Rear View Mirrors on fighter planes

[Poppa Bird]

long ago I saw a picture of a spitfire that had 2 rear view mirrors.
If any one can help Please get back to me Poppa Bird

[montanamotor]

Hi, Poppa Bird,

quite a number of fighters during WW II had rear view mirrors. The first ones I can remember were the RAF Hurricanes and Spitfires during the Battle of Britain - one single mirror mounted on top of the windshield, like a car's internal rear mirror was.

F4U Corsairs had two internally installed mirrors, IIRC. P 51 Mustangs had a great variety of rear mirrors installed: Some had one single mirror on top of the windscreen (probably british made), some had two internally installed mirrors, mounted at the left and right inner frames of the windshield. And I clearly remember some P 51 D-Mustangs with TWO round mirrors (frontal side bowl-shaped to reduce drag), being mounted on top of the windscreen, giving this sleek plane the looks of "Mickey Mouse" at the war path. No, really, they looked a bit silly - but may have worked very fine, though.

Some P 47's had rear mirrors, too. Incidentally, I don't remember if ANY german fighter plane ever featured rear mirrors - well, except the personal hacks of Werner Moelders and Adolf Galland, whose planes (or, at least: some of them) I remember as wearing a rear mirror installed on top of their hoods, Spitfire-kind (perhabs war-booty...? Taken from shot-down brit Spits and Hurries, and re-used?)

Cheers!

Montanamotor

[Lightning]

Hi montanamotor,

quote:And I clearly remember some P 51 D-Mustangs with TWO round mirrors (frontal side bowl-shaped to reduce drag), being mounted on top of the windscreen...

Those were Spitfire mirrors mounted by the ground crew at the pilot's request. I can't remember the pilot's name, but it may have been Don Blakeslee or George Preddy. I started to say Don Gentile, but he flew a "B" model, and those photographs show the mirrors on a "D" model.

The Lightning also had an internally mounted rear-view mirror.

Regards,
Lightning

[montanamotor]

Hmmm -

I wonder if those rear mirrors in WWII-fighters wore a stencil already, like: "Enemy fighters in the rear mirrors are closer than they appear...?"

I LOVE the US-customer-protection-legislation!

The culprit of it I read only lately - in a motorcycle-manual for an italian bike that was especially made for the american market:

a. This bike is made from non-eadible materials.

b. Always use this bike only with the rubber-side down.

This is no joke.

Cheers!

Montana

(Man - are they weird...) :D

[Trexx]

I’ve heard British pilots that survived the Battle of Britain say of rear view mirrors, “If there’s a Gerry in the mirror, if far too late for anything at that point.”

[Lightning]

Hi montanamotor'

quote:a. This bike is made from non-eadible materials.

Did you ever try to eat one? See, it works!:D

Regards,
Lightning

[Corsarius]

I think that poppa bird was not entirely specific when he made his comment. I think that it's the ULTIMATE in security. You see, it's two mirrors all right, but one is facing to the rear and the other to the front (directly behind it).

Therefore, even when you are looking in the rear-view mirror, you can see forwards at the same time. Now that's ingenuity (and stupid, but I just thought it would be funny)

[Poppa Bird]

As to the Mustang with 2 mirrors, That was what I was looking for.
In doing some reading in I think was a Squadron Publication. About that aircraft. I wonder if the pilot had thought that it helped. or he just needed the extra edge even if it didn't work. any thoughts about the extra edge of some "lucky charm". Poppa Bird