Jennings Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 (edited) What is this on the right side aft on this Mk.Vb? It appears to be a hole in the fuselage with a square fabric patch on it. Jonathan is saying that *all* Spits have it once you start looking. Whatzit?? Edited March 3, 2016 by Jennings Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dylan Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 not a boffin by any stretch, but it looks like the fabric patch is covering the hole for the HF antenna. likely not required for most short range operations. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted March 3, 2016 Author Share Posted March 3, 2016 HF antenna? No Spitfire I've ever heard of had an HF radio in it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dylan Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 thats cuz they took them all out. but seriously when you find out let us all know. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scooby Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 (edited) Could be a jack point (pole through the fuselage), I can't see it on all Spitfires but I see it on some. I see it on this one without a patch. But I have a picture of a bare metal Vb and it isn't there. Edited March 4, 2016 by Scooby Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scooby Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 HF antenna? No Spitfire I've ever heard of had an HF radio in it. The Mk I Spitfire had an HF radio. http://spitfiresite.com/2010/04/spitfire-masts-and-aerials.html/2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted March 4, 2016 Author Share Posted March 4, 2016 However, there was no antenna located anywhere near the patch/hole I'm talking about. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scooby Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 However, there was no antenna located anywhere near the patch/hole I'm talking about. There sort of was one, the IFF antenna was through the roundel. I just looked at a picture of a field full of Spitfire fuselages, a lot of them have that hole. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scooby Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 I have a Mk IX manual, I'll have a look. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted March 4, 2016 Author Share Posted March 4, 2016 The IFF cheese cutter lead-in is in the red dot of the roundel in this photo. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
zaxos345 Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Jennings look here at post #18 http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=34601&hl=plagis&page=2 Hope that helps a little! (kudos to our loving friend Edgar) John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 It looks pretty close to where some Spits had an upward firing very-style flare discharger located. That could be what it is and it may explain what looks like a fabric type covering (such as what went over the gun ports). Cheers! Don. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scooby Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 We have an answer! The last two are correct! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
majortomski Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Neat! We had a 1937 Fairchild 24 that had a four tube flair launcher for night landings too. With lighted air fields and good landing lights we forget there were other solutions that have gone by the wayside. I've also read in some books on Spits that it was a very hard plane to fly at night. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stevehnz Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Woo hoo, I can go to bed happy now, I've learnt something today. :D Not kidding either, this was a new one too me. Thanks. Steve. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted March 4, 2016 Author Share Posted March 4, 2016 So according to this thread on the Key Publishing forum, it almost looks like a Gatling gun type thing! http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?73978-Signal-Flare-chute-Airworthy-Spifires Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Not sure if the upward firing very-discharger was a multi-barrel affair as pictured. I am not at home now so I can't check what I have there but I don't think that it was as large as what is pictured. Cheers! Don Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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