The Spitfire marks 70 years

The Supermarine Spitfire, a plane that became an emblem for the British and Canadian air forces in the Second World War, marked its 70th anniversary Sunday.

Five Spitfires flew in a V formation above Southampton in southern Britain, 70 years to the minute after the first flight.

Decades after he was the chief test pilot for the plane, 93-year-old Alex Henshaw called the Spitfire a thoroughbred.

"Very, very accurate assessment because with a thoroughbred racehorse as you know, if it's got a tender mouth it'll respond or it will reject it or resent it. And a Spitfire was exactly like that. If you treated a Spitfire badly, it would tell you."

More than 20,000 Spitfires were built, and it fought as a fighter, fighter-bomber and reconnaissance plane for many Allied air forces.

Fourteen RCAF squadrons flew Spitfires, and many Canadian pilots – as well as flyers from Australia, New Zealand, Poland, Czechslovakia and other countries – flew the planes in British squadrons.

Beverly Shenstone was an aerodynamics specialist who helped create the thin, elliptical wings that gave the plane both speed and elegance.

For historian David Watley, Sunday's ceremonies prove that the Spitfire holds a special place in military history.

"The Spitfire had that certain something, it had the edge. It was the airplane that the British pilots had great confidence in and the Germans were afraid of."

The Spirfire is associated with Britian's victory over the German air force in the Battle of Britain, although it went on flying all through the war and for many years after.

"Of the 103 Canadians who flew in the Battle of Britain between July and October, 1940, 23 lost their lives while 30 others paid the supreme sacrifice later in the war," the Department of National Defence website says.

I think the Spitfire, "looks" better and is a better fighter overall but the Hawker did a lot in the war.

You are right, simply because there were more Hawkers produced. But talk to anyone who flew then. I have a very close friend who flew both, and also flew the P-51 Mustang. His name: Art Jewett of New Brunswick.

His opinion was quite simple, nothing could out turn a Spitfire,and until the Mustang came along, nothing could outclimb it ( Spit Mark V)

He also considered the Mustang to be uncomfortable because the pilot's seat was reclined at an angle that made it difficult to check the 6 o'clock area by turning one's head. The early P-51 versions would also suffer G-Lock in their ammo feed guides , which caused some early deaths for P-51 pilots.

These Spitfire aircraft had V12 Rolls Royce Merlin engines. The supercharged version put the Germans behind in tech. innovation.

There is no sound like it, as you will hear at the web page reference in post #18 above.

P-51's had the range. :)>>>>>>>>>>>>

You bet, and they were the prime factor that gained us air superiority over Europe.

I remember puting a see through visable P-51 model together as a kid. It had a working prop with a small electric motor inside the engine, and the landing gear lowered and raised by electric motor. Alas, no longer available on the model scene! Its my second favy aircraft of all time, the Spit though will always be my first. The nearest Spit to me ( Vermont) is at the Hamilton,Canada, Air Museum.

To all Good Patriots:

I sent this on to Prime Minister Harper.
Please Freep Him at E-mail: pm@pm.gc.ca

Dear Prime Minister Harper:

I am a Canadian Citizen living in the United States.

I am writing you about the rules of Engagement for the Princes Patricia Rifles currently stationed in, Kandahar, Afghanistan.

I copy hereunder, a post to the Free Republic discussion list to which many Canadians belong. We see a vulnerability in the Canadian Forces that can lead to very serious problems for the Conservative party and your government.

I simply request you to review the MoD Rules of Engagement for CFOR in Kandahar, so that General Fraser has the ability to mount an anti-Guerrilla interdiction operation if necessary. Reconstruction cannot begin before security is achieved in the area of operations.

God Bless you Mr. Prime Minister, keep the Princess Patricia Soldiers as safe as possible in this difficult work.

Yours,

( Sign'd True name)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1590566/posts?page=93

The politics in Canada's Ministry of Defence ( MoD) are to have CFOR create an image. They have no intention of even letting the Princess Patricia Rifles get the job done.

The Rules of Engagement (ROE) for CFOR appear to be really not risk effective.

I believe the ROE for CFOR should be changed to an anti-guerilla interdiction operation. The Talibanis are infiltrating Kandahar from Quetta. This traffic needs to be stopped before the reconstruction work can begin the way it should.

Would you go into an unsecured zone, put down your weapon and take off your helmet, and then sit on the ground??

These troops are well trained, and I can assure you they have ROE that are too unrealistic, micromanaged from Ottawa. The liberals in MoD Canada want this force to fail, and to embarass the newly elected conservative government in Canada, and have the public demand a troop recall. Politics are being played with the lives of young Canadian soldiers.

I mean, whats a sea change in Canadian politics worth,to get back to the liberals ? Couple hundred of English speaking Canadians die so we can get back to francophone federal politicians controlling Ottawa? Someone in MoD has decided our young Canadians in an English speaking Scots Canadian regiment are quite expendable.

If it was the Royal 22nd Regiment in Kandahar, staffed mostly by French Canadians, I can assure you that the ROE would be much more vigorous and aggressive.

Turn General Fraser loose, and let him command in the field to do what is necessary to help interdict the Quetta/ Kandahar Talibabi traffic.Change the ROE for the Princess Pats!!!!!!

This is Prime Minister Harper's first significant challange from a fedreal bureaucracy still dedicated to liberalism, and how it goes, so shall the national body politic go. I hope Harper is on a back channel to MoD making sure this Peace Corps shite ROE stops NOW!!!!

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