Dutch Spitfire MK732 is flying again. Two years ago the Spit had to perform an unscheduled landing at Woensdrecht when, enroute from Koksijde to its base Gilze-Rijen, the pilot observed smoke. The engine seized during rollout. On 27th April the aircraft (and its pilot) showed that they had not forgotten how to display a Spitfire.
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By: GliderSpit - 5th May 2013 at 18:23
MK732 made a couple of fly-by’s over Wageningen this afternoon. I was just too late to take decent pictures 🙁
By: wwmb43 - 3rd May 2013 at 16:14
Stephen grey when howns ml417 prefer clipped wing!
By: taylorman - 1st May 2013 at 17:47
Nice to see it airborne again! The last time I saw it was about 6 months ago at Woensdrecht in a hangar and there was still much to do then!
By: Mike J - 30th April 2013 at 15:27
– Loaded weight is around 3331 kgs for a Mk.IX Spit (correct me if I’m wrong).
Not many flying these days with guns and a full load of ammo, plus wartime valve radio sets. A modern aircraft will therefore weigh over 300kg less than that, so about 3 tonnes. This brings the stall speed differential between clipped and unclipped wing versions to less than 2 mph, which probably accounts for the pilots’ comments that it is “barely noticable.”
Regardless, clipped or full-span, it is nice to see it back in the air. I just hope that they have better luck with it than they have done in recent years. This aeroplane seems to spend more time grounded for various reasons than it does airworthy. That reminds me, isn’t the RNHF Sea Fury about ready to fly again?
By: GliderSpit - 30th April 2013 at 14:33
Great news!
By: Archer - 30th April 2013 at 11:02
Really? I’ve had several Spitfire pilots tell me that the difference is barely noticeable.
I was told this last Saturday and didn’t question it then. Let’s see if I can work it out:
– I found this figure online, is it correct? Wing area: 22.48m2 (21.46m2 with clipped wing)
– Let’s assume a max lift coefficient of 1.4 which may not be correct but is in the general area, and as we’re comparing two equations the difference won’t be that large.
– Loaded weight is around 3331 kgs for a Mk.IX Spit (correct me if I’m wrong).
Using the lift formula and solving for V we find that for the full size wing the stall speed is in the region of 80kt and for the clipped wing it is 82kt. That’s less than the figure I heard but you have to take into account that the different wing shape may affect the stall characteristics as well.
By: chumpy - 29th April 2013 at 23:15
When first restored in the U.K. MK732 had full span wingtips, come the repaint from RAF to RNLAF colours in 2000, also decided to take the tips off!
Lots of fun and games in the paint shop at Woensdrecht, working in between the paint sprayers trying to cut in and fit the clipped-wing end caps!…Harry van der Meer doing the masking of the serial on the fin.
A few happy days spent on the base doing the job, much lubrication consumed in the bar in the evening!![ATTACH=CONFIG]215968[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]215969[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]215970[/ATTACH]
By: DazDaMan - 29th April 2013 at 23:08
I always thought that was the reason why Spitfire XVIs were fitted with rounded wingtips after the war – and not many of them fly these days in their original clipped-wing configuration. :confused:
By: Mike J - 29th April 2013 at 23:01
…………..the clipped wings add at least 5 knots to the stall speed……………
Really? I’ve had several Spitfire pilots tell me that the difference is barely noticeable.
By: Archer - 29th April 2013 at 22:56
Correct, but as this Spit has a history of landing incidents and the clipped wings add at least 5 knots to the stall speed, the owners have decided that these wingtips will remain attached!
By: Fouga23 - 29th April 2013 at 21:33
Didn’t it used to have clipped wings? Liked that look better 🙂
*edit*:
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Supermarine-361-Spitfire/0755512/L/&sid=61126067fa10266eb58d72fd0b290c26
By: joanblaue - 29th April 2013 at 21:30
Great news !! fantastic airplane…
By: DazDaMan - 29th April 2013 at 20:04
Great news 🙂 Always liked that Spit’s colour scheme.
By: Stony - 29th April 2013 at 18:50
That’s great news!!
She is back in the air for the dutch military aviation 100th anniversary in time!!
By: Sopwith - 29th April 2013 at 18:18
Good to see her back in the air.
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April 29, 2013 at 5:11 pm