All rights reserved. [124] Spitfire MKVIIIs took part in the last battle of World War II involving the Western allies in Burma, in the ground attack role, helping defeat a Japanese break-out attempt. [9] On 3 January 1935, they formalised the contract with a new specification, F10/35, written around the aircraft. Invented by Beatrice "Tilly" Shilling, it became known as "Miss Shilling's orifice". [12], On 5 March 1936,[13][nb 1] the prototype (K5054), fitted with a fine-pitch propeller to give more power for takeoff, took off on its first flight from Eastleigh Aerodrome (later Southampton Airport). When the two-stage Merlin was introduced in the Spitfire Mk IX, the radiators were split to make room for an intercooler radiator; the radiator under the starboard wing was halved in size and the intercooler radiator housed alongside. Constant problems with the evaporative system in the Goshawk led to the adoption of a cooling system which used 100% glycol. After hostilities ceased in Asia in 1945, a number of Spitfire Mk.XIVs were reportedly buried, after being greased, tarred and prepared for long-term storage, in crates in Burma. Enhance your music A guide to Spitfire Audio libraries. Recovered from the beach in September 1980, it was stored at the Musee del'Air, Vannes, France, until 1996. A purpose-built works, specialising in manufacturing fuselages and installing engines, was built at Star Road, Caversham in Reading. 19 Squadron beginning in June 1940. General health should be reasonable enough to take a commercial flight or to have a flight experience in a light aircraft. Data from Spitfire: The History and Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. [28], The first production Spitfire came off the assembly line in mid-1938[1] and was flown by Jeffrey Quill on 15 May 1938, almost 24 months after the initial order. Spitfire Symphony Orchestra is designed as a single, pro-level orchestral solution containing all three major families of the orchestra (woodwinds, brass, strings) designed for everyone from discerning composers at the beginning of their careers looking to invest in their futures, to seasoned veterans looking to unify their disparate . The removable wing tips were made up of duralumin-skinned spruce formers. The first bombing raid, which missed the factories, came on 23 August 1940. His Supermarine Type 224, with its steam-cooled Rolls-Royce Griffon engine, could only manage a top speed of 230mph, against the Air Ministrys rather modest specification, F7/30, for an all-metal, four-gun fighter, with a top speed of 250mph. On 3 June 1936, the Air Ministry placed an order for 310 aircraft, at a cost of 1,395,000. [52], In the mid-1930s, aviation design teams worldwide began developing a new generation of fighter aircraft. [119] To counter the Zero, Spitfire pilots adopted a "slash and run" policy and used their faster speed and diving superiority to fight, while avoiding turning dogfights. [104], In fact, the Hurricane outnumbered the Spitfire throughout the battle, and shouldered the burden of the defence against the Luftwaffe; however, because of its higher performance, the overall attrition rate of the Spitfire squadrons was lower than that of the Hurricane units, and the Spitfire units had a higher victory-to-loss ratio. [101], Even if the eight Brownings worked perfectly, pilots soon discovered that they were not sufficient to destroy larger aircraft. An elliptical planform is the most efficient aerodynamic shape for an untwisted wing, leading to the lowest amount of induced drag. When the Spitfire took on a role as a high-altitude fighter (Marks VI and VII and some early Mk VIIIs), the standard wing tips were replaced by extended, "pointed" tips which increased the wingspan from 36ft 10in (11.23m) to 40ft 2in (12.24m). Though some aircraft were used for front line duty in 1943, most of them saw service with the Protivo-Vozdushnaya Oborona (English: "Anti-air Defence Branch"). A "Spitfire Lane" can be found on the road between Salisbury and. Spitfire Audio app. Unfortunately, Mitchell died of cancer in June 1937. Several other manufacturers have produced replica Spitfires, either as complete aircraft or as kits for self-building. [8], On 1 December 1934, the Air Ministry issued contract AM 361140/34, providing 10,000 for the construction of Mitchell's improved Type 300 design. Of the 920 Mark IIs made, some 170 had the B-wing combination. The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. If all appeared satisfactory, I would then put her into a dive at full power and 3,000rpm, and trim her to fly hands and feet off at 460mph (740km/h) IAS (Indicated Air Speed). By the end of the war, it had got through 13 different designs of propeller. Due to the high altitudes necessary for these dives, a fully feathering Rotol propeller was fitted to prevent overspeeding. At the time the wing was designed, this D-shaped leading edge was intended to house steam condensers for the evaporative cooling system intended for the PV-XII. For other uses, see, Articles and topics related to the Supermarine Spitfire, Manufacturing at Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, Search for reported surviving Spitfires in Burma, For many years, considerable debate occurred over the date of the first flight being 5 or 6 March. DIO Killing the Dragon CD Spitfire 2002 