A flypast to honour The Few: 18 Spitfires and Hurricanes take to the skies

UK Daily Mail ^ | 08/18/2015 | EUAN MCLELLAND

[DFG]

The skies above southern Britain echoed to the sound of massed Spitfires and Hurricanes today as the iconic aircraft took to the skies over south-east England to commemorate 75 years since the heaviest day of fighting during the Battle of Britain. The famous planes patrolled the skies once again after what was known as The Hardest Day, when the Luftwaffe launched a major offensive in a bid to wipe out RAF fighter command and achieve aerial superiority over the Channel. Just 600 RAF and Fleet Air Arm air crew managed to fly 927 sorties in an effort to stop 2,200 Germans who flew 850 missions on August 18, 1940. By nightfall, the RAF and Fleet Air Arm had lost 68 aircraft, with 31 shot down during air-to-air combat, while the Germans had 69 aircraft destroyed or written off. The act of defiance, while incredibly costly to the RAF, was not the decisive blow intended by Hitler, which would have allowed him to launch Operation Sealion, the invasion of Britain. Earlier today, 18 Spitfires and five Hurricanes took off from Biggin Hill and patrolled the south coast of England, a quarter-of-a-century since The Hardest Day.

[GreyFriar]

DFG, thank you for posting this link to Excellent photo’s of the 75th anniversary of “The Hardest Day” of the Battle of Britain. mass flights of currently flying Spitfires and Hurricanes.

[Kommodor]

Yowza, that’s one nice car!

[Mr Radical]

DHG Thanks for the post. AEMILIUS PAULUS It's not only the sight of a Spitfire that's beautiful, of course, but the sound of that Rolls-Royce Merlin engine

[norton]

The reference was to the Spitfire, "these" particular aircraft almost certainly were not involved.
Available WW2 birds come with many non 1939 RAF markings, as do most of those in these clips.
They also come with dual cockpits, clipped wings, griffin engines, and bubble tops.

I guess you also noted the Pole and a single P51 in the mix?

[MaxMax]

Wouldn't that top act as a magnifier for the sun?

[norton]

...a magnifier for the sun?

Nope!
The Malcom hood greatly improved pilot visibility, nice thing when people are trying to kill you. It was used to some extent on early Mustangs and maybe Thunderbolts as well before they figured out that changes to the fuselage and/or tail would allow for a blown "bubble top" canopy.
Curiously, early post war jets, (B47, F-84, etc.) were originally designed and flown with old style Green house type canopies.

[MaxMax]

I wonder how many kids these days would still say "cool" seeing that car.
I venture to say most. Maybe a trend will come around from the automakers.

[zot]

Thanks for the ping. Excellent photos.

[az_gila]

The reference was to the Spitfire, “these” particular aircraft almost certainly were not involved.

Available WW2 birds come with many non 1939 RAF markings, as do most of those in these clips.
They also come with dual cockpits, clipped wings, griffin engines, and bubble tops.

I guess you also noted the Pole and a single P51 in the mix?

---

Exactly, that is why I think the caption writer was incorrect. It says “These three Spitfires...”

“Restored Spitfires recreate a patrol over the South Coast” would be more accurate.

Yes, the P-51 was cheating, but it marking were more correct...:^)

The Spitfire is one of the prettiest WWII planes and doesn't get much credit in the US for it's use by the US Army Air Force. I believe they operated around 350 of them.

[Jet Jaguar]

Ping

[huldah1776]

This one caused my heart to ache..."The various aircraft painted these vapour trails which could be seen from the ground as pilots battled for their lives."