Spit/Hurri gun port patches

Cheers for that Tom.

I’ll have to go and do some white paintwork now though…………………..

Miggers:D

Miggers, AFAIK the ‘condoms’ were white, there’s a few pics in Roger Freeman’s RAF in Colour book of Tiffies and Spits and IIRC they were all a white colour.

I’m now going through the Fred Roberts book, a great read from a very unreported side of the RAF, highly recommended 🙂

Tom

I’m glad that someone has brought this up.

I’m presently “doing” SX336(Aeroclub vacform fuselage and Airfix wing) and then there’s the Seafire F.IIc I want to do.

Naturally I like to replicate the patches on my models.My favorite method is to use a Rizla(or similar)fag paper,airbrush it red and once dry,cut out the squares and fit ’em over the ports,fixing them with good old Future floor polish(usually done whilst decalling).

As far as I’ve always known patches of linen were used and doped on with red primer or paint.About 6 inches square sounds about right.

I’ve always painted the ends of cannon barrels red too as I remember reading or being told that a red rubber “condom” type cover was used to prevent FO(not Flag Officer:p )from entering the barrels and too preserve a mediocum of
aerodynamics until the gun/cannon were fired.

Miggers:)

From what I can recall from the old Spitfire video (the one with Neil Williams flying MH434 at the end), some of the old film footage shows the gun ports being covered by a sticky-backed fabric.

I haven’t seen it in AGES, but I will try to look it out and have a watch….

The patches were supplied in rolls and were adhesive backed, un-pinked, pre doped six inch squares of Irish linen.

Anne.

????

The patches were supplied in rolls and were adhesive backed, un-pinked, pre doped six inch squares of Irish linen.

Anne.

James said – “Incidentally, to put the question another way, was it ever a formal instruction, with paperwork to instruct / tell, or something that was just ‘done’?” – James, I had wondered if there was anything in either the A.P.s or Instructions To Ground Staff to this effect, time will tell hopefully.

Edster – I too have seen this drawing which got me thinking, I’ll have to watch the documentary which Septic recommended (thanks guv) and also go through the Fred Roberts book I read a while back (ex-19sqn Armourer). Hope to get a refurbed bearer today 🙂 then it’s all hands to the pump time!

Tom

The impression I’ve got is it was often ‘just’ strips of red fabric as used for repairs (or covering joints – just like on the current Lanc PA474 refurb) and doped into place. Of course what was used in the UK would be more ‘per manual’ than say what was used in Burma, France 1940 or N Africa.

And what they said…

Incidentally, to put the question another way, was it ever a formal instruction, with paperwork to instruct / tell, or something that was just ‘done’?

Hi Tom – this is just a supposition, but on the Mk.IX wing drawing, the edges of the gun port covers are shown “pinked” (i.e. with the zig zag cut), which is common with fabric. It suggests to me that the drawing office at least thought fabric was being used. I suspect that both were used, depending on availability of materials and local preference.

Hi Tom,

There was an excellent clip showing the elastoplast type of patch in the old EMI released Spitfire documentary.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SPITFIRE-AVIATION-VIDEO-STORY-OF-THE-FAMOUS-FIGHTER_W0QQitemZ160061299025QQihZ006QQcategoryZ14050QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

All the best

Septic.