Andy Harris Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 And oddly enough, today and yesterday I've been working at a home that has one of the two seater Spitfires in the 'bottom hanger'. There's another vintage RAF trainer in the top hanger that went out yesterday no more than 100ft from where I was working. Yesterday evening we flew models of the grass runway - nice! Today's weather - not so good ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bev Lawton Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Jetsome - you cannot be serious! The Grunau Baby had the flying characteristics of a brick outbuilding!I got full Silver in a K18 - 5,000ft height gain + 5 hours endurance + 50Km cross country flight.I flew the Prefect version of the Grunau many times and I hated it! Particularily the rudder pedals that were hinged at the forward end as I recall. The nearest I came to killing myself in a glider was in a Prefect with a large boot of rudder during a VERY cross wind landing (to be fair it was probably out of limits during a squall) the cross-wind suddenly dropped and before I noticed it I was flying sideways! A quick opposite boot of rudder averted a "controlled crash" but I still received a Boll**ing from the CFI !!! I was young and newly qualified - but they all count when you walk away.Now if you were talking anout a Sedburgh(The Barge) - I soloed in one of them and have great memories of soaring in 1976 at RAF Marham fro hours on the sea breeze fronts that came in every day. 20 knots + lift just in front of the sea breeze front - even with the spoilers fully out The Barge wouldn't descend!Best wooden ship I flew is a toss-up between the Oly 6b or the Oly 419 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Rolls Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 Rocker RonSpitfires prior to the 'Super Spitfire' - Mk XXI and on - appeared in three forms (as opposed to marks) - those intended for low altitude work, those for high, and the 'normal' ones. The low altitude a/c were designated, for example Mk. Vb LF - the clipped wing had a span of 32' 2" compatered to the 36' 10" of the normal wing. The clipping was to improve the roll rate at low altitude - the resultant higher wing loading would, of course, handicap it at height. The superchargers for the two versions were also different, with cropped impeller blades to increase power at low altitude. A number of Mk Vs were adapted to the low altitude role from existing airframes, earning the rather unkind comment that they were "clipped, cropped and clapped"!The high altitude fighters had extended wing tips, giving a distinctly 'pointed' look to them and spanning 40' 2". They also had engines sutinbly rated for high altitude work and pressure cabins.HTHMike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted August 6, 2008 Author Share Posted August 6, 2008 Very knowlegeable Mike - thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted August 6, 2008 Author Share Posted August 6, 2008 There around my bloomin garden - evry time I cut the grass whole squadrons appear to attack me ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Claridge Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 one philestine uses a griffon engine in a tractor for sledge pulling contests mind you it does look gorgeous in black enamel i got a chance to sit on it and rev the griffon.Caroline Graces spitfire was based at goodwood for sometime and i tried to sit in it but got chased away by the airport security Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Rolls Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 RonNo need at all to apologise - glad you found the reply useful. The Spitfire has been my favourite a/c since I saw them during WW2 - on one occassion a couple caused a 'tip-and-run' Jerry (I didn't really see him until it was too late to get a good look, but it was a 109 or 190, nothing bigger) to lop several feet off the top of the tree at the bottom of our garden! Don't know if he got away or not.I've never built a flying model of the Spit - I have this horror of failing to do it justice. I keep telling myself that I will one day - but I've been saying it for over 60 years!Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Rolls Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 I just might...Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Jordan Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 Was it really the best ? Some years ago I worked with chap who flew both the spitfire and the hurricane in WW2, he was of the opinion that his survival chances were better in the latter a/c as cannon shells from bf109 's would go through a hurricane without exploding due to the fabric covering ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Rolls Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 EricYes - in the BoB the enemy destroyed in total favoured the Hurri because there were nearly twice as many of them. A/C destroyed per fighter favoured the Spit a bit. - haven't got the precise figures to handOTOH - in 1940 the Hurri was already effectively at the end of its development potential, whereas the Spit had a lot of further life to come - the Mk XIV, the final WW2 version, was 90 mph faster than the BoB marks, had a 44,500 foot ceiling compared to 34,000, far greater fire-power, 850 mile range compared to 500, and so on.As you say - thank heaven for the Merlin! And the Griffon!Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Rolls Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 RonNot that I've ever heard of, although given the Americans delight in modifying things, it would never surprise me.Oh - there is one other - a Jaguar V-12 powered the full size, flying wooden replica built a few years back - but I don't think that really counts.Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Rolls Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 RonThere is bit of information about the 'wooden Spitfire' on http://www.militaryairshows.co.uk/spitmus.htm.I scared the life out of myself by checking - it was built over 20 years ago and its last flight was in 1997. If asked I would have said it first appeared about 10 years ago and its crash was about 4 or 5! Doesn't time fly?Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Rolls Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 RonSpitfire props - as you say it (and the Hurri) started life with fixed otich two bladers. but these were soon swopped for three blade props, first two pitch, then constant speed. These were standanrd until the Mk IX which introduced the four blade prop which remained standard until the five blade prop was introduced on the Griffon powered Mk XIV. The last change was the six bladed - two contra-rotaing threes seen on a few Mk. 21s (post war the mark numbers appeared in ordinary numerals).The reason for the proliferation of blades was to absorb the increasing power available as the Merlin was developed and then the Griffon was introduced. Ideally, if you have more power you use a bigger prop - other things being equal, big propellers are more efficient than small ones. The Merlin III of BoB time gave 1,030 hp. The Merlin 66 in the Mark IX gave 1,720, whilst a Mark XIV with a Griffon 65 had 2,035. Ideally the props would have become bigger - but this wasn't practical - it undercarriage legs would have ended up looking like something cribbed from a Feisler Storch!Another example of coping with a lot of power is the F4U Corsair - the reason for the cranked wing was to enable it to carry a big propeller without having to have an excessively long U/C leg set-up.Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Chaddock Posted August 14, 2008 Share Posted August 14, 2008 Other engines in a Spitfire? How about a DB601 as fitted to the Bf109. It was done during the war by the Germans to better compare the relative merits of the Spit & 109 airframes. I will post a pic if I can find it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Rolls Posted August 14, 2008 Share Posted August 14, 2008 SimonI'd forgotten that one - I know I have a picture of it somewhere (but where?)Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
001 Posted August 14, 2008 Share Posted August 14, 2008 There are details of the Spitfire(s) involved on http://www.unrealaircraft.com/hybrid/spitfire.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted August 14, 2008 Share Posted August 14, 2008 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Rolls Posted August 14, 2008 Share Posted August 14, 2008 Rolls Royce, yes - but not the Merlin. The engine Willi used for his prototype (I assume it should be referred to as Bf- 109V1, although it is more often shown as Me-109V1) was the RR Kestrel V of 695 hp. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myron Beaumont Posted August 14, 2008 Share Posted August 14, 2008 The last time I saw and heard a Merlin running was when it was on a RR rig testing aTyne turbo prop .Sadly it was being used as a load on theTyne instead of its usual prop arrangement' Now that's what I call sacrilege Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myron Beaumont Posted August 14, 2008 Share Posted August 14, 2008 PS Why is it the good old days were just that ? Sorry wrong thread .Back to my b----y batteries again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myron Beaumont Posted August 14, 2008 Share Posted August 14, 2008 PSS AND my ashtray in the service dept was half a piston from ----Guess what ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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