Hello everyone,
I’m new at this forum and from what I have read there are many people with a great deal of knowledge overhere. I was hoping for some help for the following.
I have been researching the crash of PDU Spitfire PR IB N3069 now for over 20 years and did publish a 40 page book regarding the incident and my research in april this year. This PR Spit crashed east from Arnhem, Holland on 22 march 1940near the German Dutch border sadly killing the pilot, F/O C.M Wheatley. It is my believe that there are still remains buried at the crashsite which unluckely is now covered by a dyke. But during my long searches with my metal detector found a crucial part of this a/c. One of the stainless steel gun port covers. Partno. 300 08 4359. It is actually the only part I have ever found…quiet bizar I think.
My question: Is there a full drawing/ blueprint or documentation of this part? I have been looking on the web but found nothing yet. And I hope you all don’t mind me asking this one too….but in 23 years I have never found a photograph of N3069. From N3071 yes…but the N3069 still eludes me.
If course I’m willing to share info and want to thank in advance for any help.
Cheers,
Sander
By: Kingscoy - 17th June 2013 at 16:55
Hi Chumpy,
Many thanks for the attached drawing!
Quiet a difficult quest it seems….just as finding a photo of Spitfire N3069.
But again thank you.
Cheers,
Sander
By: chumpy - 17th June 2013 at 13:31
Scan of the illustration of the gun cover assembly from the parts book, this the closest that you will get to an actual drawing. The drawing that would show the individual parts / assembly etc is 30008-Sht 91, to the best of my knowledge, no copies of this exist.
Cheers, C.[ATTACH=CONFIG]217680[/ATTACH]
By: Kingscoy - 15th June 2013 at 14:09
Hi,
Thanks for your replies!
I do not believe it is a gun cam cover. The part no. seems to confirme it being a gun port cover. And some serious Spitfire buffs have the same opinion. Also there is no stamped ‘camera cover’ text on the part. And the a/c is definitely 100% Spitfire N3069…one of Cotton’s first two. It underwent two major conversions at the Royal Aircraft Estabishement at Farnborough. The second one was for the addaptation of the larger fuel tank making it a PR IB. Spitfire N3069 was delivered to Heston as a standard MkI.
I’m always open minded for my own errors. Is there documetation for such a camera cover? Then it would be easy to compare both of course. Some time ago I saw a very basic drawing of such a gun port cover…can’t find the website anymore. They refered to a “Spitty parts book”. But I have no clue what so ever which Spitfire manual that could be…
Cheers,
Sander
By: ian_ - 15th June 2013 at 00:13
I think you have a gun camera cover rather than a gun port cover. I have a less bent one with ‘camera cover’ or similar stamped into it. A useful clue for identification!
By: Edgar Brooks - 15th June 2013 at 00:09
I have a book, written by Peter Moss, published in 1970, and he has this to say about the first two Spitfires that Cotton managed to wangle out of Dowding:-
“At nine o’clock next morning two spitfire Mk.Is (N3069 and N3071) landed at Heston. They were immediately stripped of guns, wireless and other excess weight, the gun holes were covered over with metal plates, all cracks were stopped up with plaster of paris, and all external surfaces were stripped of camouflage to be repainted in pale green “Camotint” overall, and polished to a hard-gloss finish.”
By: mackerel - 14th June 2013 at 22:33
gun port cover
Hi ,I think if this a/c was a PR 1B I dont think that there would have been any gun ports to put cover on. Looks like what you have is definately a gun port cover though. As for drawings I dont think you will be lucky.
Steve”P”
By: Kingscoy - 14th June 2013 at 18:15
Attached a photo of the gun port cover.
Sign In
June 12, 2013 at 6:03 pm