Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: Angus on February 20, 2006, 11:36:05 AM
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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)
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Very nice ;)
So, my memory wasn't that rusty after all.
I think you're referring to chordite powder then.
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Many B-24D's in the PTO had tail turrets field-modded onto the nose, before the factory started making them that way.
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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.
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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.
(http://home.att.net/~jv44/images/galland_cockpit.jpg)
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
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Looks like Galland has a non-factory telescopic gunsight fitted too.
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I have seen photos of P-38's field modded to carry 3000lbs of ordanance on modified pylons.
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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.
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Then whats up with the P-38L having 50cal pods on the wings?
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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!
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The only field mod that really mattered. Leave it to the Spit drivers of the RAF :)
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/861_1141028763_spitbeerrunner.jpg)
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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.
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/861_1141029172_38pod.jpg)
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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.
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Hope they locked out the toggle switch for dropping tanks on that P-38. :D
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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 :)
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/861_1141067718_beertankspit.jpg)
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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.
(http://www.kitparade.com/gallery01/images/spitfireixbd_1.JPG)
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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
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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.
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Dan, could you re-post that picture of the beer-carrying Spitfire ?
:)
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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 :( )
(http://www.cyberonic.com/~kreed/jej3.jpg)
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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.(http://www.furballunderground.com/gallery2/data/media/18/SpitBeerRunner.jpg)
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Thanks Thanks Thanks :):):)
BTW, was this Johnnies personal ride, or just some other Spit from the squadron?
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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.
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OK, thank you again ;)
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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
(http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/ISL/Water%20Mark%20Decals/48001-48010/48003/images/48003e.jpg)
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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.