The bomb racks used on Greek and Yougoslavian Spitfires Mk.Vc.

[Aeon]

Greetings,
I'm looking for plans of the bomb racks used on Greek and Yougoslavian Spitfires Mk. Vc. Thank you.

 

[MiTasol]

Never seen any like that before. Where/when were these used?

 

[EwenS]

Those curved pieces of ironwork are not the bomb racks themselves. They are frames to steady the bombs on the racks. The rack itself can be seen between the two frames in the second photo. Here is a photo of a 2nd TAF Spitfire with bombs on the racks and the supporting frames.

 

[Aeon]

Those curved pieces of ironwork are not the bomb racks themselves. They are frames to steady the bombs on the racks. The rack itself can be seen between the two frames in the second photo. Here is a photo of a 2nd TAF Spitfire with bombs on the racks and the supporting frames.

View attachment 747289

Those are the later ones used on IX. Yes those are suporting frames but the rack is smaler and diferent in shape.

 

[Aeon]

Never seen any like that before. Where/when were these used?

1943 and after in Meadle East, Sicily - Italy and finaly Greece. Mr. John Korellis told me that all Mk.Vc and Mk.IX in midle east and Italy used those racks initially before the later ones introduced.

 

[MIflyer]

Unfortunately, there is no mention of them in this book.

 

[MiTasol]

nor in the more accurate one I posted at AP 1565E Spitfire Mk V Volume 1 (maintenance manual)

The half hoop bomb steadies look like a field mod (something thrown together by the units maintenance staff using whatever was available) and the shackles may be from some other type aircraft (with or without modification) or likewise a field mod. The release units themselves, and the crutch pads, appear to be one of the standard RAF types (the linkages behind the hook itself are visible in the excellent photos that AEON provided in post 4) but I have never seen Italian or German release units so can not guarantee that.

 

[MIflyer]

I wondered if they were modified Hurricane IV bomb racks but the Hurricane manual describes them only a little, saying they are shorter than standard ones, and does not provide any real photos or drawings.

 

[MiTasol]

I have nothing on Hurricane racks but the Brits were into different bomb carriers for different aircraft in a big way. I know there was a Typhoon bomb carrier as well as all those below. EM means electro mechanical and M means purely mechanical. I wish I had the manual to go with this lot.

 

[Aeon]

Thank you all for your help.
I was able to contact a curator in Belgrades aviation museum and he povided me with some close shots.
Mr. Korellis confirmed that this was an extent field modification, and during his research for his book, he contacted all major air museums in europe and US, but no blue prints where available. COLOURS AND MARKINGS OF HELLENIC SPITFIRES 1943-1954

 

[MiTasol]

Thank you for the follow up