Hallo.
I search for informations about this two planes.i searched all google, speak with everybody in czech republic, but I don`t have answers for all my questions.
So about Komet I search this:
-Colour/colours of upper surfaces of wings – somewhere is wrtitten that it was in german colours, somewhere that it was unicolour, but what colour?
-color of vertical tail – green or brown?
About Spitfire I`m searching folowing:
-type of RAF cocards
-code letters
-variant of Mk.IX – C or E??
-camouflage
What I know?
about komet:it flew like glider in 1946. It had british cocards, training yellow uder surfaces,it flew without rocket motor
about spitfire:S/N EN498, Spitfire Mk.IX, zear of production is 1943, motor Merlin 61.
Thank you for your help
one more thing,have someone contact of Eric “Winkle” Brown?
He piloted one fo this plane (I don`t remember if Komet or Spitfire)
Thanks.
By: Arabella-Cox - 25th September 2008 at 21:56
This is a picture of the tow attachment on Spit IX BS434 when used to tow Hotspur Gliders at the AFEE as it was a Farnborough Mod I’d hazard a guess that it would have been the Mod used on EN498.
This wasn’t an isolated case of spits towing gliders as the RCAF Spit sqns 401, 411 and 412 all trained their pilots to fly Hotspurs behind their Spits during late 43 and early 44. The idea was to tow the gliders loaded with spares and fuel/ammo and land them on the airstrips set up in Normandy. This of course never happened, but they were serious about it.
I’ve asked before but has anyone ever seen / got photos of these Spits towing the Hotspurs (or the Me 163 for that matter)?[ATTACH]165648[/ATTACH]
By: Mikone - 25th September 2008 at 21:24
thanks.I made error when i wrote it.I would write …..but is possible that in 44 or 45 it had wing type E (not C).
So if I understand good, you mean that this plane can have guns for variant E?thanks.
By: Bradburger - 25th September 2008 at 20:45
Wait a minute!
do you have for it any explication?I think it was IXc in 1943, but is possible that in 44 or 45 it had wing type C
Mikone,
It might come as a suprise, but there was actually no ‘c’ type wing fitted to the MKIX!
If you take a look in the archives, you’ll find a very long and interesting thread on the subject (I’m pretty sure you were in on it too Daz,but it was along time ago!), and it was concluded that the ‘c’ wing on the MKIX didn’t exist, and indeed, it was clear that there was no official ‘b’ or ‘c’ wing designation for MKIX’s in any of the official Air Publications!
However, when the new wing with 2x20mm cannon & 2×0.5 inch machine guns (the 4x.303’s being deleted) was fitted to later production MKIX’s, the ‘e’ prefix was added to indicate those aircraft fitted with that wing, as can be seen in the Air Ministry Pilots notes for example.
It seems that over the years, historians and the like have incorrectly carried over the ‘c’ suffix (and also the ‘b’) to the earlier MKIX’s that where fitted with the 2x20mm cannons & 4x.303 machine gund from the ‘c’ wing MKV, even though no such designation officially existed!
Being an aircraft in the EN range, it would have originally had the earlier wing, as the ‘e’ wing wasn’t introduced until 1944, although I suppose if for any reason the original wings were replaced later on, it could have ended up with ‘e’ wings from a later aircraft!
Maybe are resident Spitfire experts can chime in and confirm.
Cheers
Paul
By: Mikone - 25th September 2008 at 20:03
I think the Spitfire would be a Mk.IXc.
do you have for it any explication?I think it was IXc in 1943, but is possible that in 44 or 45 it had wing type C
to G-ASEA:yes i looked now that Komet flew Eric, but without motor during tests.In one book I read that he flew Me-163A too
By: G-ASEA - 25th September 2008 at 18:50
I have a friend who spoke to Eric ‘Winkle’ Brown and he got Eric to sign a book confirming that he flew the Komet with the engine working.
Dave
By: DazDaMan - 25th September 2008 at 18:05
I think the Spitfire would be a Mk.IXc.
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September 25, 2008 at 4:05 pm