Photos of special interest for the development team.

major_setback · #1 10-07-2010, 08:25 PM

Here are some photos that may be of interest to the development team and model makers.

Maybe we could keep this thread for posting photos of special interest that we feel the
development team and Oleg ought to see, and for photos that we feel are essential in some
way for the betterment of the game.
It could also be a place to post scans of photos that aren't available on the internet.

It might be an idea to limit content to photos of equipment and special/unusual aircraft features
(no photos of fires, explosions, gun-cam, trees/hedges, clouds, or general aircraft photos please)
so as not to get out of hand.

These are from the BoB period:

Special parachute for use only with the Defiant:

Larger version:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...684ed01Big.jpg

Range finder and predictor in a Park at Primrose Hill, 4.5 inch gun in the background.

At the Royal Hospital Chelsea, London 17th April 1940:

Airbase - Armoured trucks at Wyton, Cambridgeshire.

Royal Observer Corps in Eltham South London (exact date unknown).

major_setback · #2 10-07-2010, 08:37 PM

Badge awarded to those who had used the GQ parachute (one sort of GQ parachute was used with the Defiant). They had to apply for a badge from the manufacturer if they wanted one:

About the parachute and award:

http://www.britain-at-war-magazine.c...tle-of-britain

From Wikipedia:

"The gunner's hatch was in the rear of the turret, which had to be rotated to a side to enable entry and exit. There was not enough room in the turret for the gunner to wear a seat-type or back pack parachute so gunners were provided with a special all-in-one garment nicknamed the "rhino suit". To quote Frederick "Gus" Platts, air gunner in 230, 282 and 208 squadrons, "The Rhino suit we had to wear on Defiants was a bear but I couldn't come up with an alternative, even though it killed dozens of us. I forget the details of it but we could not have sat on our chute or even keep it nearby as in other turrets, so you wore - all in one - an inner layer that fitted a little like a wetsuit of today. The chute fitted around this, and then the dinghy and the outer clothing. There was inner webbing and pockets that literally fell apart (I presume) when one bailed out"".

philip.ed · #3 10-07-2010, 08:58 PM

I love you! That picture of the GQ Parasuit on the Defiant Gunner is awesome! Favourited straight away. I have some colour pictures of it. If interested, oleg, I can send it to you!

322Sqn_Dusty · #4 10-08-2010, 06:19 PM

Ouch...

I can't imagine how they felt about sitting in that turret... I thought that the (B17) ball turrets where a .Ich to sit in. Could there be enough time to get the.. out of there?

Feuerfalke · #5 10-08-2010, 06:31 PM

Nice!

Thanks for sharing.

major_setback · #6 10-08-2010, 07:33 PM

I found another version of the defiant parachute photo, it shows the step that drops down from the wing:

philip.ed · #7 10-08-2010, 09:39 PM

Very, very nice.
This parasuit was later used by other bomber crew too; it wasn't just limited to the Defiant gunners

It's extremely rare though. Pictures of it are scarce, so these pictures you've posted are awesome

KG26_Alpha · #8 10-09-2010, 05:33 PM

Irvin or G.Q Harness Suit, smock overall.
Issued to RAF from 1939-41/2 as an all in one Parachute / Mae West

http://www.irvingq.co.uk/index.asp

Image From

http://www.wwiireenacting.co.uk/foru...p?f=11&t=56028

philip.ed · #9 10-09-2010, 06:07 PM

Well found

Actually, the suit you have posted is different though; it contains the so-called Mae West, but not the parachute. This harnessuit was made in much larger numbers and was made in a pilots version(which only had provision for a seat-pack parachute), an 'observer's version (which only had provision for the chest-type parachute) and then a version which combined both

It's hard to judge, but this looks like the pilot version

Both suits look quite similar.

Meusli · #10 10-09-2010, 06:15 PM

There is a good time team to watch for people who live in England, it's on 4OD.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/time-team/4od

It's a dig on Shooters Hill in London and shows the typical defences that were used in the early years of the war when they thought that Germany would invade. It's quite a good one!