JustFlight Mosquito - gun in roof of canopy

[aerostar 42]

 

Can anyone help us figure out what this is ?

[Sethos 4,333]

Assume that's a flare gun, used for various signalling purposes;

Quote

Flares were used to signal the ground staff when radio silence was needed or when the radio was out of action. They were used for at least four reasons:

1. To alert fire trucks for an emergency landing.
2. To alert ambulances to the fact of wounded crew aboard.
3. To reply to a ground flare or radio message.
4. To advise Anti Aircraft gunners of their friendly status.

https://www.quora.com/Why-did-WWII-bombers-fire-off-flares-when-they-were-landing

Edited May 23, 2019 by Sethos1988

[Chock 17,769]

That's a Very Pistol, it's (typically) for signalling the ground when returning from a night raid. Crews would be pre-briefed on which colour flare to respond with for a given colour of the day, this being to avoid spoofing since the answer colour would not be the same as the query colour.

So, the ground would fire a specific coloured flare, the returning aircraft would then need to respond with the correct answer colour, and if it did so, the defences would know it was a friendly aircraft as a result of a correct answering colour and then not open fire on it.

It was common on PFF (pathfinder force) target marker aeroplanes.

Edited May 23, 2019 by Chock

[aerostar 42]

Thank you very much for your quick, interesting replys....

[tutmeister 695]

Check the instructions, it actually works. You have to load a flare from the rack before you can fire it.