Spitfire #1 is a photograph by Ang El which was uploaded on July 5th, 2011.
Spitfire #1
by Ang El
Title
Spitfire #1
Artist
Ang El
Medium
Photograph
Description
None
Uploaded
July 5th, 2011
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Comments (2)
Everett Hickam
I AM FAMILIAR WITH THAT PARTICULAR 2 PLACE SPIT. IT IS A REMARKABLE REBUILD, BUT MY FAVORITE AND JOHNNY JOHNSONS WAS THE MARK NINE. STILL POWERED BY THE ROLLS ROYCE MERLIN V1650. THE LATER MODEL SPITS NEVER HAD THE SAME LIGHT TOUCH OF THE MARK NINE. IT WAS A VERY TIGHT FIT FOR ANYONE APPROACHING SIX FEET AND FORTUNATELY NEVER REQUIRED MUCH ACTUAL MOVEMENT BY THE SPADE HANDLE JOY STICK AS MERE PRESSURE WAS ENOUGH. NO THER FIGHTER HAD QUITE THE SAME FEEL AS THE MARK NINE SPIT. IT HAD TWO FAULTS ONE IT WAS CARBURATED INSTEAD OF THE FUEL INJECTION OF THE DAIMLER BENZ INVERTED V12 ENGINES OF THE BF-109S AND THEY COULD BREAK OFF CONTACT AT ALTITUDE BY PULLING A SPLIT S WHICH THE SPIT COULD NOT FOLLOW. THE CLIMB RATE WAS VERY GOOD BUT SHE DID NOT DIVE WELL ENOUGH TO PURSUE EITHER THE FW 190S OF THE BF 109S AND THE GUNS WERE WIDELY SPACED IN THE SEMI ELIPTICAL WING AND THE GERMAN FIGHTERS ALWAYS ENJOYED A GREAT WEIGHT OF FIRE. BUT IT WAS LIKE PUTTING ON A SET OF WINGS RATHER THAN GETTING INTO A FIGHTER.