What is this thingy?

[Steve Nelson]

Hi All,

I've seen "Battle of Britain" a zillion times over the years, but I've always been baffled by this. What is the pod thing hanging underneath the Casa on the left? Is it something like a smoke generator added for the film? Or maybe a bit of Spanish AF equipment?

Actually, looking at the still frame capture there appears to be some sort of antenna wire array attached to the horizontal stabs. Some sort of MAD gear, perhaps?


Just Curious,

Steve

[Jack Cook]

Smoke pot.
I betchya that bird got downed 2 dozen times in the movie.

[Steve Nelson]

I used to think that myself, but most of the Heinkels shot down in the movie have smoke coming from the engines (from smoke grenades mounted above the exhausts.) The "flamers" seen crashing into the channel were of course miniatures.

The pod looks to be a bit too complicated to be a smoke pot, and as I mentioned the plane appears to have some extra antenna wires. I'll try going through the DVD and find a clearer shot.


SN

[Raven]

It's a target winch. I think it's a British one, used by the Spanish AF, as it looks like the one fitted to (among others) the Gloster Meteors.

The wires around the tail are to stop the drogue's cable fouling the tail controls, standard on target tug (TT) aircraft in RAF use of the period.

[Steve Nelson]

Thanks, Raven! Now I can finally sleep at night.

SN