Spitfire aerials

Battle of Britain "Wings of Victory"
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33lima3
Senior Airman
Posts: 196
Joined: 11 Dec 2018, 14:48

Spitfire aerials

Post by 33lima3 »

Is there a way of removing - or making invisible - the two wires from the Spit's rear fuselage to the tailplane tips?

I gather these were for the Mk III IFF system (distinct from Pipsqueak) that produced a flashing return on RDF screens (and that the Mk I IFF, which might or might not have had these wires, was only ever fitted experimentally).

http://spitfiresite.com/2010/04/spitfir ... rials.html

http://spitfiresite.com/2010/04/spitfir ... als.html/2

Quoting from the latter:

"When modelling a Battle of Britain era Spitfire Mk. I four combinations are possible:
1.Early rod mast, HF TR 9 radio with wire to the rudder.
2.Tapered mast with triangular prong, TR 9 radio with wire from fuselage to mast and from mast to rudder.
3.Tapered mast without triangular prong, VHF TR 1133 radio, no wire although the rudder post may still be fitted.
4.Ditto 3; IFF fitted wires running from fuselage roundel to leading edge of tailplane tips. An insulator in the form off a small dot is visible just forward of upper part of the red centre spot."

By the time (really or mostly after the Battle) that Mk III IFF and its two fuselage-to-tailplane wires were fitted, Spits had VHF radios with the aerial in the mast, so for July-Sept 1940, it should be either:

- the two side wires and no wire (and no triangular prong) from the mast (for a post- or very late BoB2 Spit, MK II or updated Mk 1) or

- just a wire from fin to mast (WITH the prong) - not both.
SimHQ Battle of Britain II screenshots thread: http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4481941/1
CombatAce Mission Reports: https://combatace.com/forums/forum/307-mission-reports/

Boreas
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Posts: 500
Joined: 07 Jan 2007, 21:45

Re: Spitfire aerials

Post by Boreas »

Interesting info 3lima33. I could be wrong but I think we would need someone who could edit the 3d aircraft model to do this.

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33lima3
Senior Airman
Posts: 196
Joined: 11 Dec 2018, 14:48

Re: Spitfire aerials

Post by 33lima3 »

Thanks Boreas. I was hoping maybe there was a way of 'painting it invisible' but possibly it shows up grey now, because it is untextured.

It's no wonder it was portrayed with three wires in BoB2, as many sources show the Mk I that way, including the Squadron/Signal spitfire monograph. And many Mk I and II Spit models pictured online have it that way - you tend to assume because there's a radio mast, there must be a wire aerial strung to it!
SimHQ Battle of Britain II screenshots thread: http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4481941/1
CombatAce Mission Reports: https://combatace.com/forums/forum/307-mission-reports/

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