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Supermarine Spitfire
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NOTE: RADIO CONTROL AIRPLANES ARE ON THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE PAGE.
Supermarine Spitfire aircraft are the most famous British fighters of WW II. They were known for their excellent handling and maneuverability.
The first prototype flew on March 5, 1936, had a top speed of 350 mph and climb rate of 2,500 fpm. The RAF ordered 310 of the aircraft in June of 1936. The Mk. 1 became operational in June of 1938.
In November of 1940 the Mk Il went into service. Performance was improved with the addition of a 1,150 hp Rolls Royce Merlin engine.
In 1940, at the beginning of the Battle of Britain, the RAF had nineteen Spitfire squadrons in service. The aircraft primarily took on German fighter planes.
While more difficult to build than other fighter aircraft, the Supermarine Spitfire was quicker and more maneuverable. The large area elliptical wing gave it a lighter wing loading, and the ability to turn very tightly. This was the major asset of the aircraft when encountering the otherwise comparable and initially more heavily armed German fighters.
German pilots were quick to exploit a weakness of the early Spitfires. Their fuel injected engines had no problems running in negative gravity, as when suddenly diving. This was not true of the carbureted early Merlin engines of the Spitfire.
Luftwaffe aircraft outnumbered the Spitfire four to one. However British aircraft had the advantage of being able to stay in the air longer over their own territory before needing to refuel. The RAF also had an effective early warning radar system to guide their planes to intercept the Germans.
When improved Axis aircraft were first introduced they were superior to Spitfires of the time. That changed with the introduction of the Mk. XIV.
The elliptical design of the Supermarine Spitfire wing was sufficiently wide to allow for eight machine-guns, while still having the low drag of more conventional wing designs. The wing was also much thinner than other designs of the time. This design proved efficient in terms of lift distribution along the span, and gave the aircraft excellent maneuverability along with gentle handling, a unique combination.
One drawback of the wing design was that it was time consuming to construct. In comparison to its German rivals, it has been reported that the wing of the Spitfire took three times the man hours to construct.
A feature of the aircraft design is that the trailing edge of the wing twists upward slightly along its length from the root to its tip. This is known as "washout." Washout has its advantages, especially at slow speeds and while executing tight turns. However, washout also slightly increases drag and makes inverted flight more difficult.
In the Supermarine Spitfire it provided just the proper balance to make the aircraft extremely pilot friendly with minimum negative effects on performance.
Proper washout causes the wing tips to keep flying after the wing roots reach an angle of attack at which they can no longer fly. This reduces the chance that the aircraft will suddenly drop a wing and enter an unwanted spin.
When the wing root starts to stall, the aircraft's control column shakes, warning the pilot that he is about to reach the limit of the aircraft's performance. To prevent the stall the pilot can either increase power, push down the nose of the aircraft to increase speed, and/or decrease the severity of the turn. This feature allowed even average pilots to hold the Spitfire in a steep turn. It also gave the aircraft more stability at slower landing speeds.
Over 20,350 Supermarine Spitfire aircraft of all types were manufactured.
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Spitfire MK XIV Specifications
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Primary Function:
Crew:
Engine:
Power:
Weight Empty:
Max. Weight:
Cannons:
Machine Guns:
Length:
Wingspan:
Cruise Speed:
Max. Speed:
Climb Rate:
Ceiling:
Range:
Year Deployed: |
figher
one
Rolls Royce/Merlin
2,035 h.p. V-12
6,685 lbs.
10,265 lbs.
4- 20 mm
4- .303 inch
32' 8"
36' 10"
325 mph
448 mph
4,700 fpm
44,600 feet
460 miles
1944 |
Radio Control Airplane
The rc Spitfire ARF for sale from Hangar 9.
Radio Control Airplanes:
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There are numerous RC Spitfire model airplanes from slope soarers, to park flyers, to giant scale.
