The Spitfire LF Mk IX is a rank IV British fighter with a battle rating of 5.7 (AB/RB) and 5.0 (SB). [33], In 1938, construction began on the Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory (CBAF), next to the aerodrome, and the installation of the most modern machine tools then available began two months after work started on the site. [177] Supermarine Aircraft – originally from Brisbane, Australia, and now based in Cisco, Texas – manufacture the 80% scale Spitfire Mk26 and the 90% scale Mk26B replicas. [61], In 1934, Mitchell and the design staff decided to use a semi-elliptical wing shape to solve two conflicting requirements; the wing needed to be thin to avoid creating too much drag, but it had to be thick enough to house the retractable undercarriage, armament, and ammunition. 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. The symbol of Britain's refusal to give up during that dark summer of 1940, the Spitfire won the hearts of both pilots and public in World War II. A purpose-built works, specialising in manufacturing fuselages and installing engines, was built at Star Road, Caversham in Reading. In January 1940, P/O George Proudman flew this prototype in combat, but the starboard gun stopped after firing a single round, while the port gun fired 30 rounds before seizing. On 7 March 1942, 15 Mk Vs carrying 90-gallon fuel tanks under their bellies took off from HMS Eagle off the coast of Algeria on a 600-mile (970 km) flight to Malta. [98], The decision on the arming of the Spitfire (and the Hurricane) is told in Captain C. H. Keith's book I Hold my Aim. Supermarine Spitfire Mark IX (TD314) The Spitfire is one of the most successful panoramas so far: Hundreds of views per day ; Over 200,000 views in the first week when the link went viral ; Visitors spend, on average, several minutes with it ; The customer uses it on two different website with great success An elliptical planform is the most efficient aerodynamic shape for an untwisted wing, leading to the lowest amount of induced drag. 72 Squadron RAF until June 1940, when it was damaged in a wheels-up landing. 131.". At the time, British Commonwealth forces were involved in possible action against Indonesia over Malaya and Nicholls decided to develop tactics to fight the Indonesian Air Force P-51 Mustang, a fighter that had a similar performance to the PR Mk 19. [39] Different wings, featuring a variety of weapons, were fitted to most marks; the A wing used eight .303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns, the B wing had four .303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns and two 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano cannon, and the C, or universal, wing could mount either four 20 mm (.79 in) cannon or two 20 mm (.79 in) and four .303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns. An experimental factory at Newbury was the subject of a Luftwaffe daylight raid, but the bombs missed their target and hit a nearby school. The Mk IX was a significant improvement on the Mk V. It had a top speed of 409 mph at 28,000 feet, an increase of 40 miles per hour. [66] In turn, the leading-edge structure lost its function as a condenser, but it was later adapted to house integral fuel tanks of various sizes[67]— a feature patented by Vickers-Supermarine in 1938. Three marks of Spitfire would be developed from this experimental aircraft. [3] The Spitfire was the only British fighter aircraft to be in continuous production before, during, and after the Second World War. Frames 21, 22 and 23 formed the fin; frame 22 incorporated the tailwheel opening and frame 23 was the rudder post. [125], Several Spitfires were captured by the Germans and flown by units that tested, evaluated, and sometimes clandestinely operated enemy aircraft.[126]. [93] 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". Constant problems with the evaporative system in the Goshawk led to the adoption of a cooling system which used 100% glycol. While it did not cure the problem of the initial fuel starvation in a dive, it did reduce the more serious problem of the carburettor being flooded with fuel by the fuel pumps under negative "g". However, Spitfire units had a lower attrition rate and a higher victory-to-loss ratio than those flying Hurricanes because of the Spitfire's higher performance. The Mk IX replaced the Mk V from June 1942. Work on fitting the more power Merlin 61 with its two-stage supercharger had begun in the summer of 1941, and on 27 September Spitfire N3297 (the only Mk III Spitfire built) flew for the first time (the same month as the FW 190 became operational). [118] To counter the Zero, Spitfire pilots had to adopt a "slash and run" policy and use their faster speed and diving superiority to fight, while avoiding classic dogfights. Also included are colorful, easy to read detailed instructions. [26] A week later, on 3 June 1936, the Air Ministry placed an order for 310 Spitfires,[27] before the A&AEE had issued any formal report. [10], 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. This mark could nudge 400 mph (640 km/h) in level flight and climb to an altitude of 33,000 ft (10,000 m) in under nine minutes. The Hispanos were found to be so unreliable that the squadron requested an exchange of its aircraft with the older Browning-armed aircraft of an operational training unit. The Supermarine Spitfire Mk. A team of original Supermarine designers worked with Aerofab Restorations of Andover for 10 years to create the facsimile. [78] 