Posted on 05/11/2016 3:48:47 AM PDT by Da_Shrimp
I know there are some Spitfire fans here, so I thought you might like this vid. Footage from 'The First of the Few' coupled with music from Public Service Broadcasting, an eccentric English band.
Hope you enjoy. They also did a live session at KEXP:
Interestng article with brief video of take off and about restoration of NZ Mosquito.
http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-news/worlds-flying-mosquito-flew-today.html
Follow the comments... they include family members of designers and Mosquito crew
The real genius of the design, IMHO, was that it was as a SHORT RANGE air defense fighter. It was meant to defend the skies over Britain, period..recognizing that the Germans would have to fly there, and back. Had they attempted to increase range, with large fuel tanks, and more weight it would have completely changed the performance envelope of the plane.
Outstanding performance, incredibly versatile, and just lovely to look at from all angles.
Thanks for the reply.
Wow...much better video than the far shorter clip I posted,
Such a beautiful plane.
Thanks!
Thanks for the reply, that is probably the aircraft.
As in the others that responded, thanks for the reply.
if you liked that one youll love this one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzCltlR9yMw
the new zealand mossie
FYI..tonite, on PBS..9PM EST..NOVA ‘’”Bombing Hitler’s Supergun”.....worth recording
Amazing that one of the initial design parameters was not to have guns but to rely on speed alone to evade fighters. And for a time it was the fastest warbird out there.
Fantasize about a modern composite replica being produced.... Ah well.
You weren’t kidding! Great video and great warbird channel links.
I would pay good money to sit in the second seat for a short flight.
Growing up in Washington DC in the early fifties it was not uncommon to first hear and then see flights of twin and four engine bombers heading north. Stopped my age cohort, 5 and 6 year olds in our tracks, as we gaped open mouthed at the wonders. Too young at the time to identify them or remember what they were. Sounds you can never forget.
Thanks yet again.
Thanks, I had no idea, so just now looked it up.
See now where there were more than a dozen variations of the Merlin used in nearly two dozen different aircraft, both British & US, including Spitfires, Lancaster & Mustangs.
You could even say that engine, in it's power & adaptability, was almost, ahem, magical.
;-)
FYI: The first designs of what became the Spitfire were floatplanes designed for air racing in the Schneider Trophy competition. From 1927-37, the Submarine Aircraft Company designer, R J Mitchell, worked to create smooth airflow over ever thinner wings for greater speed. Following his death in 1937, his design was still the starting point for the successive models/marks.
I believe that the early Spitfire Marks had hand-cranked landing gear like many of its contemporaries, now that is a task to build the arms!
Later models had extended ranges and different armament. Almost everybody except the US went for cannons over machine-guns (except for P39) while the US saw 50cal as best for larger capacity. Don’t know if there was ever a study on that decision post-war.
I liked my ‘56 TR3 better than the cute little Spitfire.
As a lad in Long Beach in the early 50s the sight and sound(!) of low flying B-36s will never be forgotten. On the other hand my mom remembers seeing the zeppelins as a girl in New Jersey.
Spitfire low pass:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmDMRSLZqNU
Potty mouth - not safe for work or kids.
I prefer Rainbow Dash myself :-)
Ah now, I almost bought one of these in the early 90s, but settled on a bright red MG Midget in the end!
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