Spitfire
 

Some really stunning pictures from a new book documenting the last of the airworthy Spitfires.


https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3598540/The-Photographer-captures-pin-sharp-images-final-55-airworthy-Spitfires-using-just-handheld-camera.html?

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016...3650626110.jpg

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016...3650757175.jpg

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016...3651179862.jpg

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016...3650714830.jpg

Great- thanks!

Wow--one of the prettiest airplanes ever. Absolutely gorgeous photos. Thanks for sharing. We see the one out of Paine Field from time to time.

Always wanted to guy a Spitfire and paint it like............................http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1568030869.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1568030888.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1568030907.jpg

Impressive plane! Awesome history and a Rolls Royce V12 engine!

RIP the men who flew them during WW2 and never returned home.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1568033998.jpg

WOW! :eek:

Turn up the sound for this one!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CDeglorsv_8" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Wasn't that the aircraft that initially had an under powered engine; a 1st gen Allison? But then a whole series of V-12 power plants through its evolution until the last RR? Which apparently is a master piece of design / weight and power for its time?

I believe you are thinking of the Mustang. The Supermarine airplanes always had Rolls-Royce engines, back to the days of building racing sea planes.

Didn't the Spitfire move to the Griffon later in life?

Yes it did. I used to own a Griffon 58 Engine complete with run-up stand. We bought it for 500 pounds from the local RAF base. My Dad and I would marvel at the beauty and craftsmanship of the valve train.

They are a marvel. The engine for the airplane is almost the size of the car.

Thanks for correcting that - was some of the airframe technology shared between the two countries?

As I recall there was some shared technology with the later USA built P-51. One of the lessons learned was to design the wings and airframe for rapid mass production. Spits performed beautifully but had a much longer build time. A critical difference during wartime.

https://www.silverspitfire.com/

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1571333898.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1571336044.jpg


I did not take this photo, but had the opportunity to watch this unit take off from Conningsby in July 2010.

Best
Les

Rolls Royce Merlin engines, one at the entrance to the Aeronautics building at Imperial College London, and another one at Bicester Heritage (ex-RAF bomber station). I wish I had such an iconic engineering achievement hanging in my university building to help inspire me every day.

I find it amazing that in this country, most people (not just plane or history geeks) know what a Spitfire is, and a good portion of them also separately know what a Merlin is. I suppose the engine is closely tied to the identity of the plane, which in turn is like a national treasure.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1571343669.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1571343669.jpg

One of the best looking planes of WWII and cetainly the best engine. Thanks for the links.

... and it was the Brits that took the anemic Allison engine of the P-51 and swapped it for a Merlin. Big game changer for the P-51.

Rolls-Royce Merlin Engine

I posted this video on a Rolls Royce forum and the mods quietly deleted it... Lots of Pompous Idiots on the forum. :rolleyes:

Jay has the best toys.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GYcKdK7hmEo" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>