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Spitfire

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Spitfire

Postby Woodster » 10 Jun 2018, 13:13

We’ve just had a clipped wing spitfire fly over our house at low level for a local veterans parade. The sound of that Merlin was fantastic! :D
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Re: Spitfire

Postby Rod » 10 Jun 2018, 14:20

Yes great sound. We used to hear one regularly over our village but sadly the owner and pilot crashed in it and was killed.

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Re: Spitfire

Postby RogerS » 10 Jun 2018, 14:27

When I sell the Hammer, part of the proceeds will be a flight in one. I have only one thing in my bucket list and that is it.
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Re: Spitfire

Postby Woodster » 10 Jun 2018, 14:38

I’m guessing that it was a Merlin powered Spitfire but it did sound more like a Griffon.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b8SuZJdgYuk
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Re: Spitfire

Postby Woodbloke » 10 Jun 2018, 17:41

Not the best fighter of WW2 but certainly the prettiest - Rob
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Re: Spitfire

Postby Mike G » 10 Jun 2018, 18:08

..........and one has just flown over me, heading in the direction of Duxford.
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Re: Spitfire

Postby RogerS » 10 Jun 2018, 19:29

Woodbloke wrote:Not the best fighter of WW2 but certainly the prettiest - Rob


Wash your mouth out and go and stand in the corner, how dare you, Sir ....harrumph.
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Re: Spitfire

Postby Rod » 10 Jun 2018, 19:54

Depends which period you consider.

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Re: Spitfire

Postby selectortone » 10 Jun 2018, 21:23

Rod wrote:Depends which period you consider.

Rod


I think it depends on what role you consider a "fighter" played in WWII.

The Mustang, with its long range and ability to carry stores like bombs and rockets was probably the best all round fighter of the period, but when the Mark IX Spitfire got the better Merlin 60 with the improved supercharger, which enabled it to go head-to-head with the FW-190, it was unquestionably a formidable dogfighter.

My Dad flew Beaufighters in the Middle East in WWII. He loved to tell me about the specially equipped Spitfire at their airfield in Egypt that had been stripped of all armament and was used by the met flight to get weather readings. It had the Merlin 60, and was as light as possible so that it could reach high altitudes. Any pilot on the base could do the dawn met flight each morning and he told me there was a waiting list of several weeks - because it went "like a dingbat". He flew it a couple of times and he said they were the best flying experience of his entire career - and he went on to fly Meteors and Hunters after the war. He absolutely ADORED the Spitfire.
Last edited by selectortone on 11 Jun 2018, 00:58, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Spitfire

Postby Woodbloke » 10 Jun 2018, 23:15

selectortone wrote:The Mustang, with its long range and ability to carry stores like bombs and rockets was probably the best all round fighter of the period.

maxresdefault.jpg
(171.27 KiB)

Rog, do a little bit of reading around and you may find that the Spit isn't all it's is cracked up to be. At the latter end of WW2, the P51 Mustang was probably the best all round fighter, once it was equipped with a RR (Packard) Merlin and long range drop tanks. It's almost as pretty as a Spitfire but apparently couldn't quite out turn it.
As the war progressed, the Spitfire certainly kept abreast of current developments and culminated in the bubble canopied, RR Griffon engined version...

Griffon spitfire.jpg
(51.24 KiB)


...(my old dad used to work on those engines in the Fleet Air Arm during the 50's and I have a push-rod from a Griffon in my toolbox) which was a very, very different aircraft from the one flown in the Battle of Britain in 1940. Some historians say the Bf109 flown at the time was at least the equal, if not better than the Spitfire...it was certainly better armed - Rob
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Re: Spitfire

Postby RogerS » 11 Jun 2018, 07:45

It is a fatuous discussion, Rob. The concept of 'best' decided by armchair experts is like arguing the number of angels on a pinhead.
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Re: Spitfire

Postby Rod » 11 Jun 2018, 10:48

Here’s another one the Yak-3

World War 2 French ace, Marcel Albert, considered the Yak to be a far superior aircraft to the Spitfire and P-51D Mustang, having flown the Yak in the USSR.

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Re: Spitfire

Postby Andyp » 11 Jun 2018, 11:11

RogerS wrote:It is a fatuous discussion, Rob. The concept of 'best' decided by armchair experts is like arguing the number of angels on a pinhead.


or iPhone or Android :) :)
I do not think therefore I do not am.

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Re: Spitfire

Postby Woodbloke » 11 Jun 2018, 13:11

Andyp wrote:
RogerS wrote:It is a fatuous discussion, Rob. The concept of 'best' decided by armchair experts is like arguing the number of angels on a pinhead.


or iPhone or Android :) :)


:lol: :lol: :text-bravo: :obscene-drinkingcheers: - Rob
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Re: Spitfire

Postby Woodster » 11 Jun 2018, 14:43

One of my favourite fighters built during WW2 is the Hawker Sea Fury, one of the fastest piston engined fighters ever built. The Fury (RAF version) would have been one of the fighters to replace the Spitfire but the Spitfire was deemed “good enough” at the time apparently.
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Re: Spitfire

Postby Malc2098 » 11 Jun 2018, 15:31

Woodster wrote:One of my favourite fighters built during WW2 is the Hawker Sea Fury, one of the fastest piston engined fighters ever built. The Fury (RAF version) would have been one of the fighters to replace the Spitfire but the Spitfire was deemed “good enough” at the time apparently.


Love the Sea Fury! 18 cylinder double bank radial Bristol Centaurus engine. Best sounding engine IMHO when on full chat from a shallow dive.

Some time in the mid 70s I was allowed to turns the prop at one of the IATs at Greenham Common.

Was one of the Royal Naval Historic Flight.

I’ve still got a semi-scale RC model to build that I bought decades ago.
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Re: Spitfire

Postby Malc2098 » 11 Jun 2018, 15:36

[youtube]M6W1Ge7rCyg[/youtube]
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Re: Spitfire

Postby TrimTheKing » 11 Jun 2018, 15:44

Oh now I like that one!!! :eusa-clap: :eusa-clap:
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Re: Spitfire

Postby Malc2098 » 11 Jun 2018, 15:55

And I think it still holds the speed record for piston engined aircraft.
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Re: Spitfire

Postby Woodbloke » 11 Jun 2018, 16:42

Malc2098 wrote:And I think it still holds the speed record for piston engined aircraft.

Apparently not, sadly - Rob
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Re: Spitfire

Postby selectortone » 11 Jun 2018, 17:24

P-51 - Cadillac of the skies!

[youtube]1ouJ_WyS9v8[/youtube]
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Re: Spitfire

Postby Malc2098 » 11 Jun 2018, 18:29

I still prefer the Fury. Aston Martin of the skies!
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Re: Spitfire

Postby Malc2098 » 18 Nov 2018, 22:33

Look what I found!

You need a cuppa, or several, a plate of biscuits and 90 minutes free.

If you like the flying, the first and second thirds are great. I f you like the way they're built, the last third is the best.

Enjoy.

[youtube]-HDQ7Na7xM8[/youtube]
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