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Spitfire PR Mk XIX in detail
Cockpit
The cockpit interior looks much like any other
Spitfire Mark, the most obvious exception being the natural metal camera control box
replacing the gun sight. Note the padded backrest of the pilot’s seat. |
A closeup of the camera control box.
Conspicuous by its absence, the magnetic compass had not yet been installed below the
dashboard when this picture was taken in August of 1990. |
Note the extra fairing on the trailing edge of the
sliding canopy and the internal support rod for the head armour. Mounted on the armour is
a perspex tube, housing silica gel for removing moisture from the cabin pressurised air,
which could otherwise cause misting. |
The clear perspex tube allowed for easy inspection
of the silica gel crystals, which change colour when they become saturated with moisture
and have to be replaced. Note the arrangement of the Sutton harness shoulder straps and
the pressure bulkhead at far right. A glimpse can be seen of one of the three oxygen tubes
behind the seat. |
This view from starboard shows the attachment
clips of the silica gel tube and two of the three oxygen tubes behind the pilot’s
back armour. |
Detail of the rear end of shoulder straps. The stencilling on the oxygen tubes reads: |
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