Cameras on RAF Mustangs

[Chris Goss]

I have in my posession a camera lens from the crash of Mustang AM105/168 Sqn lost 28 Feb 44. It is inscribed Dallmeyer 20" F/56 Dallon Tele Anastigmat 210628. Out of interest, does anyone know exactly this was located on the Mustang and any more on this type of lens?

[SteveB]

Chris

I think this camera would have been positioned in the usual position behind the pilot's seat most likely looking through the cockpit glazing to the port side but by Feb 44 possibly looking to the starboard side. According to the needs of the mission cameras may have had various lens sizes 14", 20", 24" etc. Some RAF Mustangs were fitted with vertical cameras installed, in the rear fuselage, in front of the tailwheel. I don't know whether AM105 was one of these a/c.

Steve

[Pilot]

I have one image taken in UK during WW2 and it show it position in the bottom fuselage far behind cockpit.

[Col Ford]

The vertical camera mount was introduced in the Mustang Mk.IA and the Mk.II. The same mounting was then used for Mk.1s still in service. For AM105 it is most likely to be from the oblique camera mount located in the area immediately behind the pilot's head in the cockpit. The lens would most probably be from a F.24 camera, which was the standard fit for the oblique camera.

I've been corrected by one of my fellow researchers that AM105 was fitted with a vertical camera. The vertical camera mount was located in the rear fuselage in a position between the rear of the underfuselage radiator outlet and ahead of the tail wheel. It had flown with both vertical and oblique cameras fitted not long before it was lost.

Pilot, I would be interested in the photo you have of the vertical camera installation in a RAF Mustang, if it is in one of the Allison engined variants.

Regards,

[Chris Goss]

Thanks Colin. Just nice to know!

[timothy]

The only P51 camera I know of was the one I took from - I believe -the port wing - which I used as a hand-held camera for Napalm bomb trials.

= Tim

[Col Ford]

Tim,

The camera you describe would be the gun camera, which was the forward facing 16mm cine camera used to film when the guns were fired. Early AG series Allison Mustangs was located in the wing leading edge, later moved into the wing root and then to the nose on later production aircraft. This had a much smaller and different focal length lens to that which Chris has described. The lens type Chris has described is that associated with an F.24 reconnaissance camera carried as an oblique installation usually in the area immediately behind the pilot's head in the cockpit.

Regards,

[timothy]

Yes, indeed - I was just chipping in !!

= Tim