This day in history

[Bill Greenwood]

There are two very historic events in history on this March 6
One , in 1936, the first flight of the prototype Spitfire at Eastleigh airport, England with pilot Mutt Summers. This plane was very basic, even had a 2 blade fixed pitch prop. and of course no guns yet, but it took off easily, handled well in the air, and upon landing with the designer R. J. Mitchell watching. It was light, beautiful and had an early Rolls Royce V-12 Merlin engine. Mutt was satisfied with the first flight and asked for nothing to be changed for the next one. It was perhaps a 335 mph top speed then, but soon with a constant speed prop they picked up to 349 mph. It was very important that it be forgiving more than demanding since the RAF pilots who were to fly and fight in it may have only flown biplanes or maybe a Harvard. A Merlin Spitfires has about the best slow speed and stall handling of any plane, not just any warplane.
Soon , it carried 8 machine guns, and could outturn anything in Europe and outclimb most anything, a match for the potent Me 109. Development brought 20mm cannons and by 1942 a Mark IX would have 2 cannons and 4 .303 machine guns, light but reliable and with a high rate of fire. Then came the 2 speed ,2 stage supercharger and flight above 40,000 feet was doable. Hard to imagine but a Mk IX has a higher service ceiling as well as a higher Mach critical dive speed., .85 than an early Lear Jet.
Some versions had 4 cannons and the large more powerful, but heavier Griffon engine and 5 blade props with top speeds of 444 mph, about 100 mph over the prototype. There were very successful long range photo recon versions, and several versions of Seafire for carrier use. They served in all parts of the world, and in service up to 1959, and is one of the most desired planes for civilian ownership today. About 30,000 were built, perhaps a 100 survive. 83 years after Mitchell put his genius into the plane, I still cant think of any wing design that flys better or that looks as good. Perhaps the farthest limit if piston fighter design is the Spiteful, a follow up with 4 cannon, 2500 hp, and 493 mph top speed.
One particularly fine version just to fly is the Mk V, very light at about 5000 lbs, in a T6 range, but with 1400 hp. Famous warbird pilot Steve Hinton who has flown most everything, said of the V, "That's in the top two of anything I've flown."
You can stand next to a V or maybe a IX and look for 10 minutes and not come up with one section or one line that would look better changed.