Surely Spitfire Mk.19 should be added as well.

Got them all corect, despite some dubious pictures.

I remember these (MRD) devices at both Scampton and Kinloss in the 70’s and 80’s. very noisy but extremely effective at snow and ice clearing. You soon learnt to give them a wide berth when they were in use

As an aside, I remember travelling to Wittering, to colllect some bang-seat cartridges, and being delayed at wittering, because the runway deicing truck (salt spreader) had overturned on the taxi-way.

Most difficult job for armourers, involved changing the cartridge in the externally operated canopy jettison /shattering mechanism. It involved entering the front cockpit head first, and crawling under the instrument panel. The mechanism was located in front of the left console, well hiddden out of site.

The installing of the Lox pot, involved using the top of ones head to push it up into the rear bay, and then sliding it onto its bracket. It had a single braided hose to attach to it using a bayonet type fitting. you were supposed to fix the pipe without pressurising the system (near impossible). Generally it could only be achieved by applying direct pressure to the coupling with a GS screwdriver, whilst turning the bayonet fitting, crude but effective.

Fitting and removing the bang-seats was a ballancing act for whoever had to stand on the fuselage, and guide the seat up or down the guide rails. You stood astride either the nav’s blast screen, or the fuselage spine, leaning backwards, whilst the seat was winched in or out. Of course seat removal was a regular occurance when a pilot / jockey / growbag (delete as apprpriate HA HA) dropped his Parker Pen etc.

Regards Cabbage

Long may he continue to keep on “Rocking All Over the World”

These containers look similar to the ones carried by Nimrods, when acting as S.A.R. cover for other aircraft deployments overseas, (and overland).

There was also a version they carried when shadowing Royal VIP flights around the world.

I know becaue I fitted them into the Nimrod’s bombay, as part of the specialist S.A.R. load.

Am I right in thinking that picture #3 shows a T-6 Harvard/Texan modified to look like an F6F Hellcat ?
Excellent photos.

That makes 2 of us under the weather this year.

I spent 14 weeks in hospital, earlier this year, and still recovering from major stomach surgery, although I’m back at work.

Wishing you a speedy recovery.