F7U-3P Part Three

     Final installment on the F7U-3P Mock Up. These final three images illustrated the access door on the upper fuselage to allow camera installation and film magazine servicing. Along with hold open rods for the door, the hoist for raising and lowering the cameras is installed. It still would have been quite a challenge changing cameras and install in film magazines 12-14 feet off the deck!

CVA-10619-F7U-3P-Door-Stay-Instal-Camera-Access-Door-and-Hoist-19520627

     This next photo shows the Tri-metric mount along with CA-8 and T-6 cameras.

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     Next up is the mock up of the main instrument board. The main visual difference is the addition of the view finder in place of the gun sight. The viewfinder worked for missions where the aircraft was configured for downward looking cameras for coverage of targets that the photo Cutlass flew over.

CV-10907-F7U-3P-Mock-Up-Main-Instrument-Board-19520729

  The final image shows the oblique sights for camera installations shooting out the sides of the photo Cutlass. A sight was provided on the left and right canopy sills for use depending on the camera configuration mounted in the aircraft.

CVA-10610-F7U-3P-Oblique-Sight-Installation-19520625

     The photos and information for this installment came from Chance Vought Report 7802 Model F7U-3P Mock-Up Photographs dated August 5, 1962. The report was found in NARA 72-AC-30G.