Enhanced Limited Edition. These include the Jurca Spit from France, and those manufactured by Tally Ho Enterprises in Canada. [138], Supermarine developed a two-seat variant, known as the T Mk VIII, to be used for training, but none were ordered, and only one example was ever constructed (identified as N32/G-AIDN by Supermarine). [30][nb 12] The Spitfire achieved legendary status during the Battle of Britain, a reputation aided by the "Spitfire Fund" organised and run by Lord Beaverbrook, the Minister of Aircraft Production. [nb 6] Quill devised the standard testing procedures, which with variations for specific aircraft designs operated from 1938. Your experience on this site will be improved by allowing cookies. spitfire ( sptfa) n a person given to outbursts of spiteful temper and anger, esp a woman or girl Collins English Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014 spitfire (sptfar) n. a person of fiery temper. As plane performance improved on both sides, and as the number of roles aircraft were asked to perform increased, so the Spitfire proved its versatility as a new range of designations was introduced. [80] The other wing-tip variation, used by several Spitfire variants, was the "clipped" wing; the standard wing tips were replaced by wooden fairings which reduced the span by 3ft 6in (1.07m). [26], The British public first saw the Spitfire at the RAF Hendon air display on Saturday 27 June 1936. The 224 was an open-cockpit monoplane with bulky gull wings and a large, fixed, spatted undercarriage powered by the 600-horsepower (450kW), evaporatively cooled Rolls-Royce Goshawk engine. The Spitfire's bubble canopy and large mirrors offered excellent views and better situational awareness to the pilot. [106], Well-known Spitfire pilots included "Johnnie" Johnson34 enemy aircraft (e/a) shot down[107]who flew the Spitfire right through his operational career from late 1940 to 1945. This intuitive desktop application enables you to install and update your Spitfire products with ease. By the time the Mark II was ready to enter service, this problem had been sorted. [144], The Seafire II was able to outperform the A6M5 Zero at low altitudes when the two types were tested against each other during wartime mock combat exercises. During the battle, Spitfires generally engaged Luftwaffe fightersmainly Messerschmitt Bf 109E-series aircraft, which were a close match for them. Price 1996, pp. [67] The undercarriage legs were attached to pivot points built into the inner, rear section of the main spar, and retracted outwards and slightly backwards into wells in the non-load-carrying wing structure. Level-up your skills in our Flight Deck Leadership Course. ", "Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I K9942/8383M Museum Accession NO.72/A/263", "Restored World War Two Spitfire sold for 3.1m BBC News", "World's only female Spitfire pilot dies in car crash", "Search for 'buried Spitfires' in Burma called off", "Remember the guy who thought he found 140 lost Spitfires, buried underground? [163], What may be the most originally restored Spitfire in the world is maintained at Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida. These were basically Colt .30s manufactured under licence but re-chambered to take the British rimmed cartridges. The sleekly elegant Supermarine Spitfire is the iconic British fighter of World War II, the plane that kept the formerly unstoppable German air force at bay in the Battle of Britain. [128] Martindale successfully glided the Spitfire 20mi (32km) back to the airfield and landed safely. [150] With these aircraft, 80 Squadron continued its patrol and reconnaissance duties from Wunstorf in Germany as part of the occupation forces, until it relocated to Kai Tak Airport, Hong Kong, in July 1949. This page was last edited on 13 January 2023, at 17:37. In April 1944, the same aircraft suffered engine failure in another dive while being flown by Squadron Leader Anthony F. Martindale, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, when the propeller and reduction gear broke off. With the Mark II or the Mark V one got two-and-a-half flick-rolls, but the Mark IX was heavier and you got only one-and-a-half. With regard to physical health, our guests are required to enter and exit the aircraft unassisted. [153], The last non-operational flight of a Spitfire in RAF service, which took place on 9 June 1957, was by a PR Mk 19, PS583, from RAF Woodvale of the Temperature and Humidity Flight. These laminar-flow airfoils were the Supermarine 371-I used at the root and the 371-II used at the tip. The Mark VAs could reach a speed of 376mph at 19,500ft, at which height the Mark VBs speed was 369mph, whilst the Mark VCs reached 374mph at 13,000ft. He eventually regained control somewhere below 3,000ft (910m) and landed safely with no discernible damage to his aircraft. ", Jane, Fred T. "The Supermarine Spitfire. Before he died, however, he had seen his prototype fly. The second cockpit of this aircraft has been lowered and is now below the front cockpit. So much more emotion. The pilot standing in front of the aircraft is prewar Olympic hurdler, Sqn. Numerous films and documentaries featuring the Spitfire are still being produced, some of which are listed in this section. [143] Early Seafire marks had relatively few modifications to the standard Spitfire