Wooden Spitfire wings?

As soon as that programme had finished , I said to my Mrs ” I bet someone is on Aviation Forums already –laying down the law & mummbling about BBC research & wooden wings ” !!!!

I was not wrong !!

Just reread, OP said wings (doh!) oh well, propellers are ‘little’ wings I suppose:rolleyes:

As I believe were some of the wheel chocks……

Sizeable number had wooden propellers.

Unless it’s serendipity, it appears that I will need to apologise!

When the Birmingham Museum Mk IX Spitfire ML427 was refurbished many, including myself, were surprised to see that the elevator was of wooden construction.

The ribs of the ‘Rad Boat’ shutters were also made of wood on some marks.

Mark

I got told off by SWMBO when that line came out, no I ‘can’t just leave it’!:rolleyes:

Ditto, my verbal outburst about the BBC spouting more poorly researched “misinformation” was also greeted with a rolling of the eyes and a deep sigh from the other half :D.

Mine is all made of wood (except cowls, stabilizer/elevator and fuselage skins). Mk1

Elevators – wooden, wingtip interiors – wooden, rudder – wooden, early clipped wingtips – wooden; on early Spitfires, the bottoms of the ribs were capped with wood, because the bottom skins were fixed with countersunk screws.

..and…

Some Spits had wooden elevators, certainly some MkIX’s. Saw the pics and couldn’t believe it…. I presume this was some sort of war economy measure.

You are all missing the obvious. Its for the packing cases to bury them in!

This one was built from wood….

http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/111538.html

:diablo:

BBC researcher

Isn’t this an oxymoron?

I got told off by SWMBO when that line came out, no I ‘can’t just leave it’!:rolleyes:

you all forgot that the wooden Spitfire was called the Mosquito 😎

What the BBC researcher failed to research was that the Hurricane was the one made of wood.

Spitfire wooden bits

I think the intake lips on the radiator shroud were wood on the Spit as we found a few pieces when we dug one out a few years back. They were leading edge section and embedded in the what was left of the matrix so we could only surmise that that is where they came from.

Also, the Spit Mk.1 we dug had been modified on squadron to have a rear-view mirror. This was a mild steel fabrication with a (n MG car?) mirror attached – all held on to the top of the armoured screen with a couple of 2BA bolts through a block of wood specially shaped to fit across the top of the frame.

Not much wood, I know – but wood nevertheless. I’m aware that wood was used on all sorts of aircraft for all sorts of bits. Why not?, it was light and easily shaped and readily available.

I even found some in the 748 tail fin I was dismantling last weekend.

Anon.

you all forgot that the wooden Spitfire was called the Mosquito 😎

Indeed I can confirm too that the tip structure of the wing was partly made of wood. There are also straps of wood found in the cocpit and fuselage at various points.

Now come on, when did the BBC allow facts to get in the way of a good story – especially on a ‘fluffy’ programme like Countryfile!

I’d suggest that the DG should resign for a mistake like that – if only the BBC had a DG at the present time!

I am tempted to say the only wooden bit is between the researcher’s ears.

However, the tip structure is wood and there is a little bit in the tail where the underside skins are screwed on.