World War II Database

1. bishop says:
16 Jun 2010 11:32:25 AM

Now that's a nice shot of a top plane. How is it that the Brits could make such ordinary Tanks till late in the war, yet come up with this and the Hurricane before it. I love the 109E, but this definitely has the lines.

2.  Bill says:
30 Dec 2012 07:25:20 PM

SPITFIRE MK.1

Spitfire(QV-I)serial number X4474 was a late production Mk.1, of No. 19 Squadron, Sept. 1940 airraft was flown by Sergeant Jennings.

I'm gonna guess that Sgt.Jennings is about to takeoff. The Mk.1 had a three-bladed propeller, self-sealing fuel tanks, improved
cockpit canopy for better visibility, better radio and IFF transmitter.
The Mk.1 had armor both front and back for the cockpit, and a new armored windscreen, for the pilot.

The Mk.1 was armed w/8x.303 browning machine guns w/300 rounds per gun or 2400 rounds giving the pilot about 20 seconds of firing time.

3.  Bill says:
21 Feb 2013 06:11:26 PM

PILOT ERROR:

Many pilots that flew the early Spitfires, were trained on 1930s Gauntlet and Gladiator biplane fighters with fixed landing gears.
Early accidents were caused by pilots forgetting to lower their wheels before landing.

FLYING LESSONS: AIR TO AIR COMBAT

In the 1969 movie "The Battle of Britain" had a scene of a spitfire coming in for a landing, its pilot forgetting to lower his landing gear. Squadron Leader Skipper played by Actor Robert Shaw fires a flare gun to warn him off.

Robert Shaw later takes the inexperienced pilot for air to air combat training. Lucky for the pilot it was only a training exercise because Robert Shaw shot him down before he knew what happened.

4.  Bill says:
22 Oct 2013 05:55:20 PM

Did you know that the Spitfire was used as a night-fighter by the RAF. During 1941/42 a decision was made to covert a number of Spitfire
Mk.V's to night fighting duties.

ACHTUNG ENGLANDER SPITFEUER!

Spitfire's were painted overall black with reduced markings the idea was that the fighter would be vectored to the target by searchlights picking out the enemy aircraft.

GOOD IDEA, A BAD IDEA:

After operating for three months, and using the Spitfire as a night fighter, it all came out as a meager idea.
This night fighting force suffered a number of
landing and takeoff accidents, the Spitfire was difficult to fly at night because of its poor visibility over the aircraft's nose, pilot's had to fly a curved approach for landing and the pilot was almost blind during his final approach
to the field.

GLOW IN THE DARK:

Another problem was that exhaust flame dampers
were not fitted to the aircraft, and the pilot's
night vision suffered from the glow of the hot exhaust this could also give away the fighters position to enemy aircraft.

GOOD THINKING ARCHIE!

Because the exhaust manifolds would glow red hot
some maintenance crews would apply a thick coat of red lead paint to the manifolds to help reduce glare...