Chugalug,
The "F-35" has its nose in front by 110 Posts now. What else can there possibly be to talk about ? As I see it there are only two questions:
1. Are we going to get it ?...... 2. If we do, will it work ?
There is one sure-fire way of settling "2". Find a war going on somewhere and think up a rationale for supplying a few F-35 to one side. There is nothing like a war for showing what kit works - and what doesn't ! (I've been told the "Sidewinder" was "Road-tested" in this way, but then you hear all sorts of things).
Revenons à nos moutons.
----------------------------------------------------
What we do know is in front of us now. First, what an "embarras de richesses" ! Specifically;
A P 2024A VOL 1 SECN 3
I have listed all the items, and have added comment but just annotated many of them briefly as follows:
"NK" (No knowledge it is simply beyond me)
"##" (This is an item fitted to an A-31, and seemingly carried over to the A-35)
"//" (An item not fitted to an A-31 - but might well be on an A-35)
"DK" (I never heard of any A-31 or A-35 flying at night. IMHO it would be almost impossible, for the flame dazzle from the stacks would compound the difficulty caused by the long nose's restriction on forward visibility. Anyway, it's a Dive Bomber - and "the dog has to see the rabbit !"
"??" What is this ?
Cockpit Spotlight....................DK
Parking Brake Control.............##
Manifold Pressure
Gage Drain Valve....................//
Vacuum Regulator Valve.........??
Tailwheel Lock Control............## A nuisance. Didn't need it, most people kept it unlocked all the time.
Cockpit Heater Control............// Well, they were going to the UK.
^^^^^^^
RIGHT SIDE
-----------------------------------------------------------
Gun Safety Switch.................// Suppose we might have had one, can't remember.
Cowl Flap Control.................## I was about to suggest that for one of the two knobs on the right quadrant (which have foxed the writers - they don't know either).
Optical Gun Sight Rheostat....// Suppose they mean "Reflector Sight" I've already stated my opinion of that whole idea.
Volt Ammeter......................##
Fuel Gage Lamp Rheostat......DK
Switch for destruction of
R3003 Radio and Safety Switch
for same..............................NK
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
PILOT'S INSTRUMENT PANEL FIG 3
LEFT SIDE
-----------------------------------------------------------
Trap Tank Valve Control........// The only "Control" the A-31 Trap Tank ever had was the switch for the original electric pump before that was replaced by an EDP
Fuel Pump Control Panel (includes
pump switches, Trap Tank Test switch
Fuel Pressure Warning Light and
Lamp Test Switch)...............## A-31 had just a row of six switches for the wing tank pumps, plus one for the Trap Tank.
As for the rest......................//
Ring Sight Stowed................// You would have to, or it would be in the way of your Reflector Sight
Landing gear and
wing Flap indicator...............##
Static Pressure Selector
valve..................................##
Hydraulic Pressure Gage......##
Ignition Switch...................## This would have been the standard US 5-position rotary "OFF-BAT-L-R-BOTH"
^^^^^^^
LEFT SIDE
Aileron Trim Tab Control......##
Directional Instrument Lamps
Rheostat.............................DK
Cockpit Lamps Rheostat.......DK
Starter Switches..................## (Powered inertia type) Looks as if two separate "Energise" and "Engage" switches were provided for the A-31. Many other types had only a three-way switch: "Energise-Off-Engage", so you couldn't keep cranking. See Post #7306 at 3.38 into the video.
Electrical Switches for Oil
Dilution..............................//
Primer Pitot Heater............## The A-31 had a Pitot Heater (I think). But what does "Primer" mean ?
Instrument Lamps..............DK
Formation Lamps................DK
Navigation Lamps and
Landing Lamps...................DK
Provision for Optical
Gunsight...........................// This is the hole in the angled panel below the main panel
FIG 3
------------------------------------------------------------
A P 2024A VOL 1 SECN 3
Throttle Warning horn cut-out
switch.................................................//
Left side gun charging
handles................................................// Interesting. Suppose we would say "Cocking Handles". We didn't havethem on the A-31s, so a dud round meant a dead gun. But I'd think it would be a bit of a heave to cock a 0.50 !
Directional Instrument Lamps
Rheostat............................................DK They never flew at night. They must mean the DI. So we're back again with the problem of the Two Balls (I have a theory - Rabelaisian comment not welcome !).
