Spitfire

There was an excellent film ("The First Of The Few", 1942) about the creation of the Spitfire by R. J. Mitchell, who died just as it went into production.

The full film can be seen at [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rStt5DQPtIA[/ame] Lots of flying footage from the RAF.

Lots of stiff upper lips...
 
The Spitfire was without qualification a beautiful aircraft. Performance was outstanding as well.

What wasn't optimal was the armament. Not enough big guns and not enough ammo for what guns it had.

Now, P47, basically any US WWII aircraft... lots of punch.
 
Had the Spit (and the Hawker Hurricane) not been in service at the time, the Battle of Britain would have gone the other way. Many may not know that most of the Spits were purchased by public and private subscription, not the RAF.
 
Snapping Twig said:
The Spitfire was without qualification a beautiful aircraft. Performance was outstanding as well.

What wasn't optimal was the armament. Not enough big guns and not enough ammo for what guns it had.

Now, P47, basically any US WWII aircraft... lots of punch.
Click to expand...

Nothing like a big supercharged 18 cylinder radial engine turning up. Lived with those babies all thru my stint in the Navy. I can still ID a radial engine from the sound when they fly over. Nothing could match a P-47 in Europe.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/p47.htm
 
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Aloha,

I like the P-47.

Actually, anything with the P & W R-2800.

And the 8 Browning M-3 50 calibers.

I also like big block Detroit Iron.

As in 440 CI, 4 bbl carbs and dual exhaust.

Beauty = Spitfire

Beast = P47
 
Snapping Twig said:
What wasn't optimal was the armament. Not enough big guns and not enough ammo for what guns it had.
Click to expand...

Various models came with 20mm cannons, .30 and .50 machine guns. It was a considerably smaller machine than the P47, designed to fly out of small, fairly primitive airfields.

The P47 wasn't ready at the time of the Battle Of Britain in 1940. It flew it's first combat mission in April 1943. The US wasn't even participating in 1940.

Supermarine Spitfire - the gun wings
 
I like the Spitfire design so much that after I noticed a copy of a rather famous painting of the Spitfire returning from a mission (the tape over the gun ports were shot thru) by Englishman Barrie A.F. Clark hanging in the Smithsonian's Aircraft Display Wing, I didn't stop until I found a copy for myself. That was about 34 years ago and that painting copy has hung over my work desk in two offices and several homes. It is a Mk V of the RAF 243 Squadron. I am looking up at it while I post this. I do not know where the original painting hangs. .......
 
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Big Cholla said:
I like the Spitfire design so much that after I noticed a copy of a rather famous painting of the Spitfire returning from a mission (the tape over the gun ports were shot thru) by Englishman Barrie A.F. Clark hanging in the Smithsonian's Aircraft Display Wing, I didn't stop until I found a copy for myself. That was about 34 years ago and that painting copy has hung over my work desk in two offices and several homes. It is a Mk V of the RAF 243 Squadron. I am looking up at it while I post this. I do not know where the original painting hangs. .......
Click to expand...

In 1979 I got a copy of the same print and framed it in a do it yourself shop. It hung behind my desk for many years and was the source of many discussions with my customers. It now hangs in my hobby area of the basement.
 
Oh boy, D Walt. You have just given me a severe case of heartburn. I would love to own that original, but at my age I can't justify the expenditure on something that I would enjoy for just a few more years. Yes, that is the painting. The last I could find it was in the RAF's Museum. Probably, the family of Barrie Clark still owned it and now are going to sell it. I'm going to hope it goes to the Smithsonian's Museum of Flight. ......

OK, now that I read the ad a little closer......it sold April, 2009. It is a good thing that I didn't know about it being up for sale....
 
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Big Cholla said:
Oh boy, D Walt. You have just given me a severe case of heartburn. I would love to own that original, but at my age I can't justify the expenditure on something that I would enjoy for just a few more years. Yes, that is the painting. The last I could find it was in the RAF's Museum. Probably, the family of Barrie Clark still owned it and now are going to sell it. I'm going to hope it goes to the Smithsonian's Museum of Flight. ......

OK, now that I read the ad a little closer......it sold April, 2009. It is a good thing that I didn't know about it being up for sale....
Click to expand...

The auction notice says Hendon, RAF Museum. Maybe it's from the Museum's collection. I have no idea.
 
I may get a ding for this, but perhaps it's worth it. I will not post a direct link to the video because there is some foul language -- probably for good reason as the plane passes very close to the talking head.

Filming a documentary for the 60th Anniversary of the Spitfire, a very capable pilot made an extremely low pass over the camera crew and chief talking head. The pass was very low, and very close. It's worth seeing.

Just Google "The Original Spitfire Surprise Low Pass". It's about 1:21 minutes long. It's got foul language, I'm sorry, I cannot edit it. But to Spitfire aficionados, it's worth seeing and it's worth the ding if I get it so that some of you see it if you haven't as yet.

Turn your sound up. Enjoy.
 
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the ringo kid said:
A three way tie IMO--Spitfire,Corsair and Mustang.I love all them old warbirds. honorable mentions: Hawker Hurricanes and Messerschmidts and the Aircobra.
Click to expand...

Good calls. But should be more specific on Mustang: the P-51D or later model.

I would agree with your calls exactly if I hadn't seen a B-1B in flight below Wichita. Most awesome flying thing evah!
 
Once again I am compelled to be a Contrary. The most beautiful aircraft are the Grumman F-8-F Bearcat and the F-7-F Tigercat!
 
Here ya go -

Just so you know, when I'm climbing on my motorcycle, I'm getting into the cockpit of my Spitfire MK IX.

F8F Bearcat


F7F Tigercat
 
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