Type 343 Spitfire Mk.IIA(LR) Info needed (1 Viewer)

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gecko

Airman
42
4
Apr 18, 2014
Hi all,

Research continues on my Spitfire Mk.II project. I'm looking for any information on the Type 343 Spitfire Mk.IIA(LR). In particular I need to know if the underwing tank it carried was a 30 or 40 Imp. Gal. tank (I've seen both numbers quoted) and how and where it plumbed into the main fuel system. Any drawings of photos of the cockpit control for the selector for the extra tank would also be extremely helpful!

I'm also looking for photos or profiles of this variant using the sea grey camo scheme that came into use in August 1941. Everything I have shows the earlier green/brown scheme, but this variant served into early 1942, and would have worn grey/green camo after August 1941 like the rest of Fighter Command.

Thanks for any help!

Dan
 
You may find something on that here.. The Spitfire Mk.II(LR)

Spitfire_LR_Mk.IIA.jpg

26-2.jpg


Spitfire II P9565 (below) flew with a 30 gallon tank
Spitffire-P9565-MK-I-Longrange.jpg




The pic source: the Internet and Forums / RAF Library / Spitfire IIA Long Range - Axis and Allies Paintworks
 
Thank you! I had seen the article and the first picture, the others were new to me. That last picture is by far the best I've seen of the tank. Unfortunately I'm no closer to what I'm looking for on the technical side.
 
OK. I'll try to dig more in my references. If I find something more I'll post it here.

The second pic shows the Spitfire Mk.I K9791 with the fixed fuel underwing tanks. Its first flight was on 9th January 1940.
 
It seems that the 30 and 40 gallons fuel tanks were used during the initial trials only. In 1941/1942 a several ( one source says 60 while the another on just a few ) were fitted the 40 gallons fuel tanks and sent to 66,118 and 152 squadrons. Here two shots I found in the AJ-Press book. vol.1 for Spitfire. Both captions say the fuel tank is of the 40 gallons capacity. The second shot shows the Spitfire P9565. So it would be the second pic of the kite posted above. However either the caption of the shot here or the one above is incorrect regarding the capacity of the fuel tank. All books I went through state the 181-182 l what is just the 40 gallons.

Spitfire MkII LR with 40gal fuel tank.jpg


Spitfire IIA P9565 40 gallon tank LR.jpg
 
Thanks for these. The photos will help for certain. Lacking a technical description I think I'll operate on the assumption that the plumbing and controls were similar to the slipper tank installation on later Mks, minus being able to jettison of course.
 
Thanks for these. The photos will help for certain. Lacking a technical description I think I'll operate on the assumption that the plumbing and controls were similar to the slipper tank installation on later Mks, minus being able to jettison of course.

Morgan and Shacklady's "Spitfire - The history" states that the tanks were 30 (or 29) gallons, except for the two 70 gallons tanks fitted as a mock up (the second picture from Wurger) for a solution to the problem of ferrying spitfires to the mediterranean. I don't think the latter were actually produced or used. According to the book, the type number 343 was used for Mk I's with the underwing tanks, not the Mk II's, but they didn't state any other number for them, so maybe they used it for both versions?

Unfortunately, they fail to say anything about the plumbing for the tanks, can it have been just a fuel line put into the (mostly empty) front fairing of the wing and into the bottom of the main fuel tank via a one-way valve? As the fuel drained from the main tank, the underpressure would suck petrol from the underwing tank. Just a thought....

Pilots did comment that a half-full tank sloshed about a lot, and tests at Boscombe Down showed that stalling with a full tank resulted in a tight left spiraling dive.
 
Hi all,

Research continues on my Spitfire Mk.II project. I'm looking for any information on the Type 343 Spitfire Mk.IIA(LR). In particular I need to know if the underwing tank it carried was a 30 or 40 Imp. Gal. tank (I've seen both numbers quoted) and how and where it plumbed into the main fuel system. Any drawings of photos of the cockpit control for the selector for the extra tank would also be extremely helpful!

I'm also looking for photos or profiles of this variant using the sea grey camo scheme that came into use in August 1941. Everything I have shows the earlier green/brown scheme, but this variant served into early 1942, and would have worn grey/green camo after August 1941 like the rest of Fighter Command.

Thanks for any help!

Dan
I'm glad you've raised these questions. I am also interested in the Spitfire IIa L.R. as some of my veteran pilots friends used to fly them. (Most have passed away by now, alas). Does anybody have a complete list of the L.R. serials I wonder?
Thanks,
Roger
 
Roger, I'm interested in hearing about your friend's experiences with this aircraft. There is precious little about their operations and I've got a lot of questions about how the sorties went. What were the targets, did they go with the bombers all the way, was the whole Squadron equipped with the type, or just one flight of each of the three units, etc?
 
Roger, I'm interested in hearing about your friend's experiences with this aircraft. There is precious little about their operations and I've got a lot of questions about how the sorties went. What were the targets, did they go with the bombers all the way, was the whole Squadron equipped with the type, or just one flight of each of the three units, etc?
I'm sorry I didn't see you reply until today. Please e-mail me.
Thanks.
Roger
 
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