Temporary Spitfire MkI gun port cover

[Kingscoy]

Hello everyone,

Attached are two pics of a stainless steel temporary gun port cover as used with early PR Spitfires. Does anyone perhaps have a official drawing of this cover plate?
Many thanks for any help!

Kind regards,
Sander

 

[Airframes]

Nice one Sander. I don't think I have a full drawing, but might have the placement sketch and part numbers. Leave it with me and I'll check my references. That's quite a rare find!

 

[Kingscoy]

Thx! Although these are pics found on the internet. Attached a photo of the cover I found. It is from that PR IB Spit which I did a threat on a while ago. Indeed a rare find of a rare part. Even more rare as it is the only thing I have found from that a/c!

Cheers Sander

 

[Airframes]

Sorry, I've looked through my stuff and haven't found anything. I'm sure I've seen something somewhere, so I'll keep looking.

 

[Kingscoy]

Thanks...no problem. The site from which I got the photo's refered to a "Spitty parts book" but I don't know which Spiftire manual that would be. I'll keep looking too.

 

[Airframes]

Perhaps Tony (Rocketeer) might be able to help? He's rebuilding a couple of Spitfire/Seafires, and again has access to vast information. I think he's back from the 'States now, so maybe a PM might get somewhere?

 

[stona]

There must be a drawing somewhere. The plates to cover the now unoccupied gun ports were originally developed in the workshops at Heston for the IA.
I assume that the IBs were modified by Supermarine as they had the extra fuel tank behind the pilot so just possibly there would be a Supermarine drawing for the part.
I know that a pilot from No 2 Camouflage Unit (Longbottom) collected the first IB from Farnborough in January 1940 but guess that the conversion would have been completed prior to this.
It's a very interesting find!
Cheers
Steve

 

[Kingscoy]

Terry thanks, I will certainly try a PM.

Steve, thanks for the reply. The PR IB Spit my cover came from was the N3069 and was one of the first two Spits together with the N3071 used by the Heston flight and later the PDU. Its just bizar that the only relic I have ever found of the N3069 is this part.

Cheers,
Sander