HiI've seen many pictures of Spitfires and I've noticed something odd about the canopies. If you look closely there's a separate wraparound window behind the headrest of the Spitfire canopy. What was it for? Radio equipment? Cameras?LONG URL (Window is behind Malcom Hood)http://www.google.co...=1t:429,r:4,s:0http://www.google.co...s:0&tx=72&ty=41I don't know why the aircraft is pink on this one. A drone, perhaps? http://www.google.co...iw=1512&bih=736This is the same with almost any aircraft with a Malcom hoodP-51http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b297/GHGecko/IMAGES/Plexiglass/12_North_American_P-51B_w-Malcolm_Hood_OPEN.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.watchfreeks.com/view_topic.php%3Fid%3D10634%26forum_id%3D37&usg=__E1zElgN17SNI3HLe5Nuj6sTd5As=&h=333&w=500&sz=32&hl=en&start=58&zoom=1&tbnid=oZ1mz-bBQmti-M:&tbnh=126&tbnw=185&ei=NeeXTdnQCYOisAP1t8DVBQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmalcolm%2Bhood%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1512%26bih%3D736%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C1314&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=496&vpy=456&dur=42&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=111&ty=83&oei=J-eXTZ-JEuTZiALVysWdCQ&page=3&ndsp=29&ved=1t:429,r:24,s:58&biw=1512&bih=736http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.falconmodels.co.nz/gfx/54/54-3.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.falconmodels.co.nz/clearvax/set54.html&usg=__9BmqJOdUaK3stxc--3_8kPvat-Q=&h=164&w=300&sz=5&hl=en&start=56&zoom=1&tbnid=-6m0-EUYi3uAMM:&tbnh=96&tbnw=176&ei=oueXTeyrKoWisQPiy-HVBQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmalcolm%2Bhood%2Bcanopy%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1512%26bih%3D736%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C1278&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=284&vpy=374&dur=438&hovh=131&hovw=240&tx=127&ty=98&oei=jueXTcb1GqrbiAKnsbSdCQ&page=3&ndsp=31&ved=1t:429,r:16,s:56&biw=1512&bih=736Same window on a Tuskeegee Airmen P-51C:http://www.bravobravoaviation.com/english/Prints/P-51%20Mustang/GM-083%20-%20US,%20P-51C-10-NT,%2042-103645,%20CAF,%20Tuskegee%20Airmen.htm

Radio equipment sat under that window. The reason it's there is simple: So you can see the bogey on your 6 o'clock. Hope that's the answer you're looking for. Imagine the visibility penalty if the window weren't there.

Thanks for the answer, but wouldn't the bubble canopy of the Malcom hood suffice for rearwards visibility? As you can see in the Spitfire photos, the radio window seems to be separate from the headrest.http://www.google.co...s:0&tx=72&ty=41http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.talbotdesigns.co.uk/images/s-fabrication-spitfire.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.talbotdesigns.co.uk/specialist-fabrication.htm&usg=__uU8GbNacqIjgSH5YOHhSHw7ygQU=&h=337&w=428&sz=40&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=6_5mrezIXKk8MM:&tbnh=136&tbnw=173&ei=RKmYTY_LIejfiAKOzZGdCQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dspitfire%2Bcanopy%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1512%26bih%3D736%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=882&vpy=99&dur=438&hovh=136&hovw=173&tx=53&ty=131&oei=RKmYTY_LIejfiAKOzZGdCQ&page=1&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0The headrest blocks all view of the cockpit, looking from the radio compartment (i.e. if you were inside the radio compartment). Wouldn't the bubble shape of the Malcolm Hood be enough to check your six? And even if you could use the window to look behind you, all you would see would be radio equipment. Wouldn't the radios be blocking the view then?

Radio equipment sat under that window. The reason it's there is simple: So you can see the bogey on your 6 o'clock. Hope that's the answer you're looking for. Imagine the visibility penalty if the window weren't there.

Thanks for the answer, but wouldn't the bubble canopy of the Malcom hood suffice for rearwards visibility? As you can see in the Spitfire photos, the radio window seems to be separate from the headrest.http://www.google.co...s:0&tx=72&ty=41http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.talbotdesigns.co.uk/images/s-fabrication-spitfire.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.talbotdesigns.co.uk/specialist-fabrication.htm&usg=__uU8GbNacqIjgSH5YOHhSHw7ygQU=&h=337&w=428&sz=40&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=6_5mrezIXKk8MM:&tbnh=136&tbnw=173&ei=RKmYTY_LIejfiAKOzZGdCQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dspitfire%2Bcanopy%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1512%26bih%3D736%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=882&vpy=99&dur=438&hovh=136&hovw=173&tx=53&ty=131&oei=RKmYTY_LIejfiAKOzZGdCQ&page=1&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0The headrest blocks all view of the cockpit, looking from the radio compartment (i.e. if you were inside the radio compartment). Wouldn't the bubble shape of the Malcolm Hood be enough to check your six? And even if you could use the window to look behind you, all you would see would be radio equipment. Wouldn't the radios be blocking the view then?

The use of that window, if you really study pictures, gives a good 10 degrees of visibility behind the pilot on both sides. In other words, no, the radios would not be blocking the view. They're not that tall.