Storage in ww2 fighters?

[Browning303]

Hi guys, I was at an airshow a couple of years ago and watched a Hawker Hurricane land. The pilot got out and unscrewed a panel on the wing, roughly where I guess they would have accessed the gun battery on a real combat hurricane. He pulled out a small bag then screwed the panel back on, so I guess he was using it as a storage compartment as of course there is no armament on modern ww2 aircraft that are still flying.

It got me thinking, does anybody know if ww2 era fighters ever had a small storage compartment for a pilot to put a bag in? For example, when moving from being based at one airfield to another, could a pilot take any personal possessions with him or did all possessions have to be brought separately? I know there could be many issues, for example weight distribution. But I know from cutaways of aircraft that the fuselage behind the pilot was often fairly hollow (thinking especially of hurricane).

I've had a google but can't seem to find any answers. My gut feeling is that this was not provided on any fighter, they were built entirely for one purpose, not for comfort. I'm sure I read somewhere that a german pilot would take his dog with him in the cockpit of his 109 when on non-combat flights. Perhaps pilots put a small bag on their lap or at their feet but then from a safety point of view this seems like a bad idea!

Any thoughts would be interesting? Cheers.

 

[Airframes]

On the Spitfire and Hurricane, a small bag could be wedged into the radio compartment. The Bf109 had a storage facility, again accessed via the radio hatch, for the carriage of survival equipment for desert use, which consisted of a survival and first aid pack, extra water, and a Kar98K rifle.

 

[fubar57]

Behind the pilots head on the Bf-109, there was a stowage compartment.

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[Peter Gunn]

The P-38 apparently had a storage/baggage compartment in the rear right boom:

LiTOT: P-38 design analysis

"Aft Booms
The aft booms are of semi-monocoque stressed skin type, and extend from the forward boom to the empennage boom. Carrying the coolant radiator structures on either side of each boom. Attachment of the aft booms at both ends is done with screws and stop nuts through the skin and webs, and by bolts through two fittings forged from 14ST aluminum that mate with fittings on the forward boom channels. Coolant radiator frames are supported by brackets attached to the formers. A baggage compartment is located in the right-hand aft boom."

 

[Browning303]

Thank you for the quick replies guys! Very interesting! Had no idea a rifle could be carried. Was a Kar98 routinely put on board during combat sorties?

 

[mexchiwa]

190s had storage in the rear fuselage - used to evacuate personnel on more than one occasion...

 

[Browning303]

It was possible to have a passenger in the back of a 109??

 

[Airframes]

I don't think so in the Bf109, but the FW190 had room for a passenger in an emergency, and was used on at least one occasion to carry a film cameraman, to film a formation in flight.
As far as I know, the Kar98K was only carried on operations in desert conditions. The small locker behind the seat in the Bf109 was designed to hold the engine inertia start crank handle, but often carried the pilot's dress cap too.

 

[Shortround6]

On a restored P-40. Many American fighters of the 30s had a small baggage compartment for a few personal items when the aircraft were deployed to a different airfield. Given size of US it could be days for ground transport to catch up.

 

[fubar57]

Trying to find a diagram I saw that showed how to carry 2 passengers in a Fw190

 

[Airframes]

Here's the film cameraman in the FW190.

 

[fubar57]

Still looking but found this...

 

[Crimea_River]

I believe there is anecdotal evidence of retreating 109 JG's carrying one extra person but I'm going by memory only.

 

[Graeme]

Not a classic WW2 aircraft but there was a large "baggage" space accessible from the starboard side behind the cockpit on the Seversky P-35.
The aerofiles site shows one P-35 fitted out with a buddy seat...

 

[fastmongrel]

All Spitfires and Hurricanes had a cockpit Teacup holder and Ashtray. The prototypes also had a Teapot but it was removed when the seatback armour was fitted.

 

[Greyman]

Every lady needs a handbag, even the Spitfire.

 

[BiffF15]

Looks like a body rolled up in a carpet...

 

[GregP]

You could put a person in back of a Bf 109, but he had to crawl forward to minimize CG changes and sit as close to right behind the pilot as possible. I've been inside our Hispano Ha.1112 and it is tight, but I made it in. We went inside to move hydraulics from engine compartment to behind the pilot for safety reasons. If the oil isn't near heat, it probably won't catch fire!

 

[airminded88]

Franz Stigler, the Bf-109 pilot immortalized in the annals of history for letting pilot Charlie Brown and his crew escape the continent in a badly damaged in B-17 is said to have squeezed his mechanic in the aft section of his 109 when his fighting unit was retreating from North Africa.

 

[pbehn]

All Spitfires and Hurricanes had a cockpit Teacup holder and Ashtray. The prototypes also had a Teapot but it was removed when the seatback armour was fitted.

Long term, the short range resulting from the lack of tea pot was a big drawback on the Spitfire. PR versions had a "Goblin teas maid" installed. BTW Spitfires had a cup and saucer while Hurricanes had an enamel mug.