Spitfire Mark IX Interactive Cockpit Panorama

For a client, Aero Legends based at Headcorn, the old Battle of Britain airfield in Kent, I have created a high resolution interactive cockpit panorama of their Spitfire Mark IX, TD314.

The aircraft was built 1944 at Castle Bromwich, and has been completely and brilliantly restored by the Spitfire Company (Biggin Hill) Ltd. The only visible modern addition to the original cockpit is the radio, and that's cleverly disguised in the original map box on the left.

All controls, instruments, and switches are explained. If they are out of view (like the magnetic compass behind the control column), a static photo pops up with the explanation (unfortunately, this does not work on touchscreen devices).

You can even (virtually) fire up the Merlin engine - turn up the volume!

The panorama was shot outside the Aircraft Resoration Company hangar at Duxford.

Click on the photo below to open the panorama, and switch to full screen mode!



If you are interested in future aircraft panoramas (also online is the English Electric Lightning and Canberra, and the Duxford Catalina), please sign up to my mailing list!

A bit more about the panorama can be found here.

More aircraft are lined up for 2015. If you can think of an aircraft that could benefit from such work, please let me know.

Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

Very cool.

Geo

Excellent !

Sweet!

Very cool!

Great stuff. Found an error (or two) though.

Gunsight Rubber Coaming
Meant to give a bit of protection in case the pilot's gead hits the gunsight.

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Reflector Gunsight Mark II
Introduced in 1944 as an update to the Mark I gunsight.

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The Mark II sight was introduced in 1939 (perhaps 1938 - if you want to argue exactly what 'introduced' means). This was similar to what you have in the photograph, except that it had an oval reflector screen.

What is pictured is either a Mk.II* or Mk. IIS (I can't see the nameplate clearly - it appears to say Mk.II*). I'm not 100% sure when these two versions came into service, but from photographs it appears to be sometime in 1942.

Excellent work Harald.

Errors corrected, Greyman, thank you very much for letting me know!!

Don't know what happened to my post yesterday but I did say that this was an excellent reference. Thanks for posting your great work. Hurricane next maybe?

Crimea_River said:

Don't know what happened to my post yesterday but I did say that this was an excellent reference. Thanks for posting your great work. Hurricane next maybe?

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A Hurricane would be very nice indeed, and a ME109, FW190...

Need to find one first, with an almost authentic cockpit, and an owner interested to have such (paid) work as a markeing tool on a website! Any suggestions welcome!!!