Spitfire PR IV
By accident we stumbled upon a (World War 2) Spitfire PR crash site. The PR model was an unarmed reconnaissance aircraft painted blue. This specific aircraft crashed from high altitude with high speed into the ground, disintegrating it completely. Only tiny bits could still be found – and after some visits these were all covered by us.
While no large parts could be found the small bits are still interesting. We were still able to extract a lot of information from these. What we found were pieces of sheet metal, pieces of brackets, pieces of engine cases, small parts of all kind of cockpit instruments and equipment, rivets, screws, bolts, nuts, electrical parts and small exotic parts. The tiny parts gave a good indication of the high speed this Spitfire had when it crashed into the ground – many very rigid and dense parts had been scattered into tiny small pieces. The impact energy had to be enormous to achieve this.
This is one of the pieces which confirmed the Spitfire model; inside can be seen a parts identification code. Decoded this tells the aircraft type (Spitfire) and specific aircraft part (wing bracket).
These are several of the aircraft pieces which gave away the PR model: all are painted light blue, which is the PR colour; none were ever found painted green/ brown/ grey as camo.
Bolts, nuts, rings, rivets and screws. A great number of these were found. Most interesting were the crews and large bolt heads. The screws were used because a lot of wood (!) was used in the aircraft frame. The aircraft boltshold a lot of information, including partsnumber and quality stamp.
Several electrical parts.
Many pieces of casings and sheet metal - including rivets.
Large iron/ metal bolt with the locking wire still attached (more bolts still had their locking wires).
One of the found materials is also rubber, plastic and synthetic materials. A small part of tube can be seen in the centre photograph. The part on the most right photograph is more complex: it seems to be e centre part holding together two strips, on both sides these strips are holding two other opposing strips of the same material together (some kind of seal).
Many findings are parts which consist of finely crafted materials. Some of which are almost completely intact and undamaged. Close ups are a bolt with flattened side and locking wire. A bolt/ nut design which is supposed to hold into something that did not have screwing threads. And a very small knob – which looks like an instrument (reset) knob. Many more interesting small parts can be seen in the overview photograph.
Two fasteners; one an aluminium cowling fastener, the other a metal fastener. The locking pin can be seen on both fasteners as well as the fastening screw head.
Several pieces with markings on them. None of these have a complete number since the parts are generally much smaller. Two of these have only a ‘AG’ and ‘77’ visible. The one top right has the Westland factory marking – ‘WA’ on two intersecting circles, the right circle should have a number. The one top left has ………
The part on the down left has ……..
Small metal piece with gear teeth. Some (larger) parts of the engine and propeller used sprockets and parts with gear teeth such as this small piece.
Strange metal piece: it has 6 sides but also 5 holes spread even among the alignment of the head.
High quality pieces of forged metal: weighs heavy, no corrosion, and almost impossible to bend. The lower part seems originally to be round like some sort of ring.
Three photographs of another high quality piece of metal; has quite some mass, no corrosion (only superficial rust) and impossible to bend. One side is U-shaped and has 2 rows of 3 (attachment) holes, the other side has two large points were it seemed to be attached to some structure.
Another really cool shaped part. This one has some effort in its shape – I would almost assume it was a cockpit part but can’t find anything resembling it. It seems to be used to attach two parts perpendicular to each other: one side with a single large bolt with the main body twisted 90 degrees – the other side with two small bolts and nuts attached on a folded piece of metal.
Pieces of transparent acrylic glass and (real) glass. Many parts in the Spitfire were using (acrylic) glass. Cockpit instruments (also with different colored glasses), the canopy itself, landing lights and many parts of the reconnaissance camera’s – all used this material.
Of course sheet metal in all kinds of shapes are found on the crash site.
(Mainly) cockpit instrument casings. All kinds of parts are imaginable: round pieces, straight pieces, corner pieces. Also pieces with screw threads, bolts and grip carvings. As can be seen in the two close up photographs some parts also have writings. One of these parts read ‘SIS’, which is part of the right hand Chassis Up Down cockpit lever mechanism which held the word ‘CHASSIS’.
