AndyB Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 ....from the IFF with the fixed wire from fuse to tailplane, to the underwing dipole in Mk IXs? More specifically did JEJ EN398 have one or the other?. I initially thought that looking at the photograph from the starboard side that has JEJ stood roughly where the roundel is that it couldn't be cable to the tailplane as he was in the way, but having recreated as close as I can the pose with a spare figure I'm not so sure. I'm also uncomfortably aware that the limits of the photographic resolution on this photo wouldn't necessarily show the wire either. Regards, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Brooks Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Supermarine introduced the Mk.III I.F.F. from March, 1943, but the "DIY" leaflets weren't issued until January, 1944, possibly because it also heralded a different radio, which might have been in short supply. The small insulators remained in the fuselage (it's possible to see them on a Mk.21 in a museum in Glasgow,) and were supposed to be covered by (not red) fabric patches. The underwing aerial was screwed to a fitting, which was screwed to the wing; if the Squadron reverted to the old-style Mk.II IFF, the aerial was to be removed, and the hole covered by the ubiquitous fabric patch. It's doubtful if the wire Mk.II aerials would have been left in place, after operations, since they'd have constituted a hazard to the erks. They were held under tension by bunjee cords inside the fuselage, and the radio carried an explosive charge, which, as well as being initiated by the pair of buttons in the cockpit, also went off under shock in the event of a crash, so it's unlikely that the fitters would have fancied working round a potential grenade. All of this waffle means that it's almost certainly impossible to say, with certainty, but EN398 first flew in February 1943, which predates the IFF mod, so I'd tend to stick my neck out, and say that it had the earlier, two-wire, Mk.II. Edgar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyB Posted September 1, 2011 Author Share Posted September 1, 2011 As ever Edgar, help of a quality kind. Thanks indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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