Lights on WWII Aircraft
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Lights on WWII Aircraft
Looking at the Airfix February 2014 calender page I notice the Hurricane has (landing?) lights on the leading edge of the wing. Was this required and useful to WWII pilots.
Scale Plastic Model Kits by Airfix - Calendar Wallpaper
I understand the use of lights on aircraft but on a WWII fighter at war what purpose did they serve?
Thanks
Scale Plastic Model Kits by Airfix - Calendar Wallpaper
I understand the use of lights on aircraft but on a WWII fighter at war what purpose did they serve?
Thanks
Do a Hover - it avoids G
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Chips
You give no idea of your age, education or aviation backgound.
So assuming the worst:
Lights enable you to see in the dark.
Landing lights enable you to see the ground when landing.
WWII aircraft had to be able to land in the dark if necessary.
WWII runways did not have lights like today and were identified (if they were expecting you) by rows of things called goosenecks near the runway.
A gooseneck was a metal watering can like device full of paraffin with a wick sticking out of the spout which when lit gave a pale flickering light.
A goosneck was visible for about a mile (which is some 1.6km)
Dunsfold had no lighting in 1968 and so I had to use goosenecks when I was asked to check out a Harrier at night. Since my takeoff blew out all the bloody goosenecks and I had to wait some 20mins until they were lit again before I could land, I went down town Godalming and bought some battery powered lanterns the next day.
The man whose job it was to puchase equipment for the company (the "Buyer") became irate some weeks later when he was advised about what I had done. By then we had finished the night flying to the Ministry's satisfaction so I told him he should thank me for avoiding him being personally responsible for a programme delay. Not sure he got the point though.
You give no idea of your age, education or aviation backgound.
So assuming the worst:
Lights enable you to see in the dark.
Landing lights enable you to see the ground when landing.
WWII aircraft had to be able to land in the dark if necessary.
WWII runways did not have lights like today and were identified (if they were expecting you) by rows of things called goosenecks near the runway.
A gooseneck was a metal watering can like device full of paraffin with a wick sticking out of the spout which when lit gave a pale flickering light.
A goosneck was visible for about a mile (which is some 1.6km)
Dunsfold had no lighting in 1968 and so I had to use goosenecks when I was asked to check out a Harrier at night. Since my takeoff blew out all the bloody goosenecks and I had to wait some 20mins until they were lit again before I could land, I went down town Godalming and bought some battery powered lanterns the next day.
The man whose job it was to puchase equipment for the company (the "Buyer") became irate some weeks later when he was advised about what I had done. By then we had finished the night flying to the Ministry's satisfaction so I told him he should thank me for avoiding him being personally responsible for a programme delay. Not sure he got the point though.
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" I went down town Godalming "
Just for a second there I thought you meant in the Harrier, John!
Just for a second there I thought you meant in the Harrier, John!
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I was stationed at R.A.F. Kuching [Sarawak, Borneo] in 1964-65. We had a Malaysian Airways Comet scheduled flight at about 7pm, a couple of times per week. It was dark at that time of day [or night] and all we had were goosenecks. We also launched and recovered Transport and Fighter aeroplanes during darkness as well.
The unlit goosenecks were taken to the runway on a trailer.......on arrival at the runway the operative would light the first gooseneck with a match and then light the next gooseneck [still on the trailer]. You guessed it.......on a windy night, the lighted gooseneck blew over and ignited more goosenecks! In no time a conflagration at the runway edge!!! [A hovering Harrier would have been useful].
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Helen49, I think that was the fate of more than one gooseneck trailer. At Niue it was the firemen laying the goosenecks and when the trailer caught alight they raced back to the firestation where all the fire fighting equipment was. Kerosene burns well with a draft and as you can imagine there was nothing left of the trailer when they got to the firestation.
I dont think I ever heard what happened to the expected aircraft for whom the goosenecks were being laid.
I dont think I ever heard what happened to the expected aircraft for whom the goosenecks were being laid.
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When I was an Apprentice Electrical Fitter (Air) we learned to wire up a complete imaginary aircraft lighting system - as would be typical on a WWII bomber. Not long after graduating it was my privilege to rewire the Lancaster PA474. Apart from the usual red cockpit lights and ultra-violet instrument lights, it had all the external lights as per the aircraft wiring training phase - Navigation lights, Landing lights, Formation lights and Downward identification lights (operated by a morse key on the instrument panel). There were no Anti-collision lights though. 
Cunning Artificer
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No, but I forgot to mention the Aldis Signalling Lamp.
I wonder if shining it in a night fighter's eyes could destroy his night vision?
I wonder if shining it in a night fighter's eyes could destroy his night vision?
When I was with UBAS at Shawbury, the syllabus for the Preliminary Flying Badge required solo night flying. To achieve this, while at the same time minimizing the risk of damaged Chipmunks, each student flew about one hour dual followed by one solo circuit.
The evening I did my night flying, we were operating on the short runway 05/23. There were electric edge lights, but they far enough apart, that at Chipmunk speeds you could get a black-hole effect between the lights. So to counteract this, goosenecks were laid between the edge lights. It gave a very eery appearance, with the flickering gooseneck flames in between the brighter electric lights.
The next day our LAC MT driver borrowed a truck and a few of us students went along with him to retrieve the goosenecks. He was a bit enthusiastic with his driving and some paraffin was spilt on the floor of the truck.
It turned out that the truck he had borrowed was normally used to transport food and the owner was not all pleased. Our driver ended up on a charge!
