MOSQUITO FB VI PILOT'S NOTES

AIRCRAFT CONTROLS

11. Flying controls

The flying controls are conventional and the rudder pedals are adjustable for reach.

12. Ely ing controls locking gear

The rudder pedals are locked by a spool which fits between them and is secured by a wing nut. The spool is connected to the control column locking tube by a cable so that one cannot be removed without the other. Controls are locked in the neutral position. The gear is stowed in the fuselage opposite the rear natch. It should be ensured that the locking pins are attached to the gear.

13. Trimming tab controls

The elevator trimming tab control is on the left of the pilot's scat; the indicator (42) is on the cockpit port wall. The rudder trimming tab control and indicator (19) are mounted on the front cockpit coaming. The aileron trimming tab control and indicator are mounted on the lower right-hand side of the instrument panel. All trimming tab controls work in the natural sense.

14. Undercarriage

(i) The undercarriage selector lever (32) has a safety catch which must be released before UP can be selected. The selector should always be moved smartly to the UP or DOWN positions, as it may become locked if it is moved slowly.

(ii) The selector should return automatically to neutral when the UP or DOWN operation is completed. If the lever does not return when it is certain that the operation is complete, it should be returned by hand If the lever returns prematurely, and the undercarriage indicator shows that ihe wheels arc not locked UP or DOWN, the selector lever should be held UP or DOWN for not more than 5 seconds. This will occur only when the system is not properly adjusted.

(iii) In cold weather before landing, the system should be exercised a few times by alternatively selecting UP or DOWN ; owing to the hydraulic oil congealing, when the undercarriage selector is pui DOWN the main wheels may come down and the selector return to neutral before hydraulic pressure reaches the tailwheel jack.

(iv) It is not desirable 10 hold the selector DOWN for longer than 5 seconds as this subjects the lines to high pressures.

15. Undercarriage position indicator

(i) The undercarriage position indicator (38) operates when the electrical .services switch is on.

(ii) The indicator lights are fitted with dimmer screens for night flying. Indications are :

Main wheels locked up ... No lights

Main wheels locked up but throttles less than ¼ open ......... 2 red lights

Main wheels beiwcen UP and DOWN 2 red lights

Main wheels locked down ... . 2 green lights

When the main wheels are lowered, the red lights do not go out until the down locks are engaged.

(iii) There is no tailwheel indicator.

16. The undercarriage warning horn

The undercarriage warning horn sounds when the main wheels are not Io ked down and the throttles are less than ¼ open.

17. Undercarriage ground locking

(j) Ground locking caps are stowed in a bag on the rear bulkhead of each nacelle, and should be fitted after landing in place of the dust caps which cover the end of the locking latches.

(ii) If the aircraft is taken off with the locking caps on, and an attempt is made to retract the undercarriage, the tail-wheel only will retract; therefore, the undercarriage selector lever should be moved to the DOWN position, allowed to return to neutral and then held down for 5 seconds before landing to ensure that the taiiwheel is down.

18. Flaps control and indicator

Operation of the flaps is controlled by the lever (29) marked F to the right of the undercarriage selector lever. A safety catch must be pushed to the right before flaps DOWN can be selected. The selector lever should return automatically to neutral on completion of a full operation. Any flap angle up to 45° can be obtained by returning the lever to neutral when the desired angle is reached according to the position indicator (37). The maximum flap angle is 45° although the gauge is marked up to 70°.

19. Wheel brakes

The brakes control lever (46) and parking catch are on the control column. Differential braking is afforded by means of a relay valve connected to the rudder pedals. The pressure at each brake should be between 80 to 100 Ib./sq. in.

ENGINE CONTROLS

20 Throttle controls.

The black friction not is for throttles the (target) white one for the propeller levers. Normally the throttles can be pushed forward to the stops only. When the small catches on the levers are squeezed the throttles can be pushed fully forward. Merlin 25 engines give - 12lb/sq.in. boost at the stops and + 18 lb./sq.in. when fully forward: this is no cut-out. Merlin 23 engines may still be fitted. They give + 9 lb/sq.in at the stops and + 12 lb./sq.in. at he fully forward position. If the boost control cut-out is pulled, +14 lb./sq.in. Will be obtained in low gear.

