Free French Spitfire. Help Please

[Wendall]

Morning All,

Been a busy boy lately so not much time to spend on the forum or on my big spit.

I've now received my RB Sutton Harness the Airscale cockpit decals and turned metal guns so I'm ready to crack on.

I didn't want to build another BBMF Spitfire so I have ordered the Decals for Captain Rene Mouchottes steed BL803 flying with 340 sqn out of Biggin Hill in July '42.

Now I need some help please! Would this aircraft have had wing strengthening bars fitted and how should I rig the antenna? From the mast or the fuselage? From the info I have read I was thinking fuselage but I can't find conclusive proof!!

I'm not being lazy I promise. But I've not had much luck trying to research this myself so once again I'm calling on the encyclopedic knowledge of my fellow forum members!

Thanks

Jason

 

[stona]

BL803 was delivered in February 1942, five months before the wing strengthening strakes were introduced on the production line. It was not initially a modification allowed to be carried out on the squadrons, so I very much doubt that they would have been present in the period you are modelling.

The antenna for the VHF radio was contained within the mast, so no wire from fin to mast.

The IFF antennae ran from the horizontal stabilisers and entered the fuselage in the red of the roundel. These would have been present in mid 1942.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Wendall]

Cheers Steve. Thanks for the help again, much appreciated

Jason