mongo Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 OK, I'm totally confused about the composition (and hence, color [colour] of the seat in the Spitfire. Some were al-you-min-i-yum, some were plastic laminate. At what Marks were those types of seats installed in the aircraft. More specifically, what seat would a mid-late Mk IX have? Mongo Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Av8fan Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Here you go: spitfire seat answer by Mr. E. Brooks. as always check your references. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TonyT Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 (edited) This was the colour, the external has been painted in its life as it is still a flier, but the inner colour is correct, some early ones were metal. The leather back was normally a red colour! The holes in front are for the flare stowage. http://s536.photobucket.com/albums/ff321/taylortony/Spitfire%20MKx1x/#!cpZZ8QQtppZZ16 That is a mk 19 btw Edited January 22, 2012 by TonyT Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Grant in West Oz Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 (edited) Composite seat, it was named Tufnol. There's a fresh-looking one in the background. Mk.V on. Metal seat. Mk.I/II. There are shape differences, the kit seat will be the give-away. G Edited January 22, 2012 by Grant in West Oz Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Edgar Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 (edited) Composite seat, it was named Tufnol. No, it was simply known as "plastic." Some civil servant has caused years of grief, for modellers, by naming it as Bakelite (which it never was, either,) in the Spitfire repair manual. The manufacturing company was Aeroplastics Ltd., who, like Tufnol, were based in Glasgow, but in a different area. Tufnol make a material, today, which sounds remarkably like the old seat plastic, and it's possible that they took over Aeroplastics production, post-war, but an enquiry, on this subject, brought a deafening silence. Before May, 1940, all seats were metal (probably duralumin,) and the plastic seat was introduced as an alternative, not a replacement. Early metal seats might well have been painted black, not green, as well. Edgar Edited January 23, 2012 by Edgar Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Grant in West Oz Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Illuminated once again. Thanks Edgar. Actually, Tufnol was a product by Aeroproducts. A laminated fibrous resin, it's strong point was it was able to cope with point fasteners such as flat head rivets. Their Plastic Spitfire was a bit of a dud tho. Still in use today as the fibre looking board that holds the metallic printed circuits in our computers etc. Structural carbon fibre panels use exactly the same technology. Bakelite was a monobloc casting for mantle wireless (radio) shells, switches and the like and pop jewellery. Cheers, G Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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