Flight Report Holder........... ..// See the Story of the Form One over the Everglades (in my Posts somewhere !) EDIT: P.119 #2362
Fluorescent Lamps................DK
Mixture Control....................##
Throttle Control with Bomb
Release Switch.....................##
Blower Control.....................## Supercharger gear selector
Propeller Pitch Control..........##
Landing Gear Control............##
Wing Flap Control.................##
Dive Brake Control...............##
Bomb Door Control...............##
Rudder Trim Tab Control.......##
Elevator Trim Tab Control.....##
Bomb Control Panel...............##
Fuel Gages...........................##
Emergency Fuel Pump
Control................................## Pilot's (Dual) Wobble Pump.
A P 2024A VOL 1 SECN 3
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
PILOT'S COCKPIT CONTROL ARRANGEMENTS - LEFT SIDE
FIG 1
---------------------------------------------------------------
A P 2024A Vol 1 Sect 3
Gunners Control Stick (Stowed).................## This fitted into a socket on the gunner's cockpit floor. He had this, a rudder bar and a throttle - but nothing else. In the A-31, there was an ALT and an ASI above the Chart Table. He could fly home with this, but couldn't land. It was useless for the purpose of instruction, but each new A-31 chap had one ride in this with an
"experienced" pilot up front, and then he was on his own.
No problem, for in those days there was no dual Spitfire or Hurricane, you just read the PN, hopped in and flew.
Support for Astro Compass..........NK
Stowage Clips for Signal Pistol
Cartridges.................................##
Gunner's Throttle Control...........##
Cockpit Lamp (hidden by
structure).................................DK
3615 Station Box......................NK
Gunner's Control Stick
(Stowed)..................................##
Mounting Shelf for Aperiodic
Compass...................................NK
Gunners Emergency Fuel
Pump Control............................## This is the dual "Wobble Pump" handle !
But what on earth is that extraordinary hinged structure in the middle of the cockpit floor behind it (just in front of the gunner's seat ?)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
FIG 1 GUNNER'S COCKPIT AND ARRANGEMENTS LEFT SIDE FIG 1
A P 2024A VOL 1 SECN 3
Gunner's Cockpit Lamp Control Box................NK
Radio Telegraph Key......................................NK
Radio Transmitter - Type 12D........................NK
Chart Board................................................## (On which "Stew", my gunner, banged his nose and lost his sense of smell). EDIT: P.143 # 2860 & P.144 #2878
Mount for Astro Compass..............................NK
NOTE
For views of remainder of radio equipment, refer to Fig 2 of Secn 1 and figs 1&2 of Secn 3
Fig 1.............Radio Equipment..........Fig1
Chugalug (Your #7313)
Confusion worse confounded ! This is my analysis. We know that this A-31 started off with the correct A-31 panel (which doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to what we have here). My guess is that at some stage an A-35 panel * was transplanted into its place. Then the engineering students played with it for 20-odd years, and now we have this. It is the very last thing that the compilers of A.P.2024A should have used in their illustrations, as it may now be a one-off.
Note * Items like the angled extension at the lower end of the panel, the gun cocking handles and the "optical sight" look to me like belonging to a factory-produced A-35 fit. I don't think the Sydney Tech College was responsible for any of these.
And now we come to the problem of the duplicate ball instruments on the panel. Remember we are now concerned with a '40-'45 aircraft, not with modern Heading Instruments (?). Clearly nobody needed them. For years up to the '70s the RAF had the Turn'n Bank, the US the Needle'n Ball. Under the hood we all slaved away on Limited Panel (in my case "Needle-Ball-Airspeed") until our eyeballs were rotating. The DI in the RAF was our old, penny-plain version. Five degree markings (guess anything between) and a locking knob below.
But at the same time an Improved Version seems to have appeared in the US. This had one-degree gradations and a ball below. (Why, when everyone had one [or our "Bank"] next door on the panel already ?). Be that as it may, some manufacturers took them up, Curtis (P-40 for one, I've checked on Google for pics of the panel), the two are there all right - but they are some distance apart, so there could be an argument for two, whereas on the A-35 they are side-by-side).
Did any British manufacturer fit these ? Everything I've flown (including the US BT-13, AT-6, P-47 and A-31 had only one) - and I felt no pain !
Somebody out there has the answer to this.
Danny.
Last edited by Danny42C; 22nd Aug 2015 at 11:44.
Reason: Snags & Add Post References