Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham Boak
I find it amazing that NA with no experience in blown canopies are described as the designers, and Malcom with all the experience just a subcontractor. It seems more likely that NA engineers were given the responsibility for the interface parts, making the whole thing a joint design.
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Graham - I concur with your initial reaction - but the AFDU report AFDU/3/20/33 dated 7 December 1942 is explicit. "This Hood has been designed by North American representatives in this country and fitted to this aircraft by RAF Henlow, and is merely an interim measure in order to ascertain the tactical advantages of having a sliding hood on Mustang aircraft."
In fact Malcolm was not even mentioned in the report - implying that they were not even a subcontractor?
Today they are made in the States by having a mold, heating a sheet of plexiglass, then hand forcing the malleable plastic over the Mold until cooling - all in approximately 25 seconds with significant failure rates. Trim and hardware follow the successful process, the with tools/jigs rails are installed for final mounting on the P-51B/C
It is conceivable that RAF technicians and engineers made a mold to conform to the Mustang outer dimensions but I agree your point that Malcolm should have been involved. The first one was on a Mustang IA, and there is no record of any more being made or installed until Mustang III FE120 was installed on January 30, 1944.