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The spitfire has a switch for the gun cameras that does nothing (that I can discern) other than drawing electricity. I am wondering if it would be possible to make this switch function. For instance, when it is turned on, and the safety is set to fire, and you pulled the trigger, it would take a screenshot from the POV of the guns. It would be a neat feature, one that I think would a worthy addition to such a spectacular craft. It might be impossible, but then, i thought what a2a has done with accusim was impossible. Any thoughts?

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Well as far as I know they were video cameras, not stills and I believe the switch was to heat the camera so the lense wasn't fogged/iced.

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Sorry to be picky...but the original Gun Camera was film not video - Video Tape had yet to be invented when the Spit was in service. Just a thought, most 'Reel to reel Sound Recorders' used steel wire not a ferrous coating on plastic tape as the recording medium...

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Regards,

Nick

Nick is, of course, correct.

The (I think) 16mm film was stored in the camera itself, quite a compact unit (at least the early war one, the prewar was a bit bulky).

The PRU Spitfires had a separate heating switch for the cameras but the fighters did not. I'd "guess" that the gun camera was heated by the same ducting that heated the guns but I would have to check.

The switch supplied power to the camera but the firing button activated the "shot", so that a short piece of film showed, if you were lucky, what was in front and if you were very lucky, what you hit.

In anything other than low to medium deflection shots it showed nothing....at those firing angles the enemy was actually below the nose of the Spitfire in a turn, taking some considerable judgment, luck and skill!!!


It would be great to have it functional but I don't think the effort required would be justified.

Darryl

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...Some say he never blinks, and that he roams around the woods at night foraging for Merlin parts...

Thanks Darryl, I learned something from your post.

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i7-3820 OC 4.7 |P9X79 LE | 16GB DDR3/2133MHz Corsair Vengeance | EVGA GTX 680 2GB | 480 GB Intel SSD | Window7 64 Pro | Liquid Cooling Kit 360MM w/ Triple Fan powered by Koolance

Ha, I meant film but figured that would be a bit confusing (still cameras use film, too!). Perhaps I should have said a movie camera?

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You are probably right, but as everything else in to cockpit does something, it pricks my hide that just one switch doesn't function.

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There's another trigger that doesn't work! The one which fires the guns.
EDIT: Would be a very cool effect to have the guns rattle the airframe! I'd pull that one trigger until the plane stalls!

Icarus

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Check out my FSX videos here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/racefreak1976

I would have a lot more accu sims with the guns included. We toss around some big words about the aircraft being "classic" and "iconic" and "legendary" but they were built to kill people and break things.

Hi Icarus 1976,

You wrote: "I'd pull that one trigger until the plane stalls!"

Sorry to tell you that the Spitfire had about 15 seconds of ammunition, so after 15 seconds of firing you'd have to land to reload!!!

M. Jordan.

Yes, but FSX was NOT! Get a grip man.

Paul

I know the FSX situation. I can dream, cant I

Of course You can also find "gun effects" out on the web that you
can attach to your aircraft to at least give you the sounds and visual
tracer effects. You just can't "hurt" anyone.

For the 91st Bomb Group multiplayer missions I have created a
method of displaying bomb explosions and fires as the bomber
stream passes over and beyond the target. This adds somewhat
but one is still bounded by what FSX will allow.

Paul