th picture in this link) also suggest they should be removed; which fits nicely with everything that's been said above.

 

Egad! You're right. Had I actually read the instructions  I could have saved all of the above! But it's been another interesting and educational Spitfire learning experience .