Doing prep work prior to working on a Spit Mk.Vb. 2 options I am considering are EP200 (Castle Bromwich , 5-42 build) and EP691 (Castle Bromwich, 7-42 build). Confirmation: Interior armored glass windscreen and bubble , "balloon type sliding hood". Photos of the two I've seen, I'm pretty confident on the windscreen, canopy, not so much. Few photos I've found almost look like flat sided. ("balloon type sliding hood" came in in 41, so "should be"...) And, actual question... IFF "cheese cutters"??? Yes? No? Maybe? One photo of 200 looks like, maybe, an antennae wire. But other photos of both, I dont see the insulator on the fuselage. Also, I know the Brits were paranoid about sending "secret tech" overseas. (took them 3 year to even send Spits to Malta!) Yanked radar out of Mossies used for intruder missions over the continent early on lest the Germans get ahold of one...
Spitfire EP200 & EP691
- Thread starter Sluff
- Start date
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SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
I really appreciate the dedication to the preservation of history shown by the modelers here.
fubar57
General
IFF was initially installed in Malta Spitfires but was removed to boost performance against high flying Bf 109s. Other equipment was removed as well
- Thread starter
- #4
Then is the "wire" in the one photo a photographic artifact or pre- IFF removal? Also, I know the Vcs had outer 20mms remove. Same reason?
fubar57
General
Unofficially, they started removing the IFF in Apr '42, Officially, they were removed late '43. Your kite belly landed Marina di Ragusa Sicily while on a sweep 27-8-42, P/O PA Woodger PoW
1. the cockpit hood ... again the light trick ...
The EP200 belonged to the batch of Spitfire Mk.Vb/Mk.Vb Trop of the serials EP164-EP213. These were made in May-June 1942. The bubble hood was introduced in October 1941 replacing the earlier with the flat sides one. The earlier hood had the oval small knock-out panel on the port side that was given up in November 1941 just with Mk.V although a couple of the early kites had them still. The CBAF Spitfire Mk.Vb were fitted with the earlier style cockpit windcreen until at least May 1942. The CBAF Mk.Vb with the later style winscreen weren't delivered until later EN8xx range. What is more the old windscreen was still mounting to some aircraft of the EPxxx serie delivered in a second half of 1942. But there is no evidence that the earlier style windscreen was replaced with tha later type one while in service. The EP200 had the late windscreen with the internal bullet-proof glass and the hood doesn't have the small oval panel on the port side. So it means that the whole cockpit hood is of the later style and the sliding hood is of the bubble type.
the pic source: the net.
2. regarding the IFF ...
As I have already mentioned it somowhere alse the IFF system was mounted on a Spitfire if the work with the radar station was expected. IIRC there was a such station installed on the Malta. But if there wasn't, the IFF device wasn't needed. Having a look at the pic you posted as the enlarged shot in the first post here .. I would say it may be the antenna wire there. The antenna wire was attached to the top of the horizontal stabilizer. The second end of it went to the fuselage through the insulator that was attached in a small hole behind the radio compartment and its accessing hatch. It can be noticed as the small dark dot on the red disk of the RAF roundel. But the wire seems to run at a slightly different angle it should be expected. Secondly what happened to the piece of the wire above the P2 area of the serial? Disappeared? The same effect at the stabilizer root. Therefore I have some doubt. However the EP200 in the pic looks like just being delivered. As fubar57 said the Malta Spits had the IFF attached initially and later dismounted. So perhaps she was still equipped with the IFF antenna wire when the pic was taken.
The EP200 belonged to the batch of Spitfire Mk.Vb/Mk.Vb Trop of the serials EP164-EP213. These were made in May-June 1942. The bubble hood was introduced in October 1941 replacing the earlier with the flat sides one. The earlier hood had the oval small knock-out panel on the port side that was given up in November 1941 just with Mk.V although a couple of the early kites had them still. The CBAF Spitfire Mk.Vb were fitted with the earlier style cockpit windcreen until at least May 1942. The CBAF Mk.Vb with the later style winscreen weren't delivered until later EN8xx range. What is more the old windscreen was still mounting to some aircraft of the EPxxx serie delivered in a second half of 1942. But there is no evidence that the earlier style windscreen was replaced with tha later type one while in service. The EP200 had the late windscreen with the internal bullet-proof glass and the hood doesn't have the small oval panel on the port side. So it means that the whole cockpit hood is of the later style and the sliding hood is of the bubble type.
the pic source: the net.
2. regarding the IFF ...
As I have already mentioned it somowhere alse the IFF system was mounted on a Spitfire if the work with the radar station was expected. IIRC there was a such station installed on the Malta. But if there wasn't, the IFF device wasn't needed. Having a look at the pic you posted as the enlarged shot in the first post here .. I would say it may be the antenna wire there. The antenna wire was attached to the top of the horizontal stabilizer. The second end of it went to the fuselage through the insulator that was attached in a small hole behind the radio compartment and its accessing hatch. It can be noticed as the small dark dot on the red disk of the RAF roundel. But the wire seems to run at a slightly different angle it should be expected. Secondly what happened to the piece of the wire above the P2 area of the serial? Disappeared? The same effect at the stabilizer root. Therefore I have some doubt. However the EP200 in the pic looks like just being delivered. As fubar57 said the Malta Spits had the IFF attached initially and later dismounted. So perhaps she was still equipped with the IFF antenna wire when the pic was taken.
Actually the type C wing was an universal one that could host the armament configuration for the A, B and C variant. As memo serves the difference between the B and C armamant was the number of rounds per a cannon. The C configuration could take the 120 rounds per a cannon regardless of the number of the guns installed. The B one just the 60 rounds per a cannon only. Taking into consideration that the Vokes filter slightly affected the aircraft performance, the removing of the two outer cannons and the rounds for them could improve it. What is more , if the two cannons were removed the two ones that were left had more ammo per a gun than the B variant anyway. A note though, not all Vc left the factory armed with the four cannons. For instance, the Westalnd factory was assembling the Vc with two 20mm cannons and four 0.303in MGs. It might make them confused with with the B variant especially if the stubs for the outer cannons were removed from the leading wing edges.
MiTasol
Major
Removing the stubs from the leading edge is far from a minor job, It is a riveted casting and the leading edge skin is 0.128" thick.
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