Spitfire Mk.IXe MK329 a question

[Wendall]

Evening All, After a flat out couple of months I finally have some bench time

I am building MK329, one of the beer barrel spits flown by W/Cdr Johnnie Johnson. Not much info about this machine other than it was made from wrecked airframes and was his private plane for a while. The Eduard instruction blurb say that it carried no guns but the assembly instructions show cannons fitted in the wings. My question is should I leave the cannons off??

I will be opening a build thread very soon.

Thanks

Jason

[stona]

Publicity shot of said aircraft, the beer barrels thing was a bit of a stunt



I see the cannons.

Cheers

Steve

[Wendall]

Yup! Cannons it is then! I do think its a great story Cheers again Steve.

Jason

[Guest]

It's a great story, but (and this is according to Johnson himself - see "Spitfire Ace of Aces") completely untrue. According to his logbook (now in private hands, unfortunately,) he flew MK329 to Coltishall 12-8-44, then to Rearsby, next day, for 7 days leave, returning to Tangmere 21-8, then B2 the next day. This was the only time he ever flew "Junior."

It might be MK392, since it has "E" armament (which "Junior, probably, wouldn't have had,) and Johnson flew her to Squires Gate 3-8-44, reason unknown, but possibly for the conversion, returning the next day.

It's also very unlikely that there's any beer in those barrels, since he would have to fly at low level, and if there was any turbulence, the sway-braces would have shattered the wood.

Edgar

[flyjoe180]

http://spitfiresite.com/2012/01/modification-xxx-beer-carrying-spitfires.html

http://spitfiresite.com/2010/04/kenley-wings.html