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 3 ft 6 in (1.07 m). Both the elevators and rudder were shaped so that their centre of mass was shifted forward, reducing control-surface flutter. The same day P7666 was delivered to the Squadron, 23 November 1940, Finlay destroyed a Bf 109 on his first operational sortie in the aircraft. Normal armament was two 20mm cannon and four machine-guns. The Merlin 46 and Merlin 50 were also used in the VB. [116] In 1944, the USSR received the substantially improved Mk IX variant, with the first aircraft delivered in February. [152], 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. Many of Supermarine's records from this era were destroyed during a bombing raid in 1940, and none of the surviving documents seemed to pin this down. A Supermarine Spitfire brit együléses vadászrepülőgép, melyet a Brit Királyi Légierő megrendelésére fejlesztettek ki. Most of the casualties were experienced aircraft production workers.[42]. The last Lend-Lease shipment carrying the Mk IX arrived at the port of Severodvinsk on 12 June 1945. The Spitfire's stressed-skin construction required precision engineering skills and techniques that were beyond the capabilities of the local labour force, and some time was required to retrain them. [30], As a result of the delays in getting the Spitfire into full production, the Air Ministry put forward a plan that its production be stopped after the initial order for 310, after which Supermarine would build Bristol Beaufighters. 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. The Spitfire also served on the Eastern Front with the Soviet Air Force (VVS). [48][49], When the last Spitfire rolled out in February 1948,[50] a total of 20,351 examples of all variants had been built, including two-seat trainers, with some Spitfires remaining in service well into the 1950s. [147], As American fighters took over the long-range escorting of United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) daylight bombing raids, the Griffon-engined Spitfires progressively took up the tactical air superiority role, and played a major role in intercepting V-1 flying bombs, while the Merlin-engined variants (mainly the Mk IX and the Packard-engined Mk XVI) were adapted to the fighter-bomber role. [59] In some areas, such as at the rear of the wing and the lower tailplane skins, the top was riveted and the bottom fixed by brass screws which tapped into strips of spruce bolted to the lower ribs. [54] At the time, with France as an ally, and Germany thought to be the most likely future opponent, no enemy fighters were expected to appear over Great Britain. Two of these were the Spitfire HF Mk IX (high-altitude modification) while the remainder were the low-altitude LF Mk IX. The Mk VIII was produced in large numbers, and saw service in the Middle East and Far East. The problems increased when the work was put out to subcontractors, most of whom had never dealt with metal-structured, high-speed aircraft. [nb 7] Quill devised the standard testing procedures, which with variations for specific aircraft designs operated from 1938. It was so successful that it was ordered into full production. Their Supermarine Aircraft Spitfire is supplied in kit form and is the only all-aluminium reproduction Spitfire in production. Supermarine Spitfire Mk. The LF Mk IX is considered by most to be the perfect Spitfire due to its balanced all round p… The Spitfire's performance improved greatly as WWII progressed, for more information see Supermarine Spitfire variants: specifications, performance and armament. This used the cooling air to generate thrust, greatly reducing the net drag produced by the radiators. ", "Monument campaign for WWII female auxiliary pilots", "Eden Camp Modern History Theme Museum, Malton, North Yorkshire", "How realistic are Dunkirk's Spitfire flight scenes? From 1944 some were built with the “e” wing, which replaced the four .303in machine guns with two .50in heavy machine guns. [146], The first Rolls-Royce Griffon-engined Mk XII flew in August 1942, and first flew operationally with 41 Squadron in April 1943. [90] Supermarine estimated that the new wing could give an increase in speed of 55 mph (89 km/h) over the Spitfire Mk 21. The airflow through the main radiator was controlled by pneumatic exit flaps. [108] Some notable Commonwealth pilots were George Beurling (31​1⁄3 e/a) from Canada, "Sailor" Malan (27 e/a) from South Africa,[109] New Zealanders Alan Deere (17 e/a) and C F Gray (27 e/a)[110][111] and the Australian Hugo Armstrong (12 e/a).[112]. It used the same Merlin 60/70 series engines at the Mk VIII, but in a slightly modified Mark Vc fuselage. He organised a conference, with Air Commodore Tedder in the chair, on 19 July 1934. In November 1938, tests against armoured and unarmoured targets had already indicated that the introduction of a weapon with a calibre of at least 20 mm was urgently needed. Personally, I never cleared a Spitfire unless I had carried out a few aerobatic tests to determine how good or bad she was. Finally, 410 high altitude HF.Mk IXs were produced using the Merlin 70 engine, with an improved performance at high altitude. Then the aircraft received a final once-over by our ground mechanics, any faults were rectified and the Spitfire was ready for collection. The Air Ministry submitted a list of possible names to Vickers-Armstrong for the new aircraft, then known as the Type 300. The Spitfire continues to be popular among enthusiasts; nearly 60 remain airworthy, and many more are static exhibits in aviation museums throughout the world. [37] Beaverbrook immediately sent in experienced management staff and workers from Supermarine, and gave control of the factory to Vickers-Armstrong. IXB ser. Due to the high altitudes necessary for these dives, a fully feathering Rotol propeller was fitted to prevent overspeeding. It was unveiled to the public in April 1993 by Quill at the RAF Museum, Hendon, and is currently on loan to the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum. [nb 11][82], 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. 