In the picture above is the rc Spitfire for sale from Hangar 9. The balsa and plywood ARF has a wingspan of 65" with a 55 1/2" length, and weighs about 9 lbs. You will need a .60 two cycle or .91 to 1.0 four cycle engine.
The picture below is just one of the rc Spitfire ARF models sold by Nitro Planes. Wingspan of the model pictured is 71" and length is 56". Construction is a glass fuselage with built up wings. Engines can be from .90 to 1.08 two stroke or 1.20 four stroke. All up weight is around 8 lbs.
Amax, China has a Spitfire RTF for sale. Wingspan is 34" and length is 28". It comes with a Speed 370 type motor and weighs around 14 oz.
We found plans for sale at iOffer.com for a Spitfire rc with a 64 1/2" wingspan and a 50" length. Suggested power comes from .46 to .60 two stroke or .72 four stroke engines. Weight is about 11 lbs.
Kyosho makes a rc Spitfire ARF with a 56 1/2" wingspan and 50" length. It is made from balsa and plywood and includes retracts. You will need from .40 to .46 two cycle or .52 four cycle engines to fly the approximately 5 1/2 lbs. scale model.
Canterbury Sailplanes has a 48" wing span EPP rc Spitfire slope soarer radio control airplane. It has aileron and elevator controls. When completed it will weigh about 28 oz. You will need winds of at least 10 mph to fly it.
Nick Reeves Models has a 74" wingspan Spitfire rc kit for sale. Recommended power is a 10 cc - 20 cc engine.
Pictured center below that is another Nick Reeves Models Supermarine Spitfire rc built by Bertie Barton. This is 1/4 scale with a 110" wingspan. It can be powered by 60 - 100 cc engines.
Meister Scale will sell you plans or a kit for a giant scale Spitfire. It has a 96" wingspan, with recommended engines from .90 - 3.0 cid.
Yellow Aircraft has a kit for sale for a 88" wingspan rc Spitfire shown in the next picture on this page. Power plants the manufacturer recommends are Supertiger 3000, Moki 1.8 or 2.1, OS BGK, or Zenoah G-38.
Clark Industries has two kits for sale of the giant scale Spitfire. Both have 112" wingspans with a 105 cc in-line engines doing the pulling. One model is the MK-XII. The other is the MK-IX.
GWS has a Spitfire rc for sale. It is a ARF foamy with a 34 1/2" wingspan and a 28" length. It comes with a Speed 350 type geared motor and weighs around 15 oz.
Alfa model makes a rc Spitfire rc airplane ARF that is sold at a number of retailers. It is a foamy with a wingspan of 32 1/2", a length of 27", and an weight of about 1 lb. The wing comes with provisions for optional
retractable landing gear. A 400 size motor is recommended to power it.
Kit Cutters has a 42" wingspan Spitfire EP kit from Nexus plans for sale.
Kit Cutters also took Nexus plans and made a 42 1/2" wingspan rc Spitfire from them for engine power.
Kit Cutters has a 63" wingspan rc Spitfire for sale from Rob Millinship plans. It needs a .60 2C engine for power.
Kit Cutters has a giant scale Spitfire rc from Don Smith plans for sale. It has a wingspan of 110 1/2" and a length of 89 1/2".
For a smaller giant scale model, Kit Cutters has a 88 1/2" wingspan model for sale from Dave Platt plans. It uses .90 to 1.5 2C engines and weighs around 18 lbs.
Cleveland Model has Spitfire plans for sale with wingspans of 13 1/2", 18", 27", 36", 54" 72" and a giant scale 108".
The bottom picture on this page is of the Parkzone EP Spitfire RTF (ready to fly). Its wingspan is 39 1/2", length is 33 1/2", and weight is about 1 lb. 10 oz. It comes with a geared Speed 480 type motor.
If you have a favorite rc Spitfire that you would like to recommend, please email us all about it.
Radio Control Airplane
Nitro Planes rc Spitfire.
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