Author Topic: Field mods (Read 1213 times)

Angus · « **Reply #15 on:** February 27, 2006, 06:38:30 AM »

Hey, Dan, never saw that Spitfire with the beer kegs before. Thought it was a myth that they looked like that.
Johnnie Johnsson's squad transported beer like that over to Normandy, and so did the pilots of 65 sqn flying P51C's. They had real drop tanks coated with some material on the inside, then made their deal with a brewery. Much more effective with 2 drop tanks, but a very unpopular job, - the pickup. Don't bounce on the landing.
1 tank of dark ale, 1 tank of light ale.

Saxman · « **Reply #16 on:** February 27, 2006, 10:01:04 AM »

Hope they locked out the toggle switch for dropping tanks on that P-38.

Guppy35 · « **Reply #17 on:** February 27, 2006, 01:16:37 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Angus
Hey, Dan, never saw that Spitfire with the beer kegs before. Thought it was a myth that they looked like that.
Johnnie Johnsson's squad transported beer like that over to Normandy, and so did the pilots of 65 sqn flying P51C's. They had real drop tanks coated with some material on the inside, then made their deal with a brewery. Much more effective with 2 drop tanks, but a very unpopular job, - the pickup. Don't bounce on the landing.
1 tank of dark ale, 1 tank of light ale.

Here's the better known photo showing the beer being loaded into a drop tank on a Spit. There are other photos of the actual keg installation both up close and in flight. Apparently it wasn't cleared for full combat in that set up

Wolfala · « **Reply #18 on:** February 27, 2006, 01:50:09 PM »

The English brewery of Heneger and Constable donated fresh beer for the troops fighting in Normandy, and someone (history does not record who) came up with the idea of strapping the beer kegs to the underwings of the Spitfires that were being shipped to the forward airfields. The troops loved the freshly delivered, cold beer, but as with all good things, the British Ministry of Revenue and Excise stepped in and notified the brewery that it was in violation of the law in that it was exporting beer without paying the taxes on it.

KD303 · « **Reply #19 on:** March 01, 2006, 06:44:52 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by justin_g
Looks like Galland has a non-factory telescopic gunsight fitted too.

Yeah, but the tele sight was more of a trial of experimental equipment than a field mod. Worth pointing out though.

KD

Hoarach · « **Reply #20 on:** March 01, 2006, 08:22:18 PM »

The 38 also had a 6x50 field mod.

Think this was a factory production model of the L in which 8x50s were put in the nose as well as 2 wingpods each having 2x50 cals.

Not sure on this either as some 38s carried torps and others were equipped which I believe was a norden bombsight and traveled in packs and when the lead dropped they all dropped.

Angus · « **Reply #21 on:** March 21, 2006, 04:36:15 AM »

Dan, could you re-post that picture of the beer-carrying Spitfire ?

Kev367th · « **Reply #22 on:** March 21, 2006, 06:13:39 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Angus
Hey, Dan, never saw that Spitfire with the beer kegs before. Thought it was a myth that they looked like that.
Johnnie Johnsson's squad transported beer like that over to Normandy, and so did the pilots of 65 sqn flying P51C's. They had real drop tanks coated with some material on the inside, then made their deal with a brewery. Much more effective with 2 drop tanks, but a very unpopular job, - the pickup. Don't bounce on the landing.
1 tank of dark ale, 1 tank of light ale.

Yeah Johnson used to fly back to the UK get his Spit loaded up with a couple of kegs and fly them back to his squadron over in Normandy.

He used a Spit they put together from crashed ones and had the racks modified to carry the kegs.

Currently working on the skin.
Was a LF IXe so putting it on a XVI. (no kegs though

)

Guppy35 · « **Reply #23 on:** March 21, 2006, 08:27:41 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Angus
Dan, could you re-post that picture of the beer-carrying Spitfire ?

Picture Hanger appears to be acting up. Here it is again.

Angus · « **Reply #24 on:** March 21, 2006, 08:31:56 AM »

Thanks Thanks Thanks

BTW, was this Johnnies personal ride, or just some other Spit from the squadron?

Guppy35 · « **Reply #25 on:** March 21, 2006, 08:51:56 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Angus
Thanks Thanks Thanks

BTW, was this Johnnies personal ride, or just some other Spit from the squadron?

This one isn't JEJ's. There are other photos of this one including one in flight. I haven't seen one of JEJ's with the kegs, but clearly it must be out there as I've seen the model done as well as a profile done of it with the kegs.

Angus · « **Reply #26 on:** March 21, 2006, 09:23:20 AM »

OK, thank you again

Kev367th · « **Reply #27 on:** March 21, 2006, 09:57:13 AM »

My understanding -

JE-J - was his personal ride.
Spit IX #'s EN398, MK392
Spit XIV # MV268

JE-J JR - was the one put together from other Spits and the one used to ferry the kegs around. LF IXe # MK329

Angus · « **Reply #28 on:** March 21, 2006, 11:34:05 AM »

Very nice Kev!
Sad about the end of Wally McLeod though. A crack, aggressive pilot and an incredible shot. He's the one that brought 2 enemy aircraft down by only 13 shots from each of his cannons, something bettered (perhaps?) only by "Screwball" Beurling.
I just read Johnnie's "Wing Leader" again. It's a good book, and so is his book on air warfare "Full Circle".
Must have been quite a character. Our Icelandic pilot Tony Jonsson once remarked, that you could always see where J.Johnsson was hanging around, - there was no way to miss his presence!
Later on, he was a good friend of Gunther Rall, and if I remember right, when Johnny died, Rall went to the funeral and then stayed at Johnny's son's house.
Funny how things go in this world.