Field mods

[Angus]

Thought I would post this.
Many times over some modifications were done in the field. Little improvements that took too long to wait for, if they arrived at all.
I remember two in a flash.
1. Spit V and onwards, but perhaps not every one. When diving from high alt to low, the cockpit will "ice", notably the windshield. Some clever rigger came up with a little tube from outside (right?) into the cockpit and onto the windscreen. Worked well.
2. 109. Not sure from when. Anyway, they had some problems with oil (why?) on the windscreen, and apparently there was some mechanism attached to spray the windshield (outside of course) with petrol to wash it off. I THINK it was a field mod.

Anyway, would be delighted to hear more, and if these are confirmable.
(I have it documented about the Spit)

[Golfer]

I'd think the spitfire cockpits would fog rather than ice due to the temperature change.  And I sure hope you didn't want to pump cold air intot he cockpit so I would think that the hose would be hot hair from the engine compartment acting as a defroster.

Don't know jack about spitfires but that's just a hypothesis.

[Angus]

The 109 would totally Ice in a long dive so that the pilot would have to scrape it of the windshield. Know a first hand account from that.
I would not Imagine that the Spitfire - or most of them fighters anyway, - would be different except perhaps the late US fighters.

BTW, long escort US P51's were equipped with electrically heated suits, while RAF P51's (P5C) were not. Always being promised but never arrived.....typical.

[Grendel]

Originally posted by Angus

2. 109. Not sure from when. Anyway, they had some problems with oil (why?) on the windscreen, and apparently there was some mechanism attached to spray the windshield (outside of course) with petrol to wash it off. I THINK it was a field mod.

All 109s had a built-in "screen washer".
Pilot just pressed the button and the windscreen would be flushed with petrol, that would wash off the dirt or other stuff that was on it.
It and its use was seemingly so usual that pilots don't often bother to mention about it.
One pilot I know mentioned that it was very handy to wash off the cannon /mg .. mm.. gunpowder... remains (cant remember the English words now) .. after shooting.
I don't recall pilots complaining about oil leaks into windshield in normal use. After combat damage sometimes, yes.

One of the Finnish top pilots got a 37mm into cockpit and the explosion shred the windshield washing system's pipe. So the pilot was continuously sprayed with thin fuel spray until he managed to crashland at home field. He was completely "fuel drunk" when he was taken to the first aid.

[Angus]

Very nice
So, my memory wasn't that rusty after all.
I think you're referring to chordite powder then.

[justin_g]

Many B-24D's in the PTO had tail turrets field-modded onto the nose, before the factory started making them that way.

[Saxman]

Early F4U-1s didn't have the option for bombs out of the factory, but a rack for the centerline bomb was jury-rigged once the aircraft reached the Pacific (it was either borrowed from another aircraft, or rigged from the mounts for the centerline drop tank).

Also, it seems that many early Corsairs had their cowl flaps permanently fixed closed in the field, as the engine had a nasty tendency to throw oil on the windscreen (sort of funny story I read about VF-17 pilots deliberately flying through light rain showers while on patrol periodically to wash the oil off their windscreens). Fuel also had a tendency to leak from the panels around the fuselage tank and obscure vision, so the problem was corrected with nothing other than tape to fill in the gaps between panels (apparently that's what the white or light-colored design frequently seen on the nose just forward of the cockpit on many -1 and -1A Corsairs really was).

Some F4F-4 and FM-1 (the ones that still had six .50 cal) pilots had the outboard pair of guns removed to increase the amount of ammunition the plane carried.

[KD303]

Adolph Galland's famous ashtray and lighter cockpit mod in his BF109 springs to mind. His always present black cheroot can be seen sticking out of his gob in the pic below.


Although not strictly a "field mod", the Rose Brothers .50 inch rear turret fitted to some Lancs is worth a mention, having been obtained through unofficial channels - thanks to Air Vice Marshal Edward Rice and Alfred Rose -  and fitted at (exclusively as far as I know) 1 group's Hemswell station. Aircraft from other stations (all 1 Group) had to go there to have them fitted.

OK, I'm really stretching "field mod" (a big stretch) with this example as the turret had to go through development etc. and was accepted by the Air Ministry in 1943 but it was a mod made in the field - the .303 turret being removed and replaced by the .50 turret on station. If Rice hadn't had his chance meeting with Rose and got the new turret made, it is doubtful that an entire group of Lancasters would have been armed with .50s before the end of the war and we sim warriors would be stuck with .303s in Aces High Lancs, though I doubt that was given much consideration back in 1943.

KD

[justin_g]

Looks like Galland has a non-factory telescopic gunsight fitted too.

[Bodhi]

I have seen photos of P-38's field modded to carry 3000lbs of ordanance on modified pylons.

[Angus]

Here's more.
Hurricane IIB's handed over to Burma (12 guns and fixed slipper tank) were lightened down to 8 and even 4 guns and they skipped the tank. That way they outperformed their Japanese oponents quite well.
Spitfire Vb's in the MTO had on some occasions their outboard  .303's removed.

[Wolfala]

Then whats up with the P-38L having 50cal pods on the wings?

[justin_g]

P-38 and F4U used a kind of "recon pod" - some sucker had to squeeze into a modded droptank with a little window at the front!

[Guppy35]

The only field mod that really mattered.  Leave it to the Spit drivers of the RAF

[Guppy35]

Originally posted by justin_g
P-38 and F4U used a kind of "recon pod" - some sucker had to squeeze into a modded droptank with a little window at the front!

Here's the 38 with that pod you mentioned, used on Ops in the Phillipines.  Don't forget the P38 "droop Snoot" too with the glass nose and Nordon bomb sight for leading fighter bombers.