Spitfire Bomb Distributor / Selector

[41Sqn_Skipper]

I'm trying to figure out what kind of bomb distributor / selector was installed on the different Spitfires marks. Background: Currently the Spitfire IX can only drop the fueselage bomb combined with the under-wing bombs at the same time. I'm wondering if there was a way to drop the bomb independently. This are my findings so far.

 

Spitfire XIV

 

According to Pilot's Notes Spitfire XIV & XIX (April 1944) there was a simple bomb release control installed consisting of a master switch, fusing switch and release pushbutton. 

 

A.P. 1565 T para. 30:

In A.P. 1565 T&W 2nd Edition a description of emergency release toggle was added to para. 30:

The cockpit illustration shows the mentiones controls at position 31, 32 and 38:

 

 

Spitfire 16

 

According to Pilot's Notes Spitfire 16 (August 1949) there was a more complex bomb distributor was installed that allows the selection of bombs. 

 

A.P. 1565 L para. 30:

The cockpit illustration shows the mentiones controls at position 5 and 10:

 

 

Spitfire IX

 

No information on the used bomb distributor found so far. I would assume that only a simpel release control was installed, identical to the Spitfire XIV and that the more complex bomb release distributor was installed after the war. 

 

 

[41Sqn_Skipper]

Reworked the initial post after I had access to more complete documents. 

[NZTyphoon]

On 3/12/2020 at 11:23 PM, 41Sqn_Banks said:

I'm trying to figure out what kind of bomb distributor / selector was installed on the different Spitfires marks. Background: Currently the Spitfire IX can only drop the fueselage bomb combined with the under-wing bombs at the same time. I'm wondering if there was a way to drop the bomb independently. This are my findings so far.

 

Spitfire XIV

 

According to Pilot's Notes Spitfire XIV & XIX (April 1944) there was a simple bomb release control installed consisting of a master switch, fusing switch and release pushbutton. 

 

A.P. 1565 T para. 30:

In A.P. 1565 T&W 2nd Edition a description of emergency release toggle was added to para. 30:

The cockpit illustration shows the mentiones controls at position 31, 32 and 38:

 

 

Spitfire 16

 

According to Pilot's Notes Spitfire 16 (August 1949) there was a more complex bomb distributor was installed that allows the selection of bombs. 

 

A.P. 1565 L para. 30:

The cockpit illustration shows the mentiones controls at position 5 and 10:

 

 

Spitfire IX

 

No information on the used bomb distributor found so far. I would assume that only a simpel release control was installed, identical to the Spitfire XIV and that the more complex bomb release distributor was installed after the war. 

 

 

The following comes from a supplementary booklet, dated September 1944, that was issued with the Spitfire Mk IX Pilot's Notes AP. 1565J: this shows that Spitfire IXs (and presumably XIVs) that carried both fuselage and wing bombs, were fitted with bomb selector switches: Paragraphs 43 through 46 explain how the switch panel was used, noting that the pilot could select which bombs to drop, plus there was the option of dropping all three as a salvo.

Those Spitfires that carried the fuselage bomb had the simpler bomb fusing/ master switch Paragraph 42 and as shown in the XIV/XIX Pilot's Notes:

Edited May 4, 2020 by NZTyphoon
Clarification on types of bomb switches used.

[41Sqn_Skipper]

3 hours ago, NZTyphoon said:

 

Those Spitfires that carried the fuselage bomb had the simpler bomb fusing/ master switch Paragraph 42 and as shown in the XIV/XIX Pilot's Notes:

 

I've read yesterday on a website that Spitfire XIV only could carry fuselage bomb and Spitfire XIVE could in addition carry the wing bombs. No primary source though. 

Edited May 4, 2020 by 41Sqn_Banks

[41Sqn_Skipper]

A.L. No. 14 is dated September 44, so not an after-war addition.

 

We need to get the devs attention on this topic considering that the Spitfire IX is the main RAF fighter bomber in career mode and majority of the missions are with wing and fuselage bombs.

[LukeFF]

41 minutes ago, 41Sqn_Banks said:

We need to get the devs attention on this topic considering that the Spitfire IX is the main RAF fighter bomber in career mode and majority of the missions are with wing and fuselage bombs.

 

@=FB=VikS is the guy you want to talk to about this sort of thing.  

[NZTyphoon]

4 hours ago, 41Sqn_Banks said:

A.L. No. 14 is dated September 44, so not an after-war addition.

 

We need to get the devs attention on this topic considering that the Spitfire IX is the main RAF fighter bomber in career mode and majority of the missions are with wing and fuselage bombs.

Another loading used was wing bombs plus a slipper tank:

 

 

This photo of a 74 Sqn Spitfire XVIE shows good details of the wing racks; in fact, it's a good photo that, when blown up to full size, shows all sorts of clear details;

Edited May 4, 2020 by NZTyphoon

[41Sqn_Skipper]

3 hours ago, NZTyphoon said:

Another loading used was wing bombs plus a slipper tank:

 

A few days ago I noticed another thing in Shore's Vol. 4 of the 2nd TAF books:

 

 

"500 lb bomb below fuselage (later increased to two)" honestly I've never heard of that before or have seen any photo or document that mentiones 2 fuselage bombs on Spitfires.