airframe; however cumulative front line experience meant that most of the later versions of the Seafire had strengthened airframes, folding wings, arrestor hooks and other modifications, culminating in the purpose-built Seafire F/FR Mk 47. That any operational aircraft off the production line, cannons sprouting from its wings and warts and all, could readily be controlled at this speed when the early jet aircraft such as Meteors, Vampires, P-80s, etc, could not, was certainly extraordinary. [70] Both the elevators and rudder were shaped so that their centre of mass was shifted forward, reducing control-surface flutter. They also featured refinements such as retractable undercarriages, fully enclosed cockpits, and low-drag, all-metal wings. "[118] Although not as fast as the Spitfire, the Zero could out-turn the Spitfire, could sustain a climb at a very steep angle, and could stay in the air for three times as long. Its maximum speed was 362mph at 18,500ft. [nb 14][162], The oldest surviving Spitfire is a Mark 1, serial number K9942; it is preserved at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford in Shropshire. [94] Sir Stanley Hooker explained that the carburettor was adopted because it "increased the performance of the supercharger and thereby increased the power of the engine". Sometimes unarmed, they flew at high, medium, and low altitudes, often ranging far into enemy territory to closely observe the Axis powers and provide an almost continual flow of valuable intelligence information throughout the war. Mitchell continued to refine the design until his death in 1937, whereupon his colleague Joseph Smith took over as chief designer, overseeing the Spitfire's development through many variants. Price 1996, pp. This design was submitted to the Air Ministry in July 1934, but was not accepted. Ten of these TR9 variants were then sold to the Indian Air Force along with six to the Irish Air Corps, three to the Royal Netherlands Air Force and one for the Royal Egyptian Air Force. [27] Although outside contractors were supposed to be involved in manufacturing many important Spitfire components, especially the wings, Vickers-Armstrongs (the parent company) was reluctant to see the Spitfire being manufactured by outside concerns, and was slow to release the necessary blueprints and subcomponents. Flight tests showed the fabric covering of the ailerons "ballooned" at high speeds, adversely affecting the aerodynamics. Under the port wing, a new radiator fairing housed a square oil cooler alongside of the other half-radiator unit. [nb 10][84], The ellipse also served as the design basis for the Spitfire's fin and tailplane assembly, once again exploiting the shape's favourable aerodynamic characteristics. The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Both were shot down and became prisoners of war, while flying Spitfires over France in 1941 and 1942. In the continual programme of updating and improving the Spitfire, the next most significant development was the Mark V, and with a production run of nearly 6,500, this was the most common type ever produced. The Spitfire was a better fighter aircraft than the Hurricane. Frontline fighter plane for Great Britain during World War II. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 2022 Current Publishing. The original airframe was designed to be powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine producing 1,030hp (768kW). The appearance of the Me 262, however, showed the way to the future. Versions of the Spitfire were equipped with machine-guns, cannons, rockets, and bombs. On 7 March 1942, 15 Mk Vs carrying 90-gallon fuel tanks under their bellies took off from HMSEagle off the coast of Algeria on a 600-mile (970km) flight to Malta. A full-size pole-mounted replica was erected in 2021 on the site of a Salisbury factory. [citation needed], All production aircraft were flight tested before delivery. [131], On 5 February 1952, a Spitfire 19 of 81 Squadron based at Kai Tak in Hong Kong reached probably the highest altitude ever achieved by a Spitfire. The Allies achieved air superiority when the Mk VIII version was introduced to the theatre, replacing the earlier Mk V. In one memorable encounter, New Zealand ace Alan Peart fought a solo dogfight against two dozen Japanese aircraft attacking the Broadway airstrip, shooting down one. At first a private venture, it was taken up by the Air Ministry, whose fighter spec, F16/36, would be written around this design. The Spitfire Audio App. [139] In the absence of an official two-seater variant, a number of airframes were crudely converted in the field. A masterpiece of aerodynamic engineering, the Spitfire was among the finest fighter aircraft of the Second World War. [145] However, contemporary Allied carrier fighters such as the F6F Hellcat and F4U Corsair were considerably more robust and so more practical for carrier operations. The Seafire was an aircraft carrier-based adaptation of the Spitfire, used in the Fleet Air Arm from 1942 until the mid-1950s. Stuka dive bomber. These included a 4 Squadron SAAF Mk VB in North Africa, where a second seat was fitted instead of the upper fuel tank in front of the cockpit, although it was not a dual-control aircraft, and is thought to have been used as the squadron "run-about".
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