Colin Leighfield Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 This was amazing, so close at times that you felt that you could touch it. A very precious experience, you could really imagine that you were back to 1944 and flying over occupied France. Pat Lardner-Burke, the South African ace, had 9 victories in this plane, 5 Luftwaffe and 4 Regia Aeronautica. Since flown extensively by the equally wonderful and late-lamented Neil Williams and Ray Hanna. Next step, a flight in the Boultbee Spitfire IX at Goodood, May 2016. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josip Vrandecic -Mes Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Dear Colin , thanks so much...Sir Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monz Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 I was on the road to a shoot in Cambridge and saw you guys above me crossing the A10 in tight formo, still thought to myself 'Lucky so and so!'. I'm curious, could you hear the Merlin over the Gypsies? Nice one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted October 13, 2015 Author Share Posted October 13, 2015 Jo, thank you, my very considerable pleasure! Monz, that's a co-incidence! I did feel very fortunate and it was a unique experience for me, I felt that I was coming home to something. As close as the Spitfire was, I couldn't hear the Merlin over the Gypsies. I didn't think to query our airspeed, (i.a.s. 120+)? but we were probably on a high throttle setting while the Spitfire was clearly on a low one. Sometimes things you thought that you could never do become possible. Next May comes the flight in the Boultbee Spitfire Tr9. I need to pinch myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken anderson. Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 here's some interesting info on the range of the WW2 aircraft ........ ken anderson...ne....1 MPG dept. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted March 5, 2016 Author Share Posted March 5, 2016 It's very descriptive isn't it! To be fair that shows the P51 with long-range drop-tanks, the range of the Spitfire was extended by using slipper drop tanks of different sizes. However, the Mustang didn't just carry more fuel, it also cruised 20/30 mph faster than the Spitfire on the same power setting and that was the other reason for its' long range. This was mostly due to the very positive contribution from the highly efficient cooling system which added positive thrust and was reckoned to be worth 35 mph, it wasn't the "laminar flow" wing. Interestingly, I recent found out that in 1944 North American sent Edgar Schmued to England and he worked at Supermarine for I think three months. NA and Supermarine worked closely together and the relationship between the Spitfire and Mustang is much closer than is often realised. They were worried about their ability to develop the airframe without adding too much weight and considered that Supermarine were better at it than they were. As a result, when Schmued went back they produced the ultimate Mustang, the P51H, which also was the basis for the Twin Mustang, the P/F82. Almost certainly connected was a proposal from Supermarine to build a version of the Spitfire VIII with a P51 type cooling system under the fuselage, cleaning up the wing and increasing wing fuel tankage. This would have had a comparable speed and range to the P51 and in some respects would have been the better plane. However it was decided that existing Spitfires were good enough to combat the Luftwaffe up to the war's end and the jets were coming, so it wasn't done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken anderson. Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 80 year's just like that...... well done all concerned.... ken anderson.... ne....1 best of british dept. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun Waters Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 Hi Colin, Shooting is over, skied last week, Boultbee next ! Only about 60 sleeps to go, looking forward to seeing you there. Cheers, SHAUN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted March 5, 2016 Author Share Posted March 5, 2016 Good one Ken. Shaun, the days are ticking away. I have to confess that in 1986 I decided to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first flight of the Spitfire by designing and building a 1/7 scale model of the prototype K5054, 63" span. It had a few detail differences to the production planes and I I thought I would do this rather than adapt someone's plan or kit. I also ordered a new Laser 75, which came with my initials on it, in a nice wooden box. The plane was mostly finished, complete with mechanical retracts, but it co-incided with major upheavals in my personal life that put the kibosh on everything, so it was never completed. The engine is still new in the box 30 years later and has never run. It has moved house with me 3 times since. It's actually still viable, I'd need to replace the servos and put in modern retracts. Also the sheeted but uncovered wing has some rippling in the skin, which needs some work. It is exact scale, with the NACA2200 series wing section and 2.5 degrees wash-out. It's on my to-do list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun Waters Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 aahhhhh..............the eternal to do list ! It will pale into insignificance after your flight Mate ! May the 4th be with you............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted March 5, 2016 Author Share Posted March 5, 2016 Thank you Shaun! Here's my 30 year late model of K5054, designed for the 50th. anniversary! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun Waters Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 Looks very nice Colin, strikes me as an opportunity to make a few changes and finish as SM520 after you have your flight in her. Would make a very unusual model, I've never seen a two seater modelled. another one for the to do list ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted March 5, 2016 Author Share Posted March 5, 2016 Richard Rawle flies an amazing 50% scale two seater at LMA events, it's incredible. I think I will finish this as the prototype, as intended. The two seaters are all based on Mk VIIIs andIXs, which have a longer nose, so it would need a lot of alteration. Maybe another project! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josip Vrandecic -Mes Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Hi,Colin and Ken...it's was for my soul,thanks alot😅 Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cymaz Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Lovely Colin, beautiful views. Edited By cymaz on 08/03/2016 17:16:16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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