This via a friend who knows George and asked for information.
Hope it helps,
Chris
Royle
HOW TO OPEN THE WW HOOD
I am not a gentleman, but a clergyman (retired) ………
To the best of my knowledge it was ratchet driven, and I used it fully open for take-off, then closing it for flight and opening it fully for landing. I cannot ever remember requiring to lock it in certain positions; it was simply a case of fully open for take-off and landing, and you did this simply winding back and forth, and no spring loading; it needed little effort, and worked every time, hence no need for a jettison mechanism (but see below).
I first flew the WW in March 1943, aircraft P 7092, and straight away fell in love with this wonderful flying machine with no vices. Sadly, I had to fly the very last WW out of Warmwell back to where it was born – P 7099 – to Westlands, Yeovil, in January 1944. In between time I clocked 104 hours, and only after 103 hours did I experience any hood problems. On 23 September 1943, flying the C.O’s aircraft P 7113 (as he was on leave) flak destroyed the aircraft over Morlaix, Brittany. Capt. Marzin of the Maquis (French Resistance) looking through “banned” binoculars, thought two aircraft had collided, there was so much debris floating down, and out of one section of this debris there fell another piece, which opened out into a parachute.
Back to the largish debris “floating like a falling leaf”, Capt. Marzin remarked, it was the cockpit, where F/Sgt. George Wood was struggling to open the hood. I had previously flown Spitfires in 1942, and from the very first MKs. I and II you could jettison the hood if it malfunctioned. Not so the poor WW. Yet it was so far advanced in every other respect, with Fowler flaps, slats, and every other mod con that is taken for granted today in modern aircraft, and not found in WWII fighters except the WW.
It appears those responsible for the life of the WW in the RAF took an instant dislike: rejected the good results of those who flew the aircraft, and decided it was not fit for purpose – yet they hadn’t flown it themselves. Hence only 114 were produced, and no improvements were sanctioned, which included the important safety factor of being able to jettison the hood, and especially failing to see the benefit of more powerful engines, as with the Spitfire. The 100+ that went into service soon proved to the “authorities” they had made a grave misjudgement in giving this superb aircraft the thumbs down without engaging in a thorough examination.
October 1943, making several attacks on the blockade runner “Munsterland” in Cherbourg Harbour saw the sad demise of the WW – for those not shot down, the rest who managed to RTB, some crash-landed, and others after landing found their aircraft U/S. Speaks well for the aircraft that all these pilots survived unhurt. It soon reached the sorry stage there weren’t sufficient airworthy aircraft to make a raid, and so the Typhoon came and took over.
I am 88 in January, and my eyesight, even with a magnifying glass, is not good enough to refresh my mind of the cockpit setup in the pictures displayed. However, I believe that the reason why I was not able to open the hood was due to centrifugal force as I spun earthwards, pinning me down in my seat, and not having strength enough to wind back the hood. I eventually cried “Oh God, help me” – and He did – how, I don’t know to this day, but I do know it wasn’t thanks to those who were not prepared to improve and modify this excellent fighter aircraft.
George Wood
November 2009