The A2A Simulations Community

Happy New Year guys,

I was wondering, as I was enjoying the Spitfire in the old FSX, is there any cabin heat in that aircraft? I found the cabin ventilation vent, but no sign of heat control. Later I searched the forum threads (some of the comments made my day) and understood that there is no heater or heater control actually or am I missing something?

Cheerz,
Will

No heater, you'd be wearing some leather flying jackets and what not anyway.

thanks,
Lewis

Lewis - A2A wrote:No heater, you'd be wearing some leather flying jackets and what not anyway.

thanks,
Lewis

Flying jackets and Christmas sweaters. Thanks Lewis!

Cheerz,
Will

Out of interest, the Spitfire cockpit was extremely cold at high altitudes. The guns were heated first, later the cameras in the PRU Spits. Fnally (don't quote me but I think in about 1943!!!) the pilot received some cabin heat in the PR Spitfires but not until much later in the fighters. .

Worth a read https://www.aerosociety.com/media/4847/ ... othing.pdf

Nice find! Mick's (Prodger's) books are "the best" when it comes to flying clothing etc but this added a couple of things I hadn't seen.

Thanks.

Interesting find, Jetstreamsky. Thanks!

Cheerz,
Will

I'm not sure if any nation provided their pilots with heated cockpits for most of the war, except the Americans. The P-51 had cockpit heating almost as soon as the Merlin was installed, as it was intended for high altitude work. Our American friends were more conscious of pilot comfort and also provided a"relief tube" so that pilots didn't have to worry about a full bladder on long missions.

However, other than pressurised cockpits, no one else did to the best of my knowledge, including the British. It was "bad form, old boy". You just put on another layer of clothes. Typically British. This reminds me of an incident at the launch of the Jaguar Mk10, in which a journalist had the temerity to ask William Lyons as to why Jaguar heaters were notoriously ineffective. His reply was quite abrupt. He told the journalist to not be such a softie and put another coat on.


Cheers,
Mike

Christmas jumpers all year round via Flight sim immersion, I'm in!