WIX Archives

Re: Intermediate/late Spitfire Rudders.......Response

Posted by PeterA on Mon Jul 21, 2003 08:37:48 AM

In reply top Re: Late Spitfire Rudders? - Ooops. Should have been... posted by Bradburger on Sun Jul 20, 2003 06:12:55 PM

There is a lot more complexity in the range of Spitfire rudders, utilised during total production, than first meets the eye. Discussing the case in question ? Griffon Spitfires Mk XIV, my copy of AP1565T with amendments to 1946 shows just the one fuselage type - high back, and one rudder type, which I call the ?standard? type. Period photos from 1945, notably late production survivor TZ138, which is a low back fuselage, was fitted with this ?standard? type rudder. Post war export low back Mk XIV Spitfires survivors however, to Belgium, Thailand and India, together with an RAF survivor all appear to have been fitted with what I call the ?extended tip? type rudder with a broader chord and incorporating the ?split trim tab?.
I do not have the AP for the Mk XVIII Spitfire. Although looking apparently identical externally to the low back Mk XIV, the Mk XVIII has many major technical variations including uniquely solid spar booms on the wings, rather than the familiar laminated box section booms as on all other marks. There are also subtle differences in the construction of the stabilisers and the fin is taller by a couple of inches or so. As all Mk XVIIIs were low back fuselage I would conjecture, without access to the relevant technical documents to hand, that the ?extended tip? type rudder was introduced on Mk XVIII Spitfires. With presumed improved flight dynamics, and it appears this rudder is interchangeable with the Mk XIV, it would be logical to retrospectively fit them to export low back Mk XIV machines and post war RAF aircraft, as required and at modest cost. It does however require that a packer, made of wood or metal, be fitted to the top of the production Mk XIV fin.
In India, SM832, a high back Mk XIV was fitted with the ?extended tip? type rudder and still retains one today for flight although this is not the original tail recovered with this machine from India. I am sure that once exported, rudders could change as available, for display if not for actual flight. I suspect that restorations to low back Mk XIV aircraft in the UK in recent years have had the ?packer? incorporated into the fin sheet metalwork.
Mk XIX survivors, all high back of course, have the ?standard? type rudder of the Mk XIV.
To confuse, perhaps, and to extend the discussion, the high back Mk 21, appears to carry the ?standard? Mk XIV rudder but the fin has the packer!!
Anybody out there who can refine or amend this please speak now.

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