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John McKenzie ![]() Newbie ![]() Joined: 18 Aug 2010 Location: Southampton Status: Offline Points: 28 |
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That sounds about right Adrian , except that the " winding handle" would not have to be used continually while firing the gun ..., but only occasionally , in order to maintain the preloaded Pull on the empty fabric belt .
As far as I recall , there is no winding handle on either of the Spad 7's Live ammo or Empty belt drums . Although there are a few drawings missing from the full set of S7 manufacturing drgs that unfortunately , just were not saved ....There is , as I said , a Conical spring brake on the Live ammo drum ahead of the pilot but the Empty belt drum *, being positioned on the LH side , just behind the pilot , would make it almost impossible for the pilot to reach & operate , even IF such a winding handle were present . * Sadly , I do not have the drawings for this latter component , or its means of pre-tensioning . The Pup/Strutter MG operation is a little more awkward than the Spad 7 in as much as the Pups "trigger" (? item#3 in your photo) as with the Scarff-Dybovsky gear , consisted of a tubular lever with a flattened end , which had to be depressed to fire the gun ...This was positioned to the left of the Vickers , just above the level of the top longerons ... Thus neither the Tampier Fuel/Air throttle levers on the left side , nor the belt winding handle , could be operated simultaniously by the Left hand , while also depressing the MG trigger . This system may?? have been superceeded by a trigger on the spade grip in later machines ?? to be operated by the right hand thumb . On the Spad 7 , the Left hand would be free , ( to operate a winding handle IF it did exist ) & anyway , Both the Throttle & MG triggers are incorporated into the Control Column Handle , for right handed use ,... the throttle action coming from a twisting movement of the hand grip , the integral trigger and guard assembly moving with it . JM
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