What's a "Pigeon Rest/breast”?
 

Apparently according to this IWM video I'm watching, one of the distinguishing features of the Mk IX Spitfire was a "longer nose with the pigeon rest beginning to disappear"

Also did the Mk I really have a three bladed prop? I thought they were wooden with two blades

I haven't watched the video but is the term "pigeon breast"? The Merlin-engined HA1112 (Spanish Me109) was known as the Buchón, which is a type of pigeon.

It's definitely pigeon breast.

treadigraph, And very good they are too when cooked in red wine, garlic and herbes de provence!!!

Shallots, bacon and beer (and some thyme) does it for me! With a lovely crisp pastry top...

I tend to put off eating pigeon by the mangy looking examples prevalent in the London suburbs! :p

Is it the curved sloping area between the underside of the prop and the wing leading edge?
The longer nosed Spitfires certainly seem to have a less prominent area here.

Thankyou for that - for a moment I thought I was still on JetBlast :}

I guess successive Merlins must have got bigger or at least longer - makes sense

Confirming DH106 has the correct answer.


Thread title edited, Senior Pilot 🤔👍

thanks everyone - and yes breast makes perfect sense

From the cutaways I've been able to find, there doesn't seem to have been very much actually inside the poitrine of the early marks. Have I missed something, or was it just not important to make that area as close-cowled as possible?

I have heard "Schwalbennest" in german language being used for inlet air scoops as well.

Very early Mk1’s had the two bladed fixed pitch wooden Watts props, but the later ones had a Variable pitch three blader.

The current airworthy Mk 1’s at Duxford have the three bladers that are correct.

19 Sqn Mk1’s with 2 blade props.


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....30c7db050.jpeg

19 Sqn Mk1a spitfire 1940, note how the wing Roundels used to be way out nr the tip.


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....992aa1db6.jpeg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...40._CH1367.jpg

What is squeezed in under the Mk 19’s cowl, though this is an ex Shack Griffon with a modified front end bearing to convert it to a single prop, and various bits shaved down to squeeze it in, such as shaving the lifting eyes off the rocker covers. Photo by me.

https://live.staticflickr.com/5514/3...3b4b0819_h.jpg