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, Articles and topics related to the Supermarine Spitfire, Manufacturing at Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, Search for reported surviving Spitfires in Burma. Aerodynamically it was the best for our purpose because the induced drag caused in producing lift, was lowest when this shape was used: the ellipse was ... theoretically a perfection ... To reduce drag we wanted the lowest possible thickness-to-chord, consistent with the necessary strength. [133], Although R. J. Mitchell is justifiably known as the engineer who designed the Spitfire, his premature death in 1937 meant that all development after that date was undertaken by a team led by his chief draughtsman, Joe Smith, who became Supermarine's chief designer on Mitchell's death. "World War II Fighter Aerodynamics. [161], What may be the most originally restored Spitfire in the world is maintained at Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida. 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. Both were shot down and became prisoners of war, while flying Spitfires over France in 1941 and 1942. The two radiator flaps were now operated automatically by a thermostat. [51], In the mid-1930s, aviation design teams worldwide began developing a new generation of fighter aircraft. [6] It made its first flight in February 1934. Douglas Bader (20 e/a) and "Bob" Tuck (27 e/a) flew Spitfires and Hurricanes during the major air battles of 1940. It was then joined by a version powered by the Merlin 66. [124], During the Second World War, Spitfires were used by the United States Army Air Forces in the 4th Fighter Group until they were replaced by Republic P-47 Thunderbolts in March 1943. This memorial is in memory of the old, A fibreglass replica of a Spitfire Mk XVI has been mounted on a pylon in, A fibreglass replica of a Mk XVI spitfire sits on a pylon next to Memorial Avenue at Christchurch Airport, New Zealand. By June 1939, most of these problems had been resolved, and production was no longer held up by a lack of wings. [81] Only two positions were available; fully up or fully down (85°). Compared to other planes in the Supermarine Spitfire line-up at the time, the Spitfire MK IX performed better at higher altitudes than its line-up counterparts as well as performing better when climbing up to higher altitudes. [141] Like the Spitfire, the Seafire also had a relatively narrow undercarriage track, which meant that it was not ideally suited to deck operations. [29] Full-scale production of the Spitfire began at Supermarine's facility in Woolston, but the order clearly could not be completed in the 15 months promised. One Spitfire is kept in airworthy condition in the Israeli Air Force Museum. The crisis was so serious that the RAF was forced to stop all but the most important daytime operations over occupied Europe in November 1941. [107] Paddy Finucane (28–32 e/a) scored all his successes in the fighter before disappearing over the English Channel in July 1942. He says "I think it can be reasonably contended that the deliberations of that conference made possible, if not certain, of the winning of the Battle of Britain, almost exactly six years later". This design was submitted to the Air Ministry in July 1934, but was not accepted. [4] A production aircraft cost about £9,500. The Mark numbers did not necessarily indicate a chronological order, the Mk IX was a stopgap brought into production before the Mks VII and VIII. Donald O. Finlay, the commanding officer of 41 Squadron from September 1940 to August 1941, who adopted the aircraft as his personal mount. Between 1940 and 1946, Henshaw flew a total of 2,360 Spitfires and Seafires, more than 10% of total production.[46][47]. [127] Martindale successfully glided the Spitfire 20 mi (32 km) back to the airfield and landed safely. "Supermarine unveils its high-performance monoplane today (5 March). Originally a Merlin 70 powered HF Mk IX, SM520 was delivered to 33MU, RAF Lyneham, Wiltshire, on the 23 rd November 1944. He eventually regained control somewhere below 3,000 ft (910 m) and landed safely with no discernible damage to his aircraft. Now a 95-year-old veteran, Hugo Broch will soar into the skies in a Spitfire.Watch Now. [92], Early in its development, the Merlin engine's lack of fuel injection meant that Spitfires and Hurricanes, unlike the Bf 109E, were unable to simply nose down into a steep dive. Morgan and Shacklady 2000, pp. II went into service in late 1940. [8], The Type 224 was a big disappointment to Mitchell and his design team, who immediately embarked on a series of "cleaned-up" designs, using their experience with the Schneider Trophy seaplanes as a starting point. Machine guns, cannon, gun sight and original working radios are all installed. The removable wing tips were made up of duralumin-skinned spruce formers. In June 1939, a Spitfire was fitted with a drum-fed Hispano in