According to the Sunday Telegraph, which ran an article on AirSpace in one of its many sections this last weekend, Duxford seems to have a very rare variant of Supermarine’s finest on display:eek: :
“The two most poignant exhibits are the Spitfire and the Comet. The Spitfire is breathtaking;a perfectly restored bright blue and silver Mark 4 Submarine, the last and fastest of the line“. (Bold text is mine – PF)
Presumably this was a top secret variant, as I’ve never come across it in any of the reference books ? Wonder how they got the RR Merlin to run underwater:confused: ?
– And to think that none of you guys who went to Legends this weekend spotted this gem. Shame on you! 😀 😀 😀
Will it be at Legends next year?
-Presumably the Mark 4 Submarine has a fixed pitch two plade puller propellor (unique on submarines I think?), and needed very large horizontal stability planes about a third of the way down it’s length to control roll, and a far smaller set at the back to control pitch and yaw. The very short conning tower was almost non-existent, being sacrified to aid speed, and held a unique open helmsmans seat I beleive. I also hear this variant was equipped with two streamlined devices mounted on pylons with wire bracing below the hull – possibly to allow it to stand on the seabed. Rumour has it that it had a skin-mounted cooling system to disperse engine heat….and to think most of us have always believed the story that it was really a racing seaplane……
So, millions spent on Airspace, and someone who is considered worthy to write for a broadsheet comes away believing that the Supermarine S4 (?) is “the ultimate Spitfire”. Or maybe the author of the article simply spent a little too long in the IWM press “hospitality” suite ;).
Shame really, as the rest of the article was good, and might encourage people with children to visit AirSpace. I just hope we don’t end up with a generation who think that the Supermarine Spitfire Submarine won the Battle of the Schneider Trophy…:(
Paul F
By: Guderian - 12th July 2007 at 17:24
The only time the contra prop gave trouble was when the transfer gear failed.. This heavily compromised the efficiency of the remaining 3 powered blades, resulted in about 130 mph IAS at full throttle !!
By: adrian_gray - 12th July 2007 at 16:13
….or a faulty sub-editor :diablo:
GGGRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNN!
Adrian
By: low'n'slow - 12th July 2007 at 15:52
[QUOTE=Mark12;1136356]Submarine is most likely to have crept in here by default ‘spellcheck’.
QUOTE]
….or a faulty sub-editor :diablo:
By: JDK - 12th July 2007 at 14:22
Submarine is most likely to have crept in here by default ‘spellcheck’.
Ironic considering that the company was founded to produce marine aircraft, hence super-marine, to counterpoint sub-marine.
Noel Pemberton Billing might have been a right-wing nutter with a flair for self publicity and an inability to let reality (parliament, law or the world) get in the way of his ego, but he could spell and had a classical education. It wasn’t his fault they went onto producing landplanes!
By: Mark12 - 12th July 2007 at 14:14
No mention of the Contra Mk 21’s.
…22 or even IX.
Mark
By: merlin70 - 12th July 2007 at 13:40
No mention of the Contra Mk 21’s.
Now then back to this ere thingy that goes fast and is painted blue and silver what was that journalist smoking? Doesn’t he realise there’s a smoking ban in the AirSpace hangar.
By: Mark12 - 11th July 2007 at 10:25
Thanks for that. I assumed there must have been otherwise certification for air display would have been difficult.
Are there any Seafire 45, 46 or 47 preserved (or even flying)?
Seafire 47 VP441 – Montana.
Mark
By: Creaking Door - 11th July 2007 at 10:10
Thanks for that. I assumed there must have been otherwise certification for air display would have been difficult.
Are there any Seafire 45, 46 or 47 preserved (or even flying)?
By: G-ORDY - 11th July 2007 at 07:00
Was there ever a ‘production’ Spitfire (or Seafire) with a Griffon and contra-rotating props?
Seafire 45, 46 & 47
By: Creaking Door - 11th July 2007 at 01:31
Spitfire XIX PS890. Fitted with an ex-Shackleton Griffon.
Was there ever a ‘production’ Spitfire (or Seafire) with a Griffon and contra-rotating props?
By: DazDaMan - 10th July 2007 at 23:24
Nothing of PS890 on take-off, though, not even on this very forum…. 🙁
By: topgun regect - 10th July 2007 at 23:10
Aquick search on youtube found this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbgpH2nrn-A
Martin
By: DazDaMan - 10th July 2007 at 22:22
It does. I’ve never seen a Spit climb quite as quickly. I guess the lack of torque from the contra-prop makes it easier to control on take off and landing….?
I’m sure there’s footage on YouTube somewhere – haven’t found it yet, though!
Well, after a fairly thorough search, I’m damned if I can find it – but I have seen it somewhere!! 🙁
By: mike currill - 10th July 2007 at 20:38
As someone said years ago ‘If it doesn’t swing on take-off it isn’t a spitfire:)
By: Auster Fan - 10th July 2007 at 19:45
i bet it goes like sh1t off a shovel :diablo:
It does. I’ve never seen a Spit climb quite as quickly. I guess the lack of torque from the contra-prop makes it easier to control on take off and landing….?
By: Mark12 - 10th July 2007 at 19:01
Submarine is most likely to have crept in here by default ‘spellcheck’.
It is a regular.
Pru Freda.
By: Nashio966 - 10th July 2007 at 18:56
Spitfire XIX PS890. Fitted with an ex-Shackleton Griffon.
i bet it goes like sh1t off a shovel :diablo:
By: Bruce - 10th July 2007 at 12:29
No, the submarine referred to is the Comet, as mentioned in your opening line!
Bruce
By: DazDaMan - 10th July 2007 at 12:10
Which one was the spit with the contra rotating props, i haven’t come across that type before. absolutely stunning 🙂
Spitfire XIX PS890. Fitted with an ex-Shackleton Griffon.
By: Paul F - 10th July 2007 at 11:23
Oops 😮
Just realised the article was probably talking about the restored Spitfire Mk 24, rather than one of the S-series racing seaplanes, my turn to be embarrased now.
It was the word “submarine” in the article that cracked me up – and no doubt my subconscious connected the marine connotations straight to the Supermarine Schneider trophy racers – I’d forgotten the late mark Spitfire on show in AirSpace.
Even so, I’m still trying to picture a high-speed Spitfire submarine – shades of those ghastly CGI “P40’s” in that dreadful film “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow” perhaps?
Paul F
Paul F
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July 10, 2007 at 9:46 am