1:1 Spitfire K9817 Cockpit Build

[Tony Hill]

Thanks Ross,

That's the first I've heard of "green" but I am aware that paint wise the PRUs were given much latitude.

With a bit of research I am sure we can get a pretty accurate picture of the mission. Arguably a mission which saved thousands of Bomber Command lives in the years which followed.

 

[Andy Fletcher]

With a bit of research I am sure we can get a pretty accurate picture of the mission. Arguably a mission which saved thousands of Bomber Command lives in the years which followed.

Hi Darryl,

Taken from the 1 PRU ORB

15 Dec 41; F/L A.E. Hill; Spitfire R7044; T/O: 11:45; Land: 13:35; Results: Photos of W/Ts Etretat-Barfleur area.

Hope that is of help.

Best Regards

Andy Fletcher

 

[Airframes]

Just wondering Darryl, if that 'green' was 'Camotint'. I'm only guessing, as I'd need to dig a bit further, but I think it would probably be PRU Blue by the time of the Bruneval sortie. Got to get it right if I'm to do the painting , don't you know old chap!

 

[Andy Fletcher]

Just wondering Darryl, if that 'green' was 'Camotint'. I'm only guessing, as I'd need to dig a bit further, but I think it would probably be PRU Blue by the time of the Bruneval sortie. Got to get it right if I'm to do the painting , don't you know old chap!

Camotint is indeed green, though it is very pale and can almost look like an off white. I believe there were also a Camotint Pink.

Hill's PR.IV would almost certainly have been PRU Blue, though nothing is garaunteed with the "PRU" even by late 1941.

Best Regards

Andy Fletcher

 

[Tony Hill]

Thanks guys, I know we will get to the bottom of it eventually.

The Aircraft in question was built as a Mk V and converted to PR IV standard in a batch R7035-R7044 ans R7055-R7056. Not armed and no radio. Wing leading edge tanks.

Morgan and Shacklady do have a picture noted as a PR IV and pink. They also show a PR Mk III as pink at Heston for trials.


According to them the prototype for FR versions was a Mk1 L1004 which had previously been converted to a Mk VA. This was not done until August '42.

So Hill's aircraft was, it appears, not armed at all, had no radio and could have been green, blue or pink...but most were blue at that time apparently??

Curiouser and curiouser....

 

[Airframes]

Again I'd need to do some checking Darryl, but as far as I know, the Camotint, which was indeed a very pale green, appearing as almost white in monochrome photos, was only used for a relatively brief period, and for medium-level operations. As you know, the pink was used to blend against cloud and haze,as with the latwer FRIX's, and not a way to enjoy a good day out at low level I would think!
I feel pretty cionfident that Hill's aircraft 'on the day' would have been PRU Blue, maybe camouflaged, but I'll do a bit of digging.

 

[Tony Hill]

Cheers Terry,

I think we may be as close as we will get. I have run into this problem with WW1 aircraft MANY times. The SRBs (Squadron Record Books, pre-cursor to the ORBs) will give basic details of operations (surprise, surprise) and the individual aircraft logs MAY give details of painting but usually just general maintanence details. So you are left with photos or personal recollections / diaries to fill in any blanks and in the absence of those you're whisltling.

The usual starting point is then to trace details of EACH pilot who flew the aircraft and to see if they left any memoires, photos etc.

Sorry if I am teaching Grandma to suck eggs...but some here may find the description of method usefull.

cheers mate


.

 

[Tony Hill]

A brief "update" well, actually a step backwards (thank you so much Andy!!!...MATE

I now find I need to build yet another camera control. The Camera Selector Unit. Until now I had never seen one, couldn't find one and was going wing it with a 3 position switch. OFF/Oblique/Vertical. But Andy to the rescue with a picture of the unit.

It seemed to have three switches and lights, and what I thought was a fuse box...details Andy confirmed for me soon after when he found the diagram:

Luckily I have three supercharger type switches spare, two lights (and just found a third) and stumbled upon a fuse box that is very close or identical, provided it is the size i think it is when it arrives. It is a Type G fuse box...I don't suppose anyone can say "yep, that was the type used in the Camera Selector"?? And into the bargain I picked up a shallow two way AM switch for the OFF toggle!


More work but all for the good I suppose. A genuine thank you Andy.


.

 

[Airframes]

Great find and info Darryl. I knew there must be some sort of selector for the multi-camera fit, but I've never knowingly seen one! I think there is just an outline of one in one of the cockpit drawings, possibly one I sent you, but that's all it is, a line-drawing outline giving it's location.

 

[T Bolt]

I knew you would find something else to do on the Spit Darryl!

 

[Tony Hill]

Yes Glenn, it was always going to happen!

Terry, it certainly is, just a trapazoidal box marked "Camera Selector" with no detail at all. I was going to ignore it


cheers



.

 

[Airframes]

So all you need now is the fuel tank....and wings, and.......!!

 

[Tony Hill]

Terry, please...don't encourage me!

 

[Spits]

Fuse box,s come in two sizes..Long and short Will measure up ours for sizes...

 

[Airframes]

Oh s**t, here we go! I can see more additions on the horizon, just wait and see!

 

[Spits]

It,s a never ending black hole....It just goes on and on and on and on and on..........
PS.Looks like the long one is what your after..

 

[Tony Hill]

OK, I bunked off work today for while and got some copper tubing and bending gear. I didn't have much time but I got one of the pipes from the U/C unit to the frame and then down and across the floor to the port side. Maybe tomorrow I will have time to do a second.

Cheers Ross, I have found the fuseboxes needed, long and short for the port lower side from Spitfire Spares (yeah, I know, but I can have them here next weekend) ...the one on the Camera Selector is the different type (albeit same length as the long fusebox) that has a metal spring closer. That one is comming from GBSpaires and at half the cost.

More soon


.

 

[Airframes]

Oh! That looks nice! I thought it was a pic of a real cockpit at first mate, until I spotted the computer tower on 'the wing'. Great stuff!

 

[T Bolt]

Looking great Darryl! Put a few more pipes like that and some wire and you won't be able to tell it from the real thing!

 

[Spits]

Looking amazing mate..Keep going.About to go out to the Hangar to get these bits milled up for the latch..Take it easy.