each wing, an installation that required large blisters on the wing to cover the 60-round drum. [nb 9] The radiators were housed in a new radiator-duct designed by Fredrick Meredith of the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) at Farnborough, Hampshire. Numerous films and documentaries featuring the Spitfire are still being produced, some of which are listed in this section. A fibreglass replica of a Spitfire Mk IX has been mounted on a pylon in Jackson Park, One of the few remaining Supermarine Spitfires with a wartime record is on display (alongside a Hawker Hurricane) at the, A fibreglass replica of a Spitfire Mk IX is mounted to the roof of the speciality shop, Spitfire Emporium, in, There is a replica of a Spitfire (and of a Hurricane) at the entrance to the, A fibreglass replica of Spitfire VB BL924 is on display at. Although the Spitfire was not designed for the rough-and-tumble of carrier-deck operations, it was considered the best available fighter at the time. 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. [53], Mitchell's design aims were to create a well-balanced, high-performance fighter aircraft capable of fully exploiting the power of the Merlin engine, while being relatively easy to fly. [105], Well-known Spitfire pilots included "Johnnie" Johnson—34 enemy aircraft (e/a) shot down[106]—who flew the Spitfire right through his operational career from late 1940 to 1945. [145] Performance was greatly increased when later versions of the Seafire were fitted with the Griffon engines. With the 1053 Mk XVIs (the same aircraft with a Packard Merlin engine) that amounts to a total of 7,011 aircraft. "Technical Note: A CFD Evaluation of Three Prominent World War II Fighter Aircraft. "[134], There were 24 marks of Spitfire and many sub-variants. From February 1943 flush riveting was used on the fuselage, affecting all Spitfire variants. [54], A wing feature that contributed greatly to its success was an innovative spar boom design, made up of five square tubes that fitted into each other. The ellipse was simply the shape that allowed us the thinnest possible wing with room inside to carry the necessary structure and the things we wanted to cram in. 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 throughout its multitude of variants. A total of 1,185 aircraft of this model were delivered through Iran, Iraq and the Arctic to northern Soviet ports. By August, Supermarine had perfected a more reliable installation with an improved feed mechanism and four .303s in the outer wing panels. The first test aircraft flew on 26 February 1942. In 1931 the Air Ministry released specification F7/30, calling for a modern fighter capable of a flying speed of 250 mph (400 km/h). In 1941 and 1942, PRU Spitfires provided the first photographs of the Freya and Würzburg radar systems, and in 1943, helped confirm that the Germans were building the V1 and V2 Vergeltungswaffen ("vengeance weapons") rockets by photographing Peenemünde, on the Baltic Sea coast of Germany. More Spitfire Mk Vs were built than any other type, with 6,487 built, followed by the 5,656 Mk IXs. The 1942 Supermarine Spitfire MK IX is a British fighter aircraft that was manufactured by Supermarine between 1942-1945. Frame five, to which the engine bearers were secured, supported the weight of the engine and its accessories. Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX 105. tajeset v muzeu Chel ha-Avir na letecké základně Chacerim v Izraeli (2006) Mimo RAF sloužily letouny Spitfire ve větÅ¡ině spojeneckých letectev. Normal armament was two 20mm cannon and four machine-guns. It entered service the next month with No.64 squadron at Hornchurch. The majority of Mk IXs of all types used the standard “c” wing, which could carry four 20mm cannon or two 20mm cannon and four .303in machine guns. Supermarine Spitfire IX: Fourth major production fighter variant (Supermarine Type 361), combining Mk VC airframe with two-stage two-speed Merlin 60 series engine but lacking other improvements designed for (later) Supermarine Spitfire VIII. The Spitfire was built in many variants, using several wing configurations, and was produced … [114] Those Spitfire Vs were the first to see service outside Britain.[115]. [8] This led to the Type 300, with retractable undercarriage and a wingspan reduced by 6 ft (1.8 m). When the Mk VIII appeared later in 1942, its performance was very similar to that of the Mk IX. 284 were converted from older versions, 557 built by Supermarine around Southampton, and another 5117 at Castle Bromwich. Excavations carried out at Yangon International Airport (formerly RAF Mingaladon) in early 2013 failed to locate any of the rumoured aircraft,[164][165] and the team reported that they found no evidence that Spitfires were shipped there in crates or buried. Historiankirjoituksen ansiosta konetyyppi on yksi parhaiten tunnettuja toisen maailmansodan aikaisia ilma-aluksia. What he meant was that he wanted nothing touched, especially the control settings, until he had consulted with Mitchell and the design team and suggested some improvements. Completed Spitfires were delivered to the airfields on large Commer "Queen Mary" low-loader articulated lorries (trucks), there to be fully assembled, tested, then passed on to the RAF. Flaps were normally lowered only during the final approach and for landing, and the pilot was to retract them before taxiing. They also featured refinements such as retractable undercarriages, fully enclosed cockpits, and low-drag, all-metal wings.