Here's a gooseneck for those that have never seen one:
The evening I did my night flying, we were operating on the short runway 05/23. There were electric edge lights, but they far enough apart, that at Chipmunk speeds you could get a black-hole effect between the lights. So to counteract this, goosenecks were laid between the edge lights. It gave a very eery appearance, with the flickering gooseneck flames in between the brighter electric lights.
The next day our LAC MT driver borrowed a truck and a few of us students went along with him to retrieve the goosenecks. He was a bit enthusiastic with his driving and some paraffin was spilt on the floor of the truck.
It turned out that the truck he had borrowed was normally used to transport food and the owner was not all pleased. Our driver ended up on a charge!
Here's a gooseneck for those that have never seen one:
No, but I forgot to mention the Aldis Signalling Lamp.
Now less than a minute from the radar contact, I asked the Signaller to aim the Aldis Light at the sea to illuminate the object. At the first flash of light and sparks from the buggered landing light the radar object faded which we were sure it was a submarine submerging.
As soon as the Aldis light operator hit the lamp trigger the light from the lamp reflected from all the glass panels including the cockpit glass roof and momentarily blinded all of us up front (captain, second pilot and navigator). We were down to 200 feet and pitch black outside when we were affected by the Aldis Light beam waving everywhere in the cockpit as the signaller tried to keep his footing. We were lucky not to have pranged.
Everyone up front shouted through the intercom to the Sig to turn off the bloody light which the Signaller did. He then sulked for the rest of the flight. Meanwhile we dropped our sonobuoys and tracked the submarine for ten minutes.
At the subsequent de0briefing back at Darwin, the Royal Australian Navy denied having a sub in the area so we put it down to a foreign sub spying on the exercise. The Navy poo-poo'd our report by saying it was probably only the sound of copulating whales which the sonobuoys picked up...
Gentleman Aviator
I42 ...surely the dodgiest thing about night flying in the Chippy was pre-landing fuel checks.
Cue use of right-angled torch to see (pretend to see?) dancing needles on unilluminated gauges on the wing top surface.
Or did it improve? (I'm talking late 60s)
Cue use of right-angled torch to see (pretend to see?) dancing needles on unilluminated gauges on the wing top surface.
Or did it improve? (I'm talking late 60s)
teeteringhead,
No, same time. We were lent those right-angled torches, but I cannot remember how or if we attached them to our flying-suits.
Anyway, we started with full tanks so there was no real need for fuel-checks, after an hour's flying!
No, same time. We were lent those right-angled torches, but I cannot remember how or if we attached them to our flying-suits.
Anyway, we started with full tanks so there was no real need for fuel-checks, after an hour's flying!
Ineffective.
Most fighter were expected to fly and fight at night before and during the early part of the war. However, the results were very poor and we probably lost more a/c doing this and training for it than enemy a/c shot down. Early Hurricanes (..and I think some Spits..) had a sheet metal shroud/blind fitted over the exhausts to protect the pilots night-vision from the glare. Once the AI radars started to be used (In Blenheims first I think.) the single engined fighters were taken off night-fighter duties. Subsequent versions of the Spit' had the Landing-Light deleted as well as the shroud/blind.
Vis the Goose-necks;- Even just a few years ago we were using these to fly from a farm-strip at night. The strip was in a bit of a breezy spot and the buggers tended to blow-out. A vehicle was always positioned on the threshold with the engine running and it's headlights on full-beam to act like the old Chance light. I think we had about a dozen, and at least half of them usually blew out.... All good fun....!
Vis the Goose-necks;- Even just a few years ago we were using these to fly from a farm-strip at night. The strip was in a bit of a breezy spot and the buggers tended to blow-out. A vehicle was always positioned on the threshold with the engine running and it's headlights on full-beam to act like the old Chance light. I think we had about a dozen, and at least half of them usually blew out.... All good fun....!
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If you'd like to know about landing a Spitfire at night, read how not to do it in Geoff Wellum's "First Light".
Hey it's a great read. I think it's time to get my copy out and read ALL of it again!
Hey it's a great read. I think it's time to get my copy out and read ALL of it again!
I think it's time to get my copy out and read ALL of it again!
The movie is also very good.
DIRECTOR
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NIGHT TAKE OFF
Beneath our wheels the flares and glim-lamps race,
Each gooseneck stretching taut,then only space
Descends as now the leading- lights are past
And three- dimensioned darkness holds us fast.
We are of night and night hugs close her own,
The long black caverns of her sleeves are thrown
Around us and she bids the circling clouds
Encompass us with vapour as with shrouds
Beneath our wheels the flares and glim-lamps race,
Each gooseneck stretching taut,then only space
Descends as now the leading- lights are past
And three- dimensioned darkness holds us fast.
We are of night and night hugs close her own,
The long black caverns of her sleeves are thrown
Around us and she bids the circling clouds
Encompass us with vapour as with shrouds
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Tiger Moth Night Lights
I am sorry to resurrect this long dead thread, but I wish to know about the night lighting arrangements on Tiger Moths, particularly the navigation lights.
I see that night flying Tigers had cockpit lights, a downward ID light and wing tip flares for use in a forced landing
What I would like to know is whether the nav lights were a single unit with three coloured lenses, perhaps mounted on a mast or similar, or did the aircraft have wiring out to the wingtips and tail.
I see that night flying Tigers had cockpit lights, a downward ID light and wing tip flares for use in a forced landing
What I would like to know is whether the nav lights were a single unit with three coloured lenses, perhaps mounted on a mast or similar, or did the aircraft have wiring out to the wingtips and tail.