1/32 Supermarine spitfire MK.1XC Tamiya

[Airfix Modeller Freak]

BTW, very nice work mike

 

[flyjoe180]

Surely you guys mean aerial antenna wire as opposed to mast?

 

[PhilJ]

Surely you guys mean aerial antenna wire as opposed to mast?

John says there was no mast, I was under the impression that there was no wire and that the transmitters receivers were integrated into the mast I found this:


The new equipment with its shorter wavelengths did not require the aerial wire from the mast to the fin and the mast housed the antenna. The triangular prong was removed from the mast. After some months of delay, from September 1940 front-line Spitfires were re-equipped with the new radios as a matter of priority and by the end of 1940 most aircraft had the mast without the wire and prong, although most retained the redundant anchor point on top of the rudder. It is more than likely that the various Maintenance Units (Mu)s would have have been responsible for fitting the new equipment to factory fresh Spitfires.

 

[Edgar Brooks]

Sorry, gentlemen, but the VIII had a mast, and the IX had a mast, both with its VHF aerial inside and out of view. The XIV had no mast, since the aerial was replaced by a whip type.

 

[PhilJ]

Sorry, gentlemen, but the VIII had a mast, and the IX had a mast, both with its VHF aerial inside and out of view. The XIV had no mast, since the aerial was replaced by a whip type.

Yep, that's what I wrote. That's why I didn't put a antenna wire on mine but it was tempting

 

[Airfix Modeller Freak]

Sorry, gentlemen, but the VIII had a mast, and the IX had a mast, both with its VHF aerial inside and out of view. The XIV had no mast, since the aerial was replaced by a whip type.

erm, what sort of aerial/mast, as my friend used to fly mk VIIIs, and he clearly told me that there was no wire leading from the aerial mast....


Here is a wartime photo of a MK VIII operating from Italy


View attachment 113384



However, here is a VERY confusing profile of a MK VIII showing an aerial. Most likely incorrect


View attachment 113385

 

[Airfix Modeller Freak]

John says there was no mast, I was under the impression that there was no wire and that the transmitters receivers were integrated into the mast I found this:
The new equipment with its shorter wavelengths did not require the aerial wire from the mast to the fin and the mast housed the antenna. The triangular prong was removed from the mast. After some months of delay, from September 1940 front-line Spitfires were re-equipped with the new radios as a matter of priority and by the end of 1940 most aircraft had the mast without the wire and prong, although most retained the redundant anchor point on top of the rudder. It is more than likely that the various Maintenance Units (Mu)s would have have been responsible for fitting the new equipment to factory fresh Spitfires.

Yes. Only the MK Is and MK Vs had the mast running from the tail to the aerial post. only MK Is to Vs operated during this period (1940)


Here is a pic of a wartime Mk IX from the polish foreign RAF squadron (no aerial)


John


View attachment 113383

 

[Edgar Brooks]

Can we, please, get something straight? The MAST is the upright "pole" sticking out of the fuselage behind the cockpit; the AERIAL is the stainless steel multi-strand wire, which, in 1940, due to the use of HF radio, (and very occasionally thereafter, usually Russia ) ran between the MAST and the rudder. From early 1941, the AERIAL, due to the radio being VHF, was short enough to be fitted inside the MAST, so it was no longer visible.

 

[Airfix Modeller Freak]

Can we, please, get something straight? The MAST is the upright "pole" sticking out of the fuselage behind the cockpit; the AERIAL is the stainless steel multi-strand wire, which, in 1940, due to the use of HF radio, (and very occasionally thereafter, usually Russia ) ran between the MAST and the rudder. From early 1941, the AERIAL, due to the radio being VHF, was short enough to be fitted inside the MAST, so it was no longer visible.

Good to know. Anyway, I guess you can see what I mean


John

 

[PhilJ]

Can we, please, get something straight? The MAST is the upright "pole" sticking out of the fuselage behind the cockpit; the AERIAL is the stainless steel multi-strand wire, which, in 1940, due to the use of HF radio, (and very occasionally thereafter, usually Russia ) ran between the MAST and the rudder. From early 1941, the AERIAL, due to the radio being VHF, was short enough to be fitted inside the MAST, so it was no longer visible.

Yep that's right, that's what I said from the very beginning. Please let's leave it there lads I'm getting dizzy going round in circles


The main point is it is still a great build