Looking for information on what type of radios were fitted to Spitfires and Seafires in the Pacific. Did they stay with HF sets, with the external antenna wires, or were the VHF sets fitted, with either a whip antenna or the antenna installed in the mast behind the cockpit? Thanks in advance for any help.
The primary Seafire mark to see service in the Pacific was the LF III; all the pictures I have seen of them show the standard HF mast. The Seafire XV, which probably used the VHF set with whip antenna, did not arrive in the Pacifc until after VJ Day. Seafire XVs and XVIIs served into the late forties, and Seafire 47s were operational during the Korean War--all of these should have had the VHF set.
Mark Schynert
Gentleman:
The presence of a mast behind the cockpit does not necessarily denote the use of HF radio TR.9. The UHF, TR.1133 I believe, initially used a copper rod inserted up through the existing mast. This did away with the long wire strung from the mast to the rudder tip. It wasn't until they came up with the tempered copper alloy that they were able to create the whip and do away with the mast with the copper wire inside. In short, if there is a wire from mast to rudder, HF. No wire, UHF. If it's a fuzzy picture or taken from a distance and you can't tell, tough luck! Those masts, by the way, were wood, two pieces with the wire inside and a metal fitting at the base to mount and support them. There are sketches of how they worked in Shacklady's book "Spitfire, The History" if you want details.
Bill Shuey
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