De-rated engines of either mark give + 9lb./sq.in. in boost at the stops and -12 lb./sq.in. in at fully forward position and do not have a cut- out.

21. Mixture and slow running cut-out controls

(i) S.U. carburettors arc fitted and mixture is automatically controlled by the boost pressure : an economical mixture is obtained when this, is less than i 7 lb./sq. in.

(ii) Spring loaded slow running cut-out controls, mounted above the fuel cock controls should be pulled out to stop the engines, after which they should be released smartly.

22. Propeller controls

The r.p.m. control levers (49) which vary the governed pilch from 3.000-1.800 r.p.m. are fitted on the side of the engine controls hox. The feathering pushbuttons (25) arc on'thc right-hand front panel. The friction control lever (50) is the larger white knob on the engine controls box.

23. Superchargers control

When the superchargers gear change switch (51) is set to MOD, the superchargers will remain in low gear at all altitudes. When this switch is set to AUTO the electro-pneumatic rams are controlled by an aneroid, and will automatically engage high gear when climbing, at approximately (he following heights :

Merlin 23-8.750 ft.

Merlin 25-7.000 ft.

These heights are the correct supercharger gear change heights only when using maximum power (operational necessity) When using low power settings, the selection of high gear should be carried out by switching to AUTO as recommended in para 41 When descending in ALTO, low gear will be engaged at sliehtlv lower altitudes than those quoted above.

Failure of the electrical or pneumatic system will cause the superchargers to remain in, or return to, low gear.

24. Radiator shutters

The radiator shutters arc controlled by two switches (15) which operate electro-pneumatic rams. It is not possible to .set the shuuers at intermediate positions between fully open and shut

25. Carburettor air-intake fitters

Air-intake filters are provided. They are controlled by a switch (16) beside the radiator shutter switches, or when Mod. 862 is incorporated by two pushbuttons fitted below the coaming on the right-hand side of the instrument panel when the fillers are controlled manually by a projecting pushbutton marked FILTER OUT and a flush pushbutton marked FILTER IN. The relay control is interconected with the undercarriage so that when the undercarriage is down the filter is automatically brought into operation irrespective of the position of the push-buttons, unless the FILTER OUT pushbutton is kept pressed. After take-off and well clear of the dust-laden zone the projecting pushbutton should be pressed in for FILTF.R OUT.

If required FILTER IN may be selected at any time during night, though normally FILTER OUT should be used.

OPERATIONAL CONTROLS

26. Bomb doors

The bomb doors selector lever (34) marked B on the left of the undercarriage selector lever, should return automatically to neutral on completion of a full operation. A warning light (26) on the bomb control panel indicates when the bomb doors are fully open.

27. Bomb selection, fusing and release

(i) The panel on the right-hand side of ihc instrument panel provides the switching arrangements for the fuselage* bomb, wing bombs and wing drop tanks. The switch (28) at the top marked BUTTON CHANGEOVER CAMERA and BOMBS or TANKS permits the pushbutton (45) on the control column to be used for operating cither the cine-camera or the bomb release. The bombs cannot be selected or fused until the BUTTON CHANGEOVER has been moved to BOMBS or TANKS. For emergency bomb release see para. 61.

28. Cine-camera operation

The cine-camera master switch (61) must be ON and the button changeover switch set to CAMERA before the camera can be operated by the release button or by pressing either of the gun-firing triggers.

29. R.P. and gun controls

(i) Before the guns can be fired the gun master switch (33) must be set to FIRE.

The 20 mm. guns are fired by a forefinger operated trigger, the machine guns by a thumb-operated trigger (44) both on the control column. The gun heating control is on the right of the observer's seat. Minimum pneumatic pressure required for operation is 200 Ib.'sq. in.

(ii) The R.P. PAIRS—SALVO switch is mounted adjacent to the gunsight and should be switched to the required position before the MASTFR SWITCH is turned ON. The MASTER SWITCH is on the R.P. Auto-selector unit, which is mounted on the cockpit port wall aft of the engine controls box. The firing pushbutton is mounted on No. 2 engine throttle lever.

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