On the first picture do my eyes deceive or is that a pear-shaped indentation?
If so it could be the modification that was done to accommodate the tail-wheel.
On the first picture do my eyes deceive or is that a pear-shaped indentation?
If so it could be the modification that was done to accommodate the tail-wheel.
Thanks but I not believe there are Hurricane in 1944 in Italy. However we identified it surely as a Spitfire like you can read here: Geldard Cornelius
Thanks again
Have seen US parts on Spitfires before - excavated on where engine parts clearly indicated it had been a Rolls Royce Merlin (recovered at time of crash) but complete Packard magneto found!
The link below should help you identify some of the parts on a Spitfire 2/3 way down the page.
All spitfire airframe components are in the 300 series for example 33107 on a part- 331 identifies the type as a Spitfire VB and the 07 means top outer main plane.
Components common to more than one type will have a stores reference for example 14a/1390. The 14 identifies the component as photographic equipment and the other numbers gun camera. These can be found earlier on the link below
SpitfireSpares.com - warbird Reference
All components will have an inspection stamp in a circle with a series of letters and some numbers for example VACB which means Vickers Armstrong Castle Bromich, the numbers identify the individual inspector.
In photograph 5 the "P" shaped pin locks the ammunition feed shute to the gun and also the spent case shute. (2 on eachgun) The chain and sprocket are part of the controls under the cockpit floor.
Photo 13 shows the 6 outer parts of Dzus fasteners, probably from the engine cowlings, next to them is the latch for locking the pneumatic cocking mechanism to the Browning machine gun which is located at the bottom rear of the gun.
Photo of the black plate should read" Warining this aircraft must not be flow without wireless equipment or ballast"
Only metal prop blades I have seen were on an early MK1.
Usualy in a Spitfire crash the engine and guns travel further into the ground, normall the guns are at 2m in soft ground and depending on the height the aircraft came down from the engine can be as deep as 10m. I suspect you may need to go deeper.
Packard in the USA made Rolls Royce Merlins under licence for use in the P51 , I don't know how many ended up in Spitfires but we did recover 2 Packard Merlin 45's from a Lancaster crash.
Hope this helps a bit,
Alan.
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