Warbird Information Exchange

I was changing out some wall art in my home office today and remembered something I kept meaning to ask about here.
On RAF warbirds, I've seen aircraft with a mark on the tail, sometimes twice on the same side, a plain white square, divided diagonally with "W/T" on it. What does this indicate?

blue skies,
Doug Ratchford

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"I love the smell of 100LL in the morning."

Wireless Telegraph or Wireless Transmitter

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Those who possess real knowledge are rare.

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The few who possess real knowledge and can set it into motion of their own hands are the rarest of all.

Not quite. I've always understood it to mean "Wired Throughout".

Courtesy of "Grandfather Spitfire"
"The W/T marking show that the AID ( Aeronautical Inspection Directorate) have verified the electrical bonding of the metal parts. This took the form of wire connections to prevent the build up or sudden discharge of static electricity and the consequent risks of radio interference or fire."

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Thanks, Robbo, 'GFS',

Additionally, (although I'm not 100% on this) the W/T stencil was applied mostly to fabric covered areas, primarily the to the starboard side of the rudder, fin (usually, I think on fabric covered examples like the Hurricane) and on the elevators and aileron underside. Original W.W.II examples (not factory applied, but later) seen here on the underside shots of the IWM's Spitfire Mk.I

http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/1 ... tfire1.htm

(Scroll down.)

Corrections welcome

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James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

Thanks everyone, that didn't take long. WIX is the place.

_________________
"I love the smell of 100LL in the morning."

I shall inform the former BBMF engineer who told me that, that he's talking thru his, er, hat

_________________
Those who possess real knowledge are rare.

Those who can set that knowledge into motion in the physical world are rarer still.

The few who possess real knowledge and can set it into motion of their own hands are the rarest of all.

W/T and R/T Wireless (Morse) telegraphy and radio (voice) telegraphy were terms used by the RAF, but not relating to these stencils, AFAIK.

Context matters.

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James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

Here are some of the W/T stencils on Peter Teichman's immaculate Hurribomber BE505 based at North Weald

Yes, that is the marking I was referring to. Could we see some full pix of that very nice looking Hurri?

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"I love the smell of 100LL in the morning."

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YES! Thanks Robbo! Who's doing the cockpit honors in these?

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"I love the smell of 100LL in the morning."

The owner, Peter Teichman

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