Hurricane IFF Aerial Attachment Points

[Ray_W]

While trolling through a number of period Hurricane images, I finally found some that showed the IFF aerial attachment points for those aircraft fitted with such a system. I thought you may find them of interest.

 

Fuselage entry point. Broken aerial wire is visible and shoved into where the tailplane should be.

 

  

Fuselage entry point

 

Nice image showing fuselage exit and tailplane entry

 

Fuselage Insulator

 

 

For your modelling subject, as always, check to see if it was fitted.

 

Ray

[Chuck1945]

Interesting. I seem to remember from several years ago discussions in this forum that indicated the fabric rear fuselage permitted the IFF to be internal. 

[Ray_W]

31 minutes ago, Chuck1945 said:

Interesting. I seem to remember from several years ago discussions in this forum that indicated the fabric rear fuselage permitted the IFF to be internal. 

 

I would add "the fabric rear fuselage permitted the IFF (aerial wire) to be internal (for a greater length than the Spitfire)". 

 

I recall a similar discussion although could not find it on BM. This link to WW2aircraft.net.

 

https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/threads/hawker-hurricane-tail-brace-wires.41327/

  

Ray

[spitfire]

Here's a couple more photos.

#

And a restoration just for clarity.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Peter Roberts]

IFF began being fitted late September 1940??

[Ray_W]

4 hours ago, Peter Roberts said:

IFF began being fitted late September 1940?

 

Yes, in quantity usually quoted as "following the Battle of Britain". In this case we are talking about the IFF Mk II which has the aerial wires exiting the fuselage like the images posted above.  Prior to that "pip-squeak" over the R/T system was used. Following the Mk II you see the Mk III come into use (early 1943) with the single vertical antenna. IFF and defense radar systems seemed to develop hand-in-hand so you can say IFF systems, of some type, were in use from the beginning of WW2 particularly in British units.

 

As usual check your subject references as you see a variety of installations throughout the war dependent on time, theatre and application. 

 

 

[Vesa Jussila]

In first photo is clearly plane in evacuated in Finland. And that triggered my interest. There are also other photos from Finland where IFF antennas are visible. So how many of IFF sets were handed to Soviet union? And how far own plane was identified?    

[Troy Smith]

4 hours ago, Vesa Jussila said:

In first photo is clearly plane in evacuated in Finland. And that triggered my interest. There are also other photos from Finland where IFF antennas are visible. So how many of IFF sets were handed to Soviet union? And how far own plane was identified?    

Maybe just the wires were left fitted with no sets?   I don;t recall the Soviets having a great deal of radar, and that's the the IFF show up on.   

 

@Learstang @Massimo Tessitori may have some additional info to add. 

[Learstang]

I'm afraid I don't know enough about Soviet Hurricanes (yet!) to be able to help here.

 

Regards,

 

Jason

[Graham Boak]

Soviet radar technology was certainly primitive at this time, but probably not non-existent.  I would expect a difference between the PVO, air defence units, and the FA, Frontal Aviation.  I've seen no sign of anything similar on front-line Soviet aircraft, but the defence of Moscow is likely to have got the best available.  It the IFF was used anywhere I'd expect to see it there.

[Ray_W]

6 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

Soviet radar technology was certainly primitive at this time, but probably not non-existent.  I would expect a difference between the PVO, air defence units, and the FA, Frontal Aviation.  I've seen no sign of anything similar on front-line Soviet aircraft, but the defence of Moscow is likely to have got the best available.  It the IFF was used anywhere I'd expect to see it there.

 

On some preliminary reading the Soviets were very active in radar development from the 1930's and did enjoy some supply of systems from their Western allies. Whether this extended into IFF is not clear.  The Wikipedia article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radar_in_World_War_II is a nice start. Usually good for citations for further research if they post them. What I would like to read is Steve Zaloga's paper "Soviet air defense radar in the Second World War" but it is behind a pay wall.

[Tomasz Gronczewski]

Reviving the topic.

It is known that IFF Mk.II was used obligatory in Northern Europe (read over Channel) in 1941-43.

Malta command ordered to remove IFF installation, but sometimes the "cheese cutter" wires persisted.

And what about North Africa, especially in the period of El Alamein battle. Is there any common knowledge about IFF/wires usage there?