Early Spitfire with simple ring sight

The tubes housed landing flares; the Plessey device was for recognition, a different thing entirely. There’s a possibility that, originally, there were two tubes, since a modification (no.185) in July 1940 was “To delete one parachute flare tube.”
The Plessey six-shot “automatic recognition device” was introduced (to fire downwards) from 14-6-40 as mod 153; 7-4-41, through mod 235, it was repositioned to fire upwards.
The overwing stiffeners were introduced, on the Va & Vb (though earlier aircraft, like AR213, did have them retro-fitted) from 16-7-42; there was an earlier “stiffening” mod, 455, but there’s no indication what it entailed.

The light unit is standard….the shade/cone is made to a similar pattern; Hurricanes had one made by Hawkers and Spitfires by VS…look very similar…easy to make….an old vacuum cleaner ally pipe cut off at an angle lol

as we need about 4 of the same…

A good reason to visit Newark Aeroboot on March 3rd then, eh? 😉

(nice pic by the way, where’d you get it? :))

Ah, now there’s something that we could do with… 😉

Are these a Supermarine design as we need about 4 of the same…

Not with a brace Graham….I will try and dig out a piccie…

Think it still has the wing stiffners on it too Tony, they were a mod too I believe?

Mackerel, even though not used in combat after that time you would want everything flying in your airspace fitted with IFF and flares ?

Yes you could be right Tony, but why change to a flare that shoots up when the early downward ejecting one would do ? I suppose its that the later type had 6 cartridges & early type only had 1 in the tube. Answered my own question !!

Steve

Think it still has the wing stiffners on it too Tony, they were a mod too I believe?

Mackerel, even though not used in combat after that time you would want everything flying in your airspace fitted with IFF and flares ?

Tony

what are your thoughts on the one i have posted it looks identical to the Blenhiem one but they dont seem to have any brace fitted, could it be Hurricane?

they did remove lots of mods to make K9942 retro to when delivered. This included removing the later u/c selector and the kick covers over the tubes/wiring that goes on port and starbd side of Frame 8, windscreen, ailerons, mast blah etc. Probably explains it.
Additionally, just because it was no longer in combat service would not have necessarily meant combat etc type mods not being added….UK is a small (set of islands) with trigger happy AA gunners and also recognition issues….besides…even OTU and training aircraft have alternate roles.
Graham’s initial picture is interesting and looks like the one in a period early war book…the odd thing is that my original book has an arrow pointing to it saying reflector gunsight!! I am not sure that the mount would have used something as ‘elegant’ as the later reflector gun sight mount. I have seen pix of Hurris and other aircraft with both parts outside the cockpit (i.e. ring and bead). No real reason to have them there anyway as long as they line up (so as to speak)

Surely they would have been added during its life as updates..?

Maybe Tony but combat service finished june 21 1940 so would they have bothered with that ?

Steve.

Surely they would have been added during its life as updates..?

spitfire K9942

HI all, does any one know what fuselage was used to reconstruct K9942 on show at cosford. Records show that it was built in 1939 but there are insulators in side of fuse for IFF radio aerial & there is the flare tube on stbd upper surface at Fr16 that were not fitted in 1939 !! Also seems to be flush riveted in places that should be SP85 rivets or equivelent.

Steve.

Part no.

130699, surely.

This is the source of my questions, I was told it was taken from a German Bomber shot down in the Wellington Somerset area but to me its clearly a British finish. So far the best match seems to be Blenheim MKI it is adjustable but the extra green bracket doesnt appear in the Blenheim pics i have seen. It has a part number of 30699 but no FB visable it may be covered by the paint.

I was wondering that as well but not seen any eveidence as yet. As the Hurricane came into service earlyier that the Spitfire my bet would be that it did. The Blenhiem MKI also had a similar sight.

Mohawks /Hawk 75s had a ring and bead sight. flicking through a book of P40s, iron sights were still fitted to the later K and M models. Here is the bead from Mohawk BK877, lost in 1941. It was also fitted with a MkII reflector sight.

Might have drawing, but not at home, will look when home. Didn’t the Hurri have similar

Cosford Spifire MkI

Wow thanks did any other earlier types of aircraft use this sight?

K9942 currently at RAFMus Cosford.

Mark