Scale Models - View Single Post - Wonwings Diary-a blog with a difference.

**wonwinglo** · 19-02-2006

One of the best appraisals of how the Spitfire flew can be attributed to Douglas Bader,this is what he wrote about this beautiful but functional aircraft-
The Spitfire looked good and was good. But my first reaction was that it was bad for handling on the ground; its long straight nose, uptilted when the tail wheel was on the ground; its long straight nose, uptilted when the tail wheel was on the ground, made taxing difficult since it was not easy to see ahead. It was necessary to to swing from side to side to look in front. The view at take-off was restricted in the same way until you were travelling fast enough to lift the tail; only then could you see over the nose.
Once accustomed to these minor inconveniences, they were no longer apparent, and once in the air, you felt in the first few minutes that here was the aeroplane par excellence. The controls were light, positive and synchronized; in fact, the aeroplane of one's dreams. It was stable; it flew hands and feet off; yet you could move it quickly and effortlessly into any attitude. You brought it in to land at 75 mph and touched down at 60-65 mph. Its maximum speed was 367 mph. You thus had a wide speed range which has not been equalled before or since.
It had eight machine guns of .303 calibre each, mounted four in each wing. The guns were spaced one close to the fuselage, two mid-wing, one further out. The eight guns were normally synchronized to 250 yards. In other words the four in each wing were sighted so that the bullets from all eight converged at that distance, in front of the Spitfire. Experienced fighter pilots used to close the pattern to 200 yards. The successful pilots succeeded because they did not open fire until they were close to the target.

By the 19th August 1939 the following units had received their Spitfire Mk I's and were also operational:-

19 Sqn Duxford

66 Sqn Duxford

41 Sqn Catterick

74 Sqn Hornchurch

54 Sqn Hornchurch

65 Sqn Hornchurch

72 Sqn Churchfenton

602 Sqn Abbotsinch

611 Sqn Speke

609 Sqn Yeadon
K5054 Prototype Spitfire 1

ENGINE

Merlin II (gave 990 hp at 12,000 ft)
WING SPAN
37' 8"
LENGTH
29' 11"
HEIGHT
8' 2 1/2"
WEIGHT
AUW 5,200 lb TARE 5,034 lb

19-02-2006	#140 (permalink)
wonwinglo Moderator Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Warwick,UK Real Name: Barry My Models: Aviation artifacts Visit wonwinglo's Gallery Posts: 5,628 Images: 49	Wonwings diary-Anniversary of one of the most beautiful aircraft ever designed-Part 2 One of the best appraisals of how the Spitfire flew can be attributed to Douglas Bader,this is what he wrote about this beautiful but functional aircraft- The Spitfire looked good and was good. But my first reaction was that it was bad for handling on the ground; its long straight nose, uptilted when the tail wheel was on the ground; its long straight nose, uptilted when the tail wheel was on the ground, made taxing difficult since it was not easy to see ahead. It was necessary to to swing from side to side to look in front. The view at take-off was restricted in the same way until you were travelling fast enough to lift the tail; only then could you see over the nose. Once accustomed to these minor inconveniences, they were no longer apparent, and once in the air, you felt in the first few minutes that here was the aeroplane par excellence. The controls were light, positive and synchronized; in fact, the aeroplane of one's dreams. It was stable; it flew hands and feet off; yet you could move it quickly and effortlessly into any attitude. You brought it in to land at 75 mph and touched down at 60-65 mph. Its maximum speed was 367 mph. You thus had a wide speed range which has not been equalled before or since. It had eight machine guns of .303 calibre each, mounted four in each wing. The guns were spaced one close to the fuselage, two mid-wing, one further out. The eight guns were normally synchronized to 250 yards. In other words the four in each wing were sighted so that the bullets from all eight converged at that distance, in front of the Spitfire. Experienced fighter pilots used to close the pattern to 200 yards. The successful pilots succeeded because they did not open fire until they were close to the target. By the 19th August 1939 the following units had received their Spitfire Mk I's and were also operational:- 19 Sqn Duxford 66 Sqn Duxford 41 Sqn Catterick 74 Sqn Hornchurch 54 Sqn Hornchurch 65 Sqn Hornchurch 72 Sqn Churchfenton 602 Sqn Abbotsinch 611 Sqn Speke 609 Sqn Yeadon K5054 Prototype Spitfire 1 ENGINE Merlin II (gave 990 hp at 12,000 ft) WING SPAN 37' 8" LENGTH 29' 11" HEIGHT 8' 2 1/2" WEIGHT AUW 5,200 lb TARE 5,034 lb __________________ 'And there I was oil on my goggles from a broken pipe,then I looked at the altimeter,all I could see was the makers name !' www.wonwinglo.scale-models.net/