Fitting the sutton harness tension/recoil unit in a decidedly NON standard way. I just don't have six feet of frames behind the seat to run the cable. This meant fixing the unit to the rear bulkhead and running the cable around wheels to take up the slack. The original cable broke the first time I used it, so I sourced a motorcycle clutch cable and took the WHOLE thing apart to fit that. In the end it came up well and functions perfectly...but unfortunately it is NOT a Spitifre unit, or at least if it is, it is from the rear seat of a two seater..you can see this from the frame being welded at 90 degrees from where a normal Spit unit is..necessitating an angled block being mounted to make the handle travel through the "normal" arc...no matter, it was still a very good pickup. Remembering to disengage the lock before leaning forward will be a task but the hard edges of the Sutton Harness are a very good reminder, cutting in as they do to near the collar bone and leaving bruises when you forget (ask me how I know!! )

The real "run"


The main unit fitted and the home turned rollers to guide the cable.


The roller unit made from scratch with 3mm aluminium, bent in the vice, a turned brass axle and turned roller. For the first time my wife, on seeing this, asked where I found it and how much it cost!!! My machine work must have improved!


The handle/trigger unit fitted in the cockpit. The tensioning makes it quite a job to pull it down to release the lock, just like in the real thing.