Spitfire Mk Vc AR501 about to touch down at Old Warden
This shot shows a number of features of the Spitfire which were 'state of the art' for military fighting aircraft in the late 1930s, which were barely known at the turn of that decade, and certainly not all in one aircraft type.
Firstly, it was of all metal construction (apart from the control surfaces, which were fabric covered metal). It had an enclosed cockpit which was essential for high altitude flying, as was the pilot's oxygen system. An enclosed cockpit also facilitated the use of the radio - another relative novelty. The aircraft featured retractable undercarriage, and landing flaps - both of which imposed a new workload on pilots unused to them. In addition, the armament of eight weapons was carried in the wings - unlike WW1 aircraft, the pilot could not clear any jams or blockages.
The Spitfire was not the first or only aircraft to incorporate all these features together - even the famous elliptical wing tips were an existing solution that had been used on other types of aircraft - but Reginald Mitchell's design genius brought them together in a way that resulted in an all round excellent performance.
This particular machine, a Mk V dates from 1942 and is owned and operated by the Shuttleworth Collection, based at Old Warden Aerodrome, near Bedford, England,
Spitfire Mk Vc AR501 about to touch down at Old Warden
This shot shows a number of features of the Spitfire which were 'state of the art' for military fighting aircraft in the late 1930s, which were barely known at the turn of that decade, and certainly not all in one aircraft type.
Firstly, it was of all metal construction (apart from the control surfaces, which were fabric covered metal). It had an enclosed cockpit which was essential for high altitude flying, as was the pilot's oxygen system. An enclosed cockpit also facilitated the use of the radio - another relative novelty. The aircraft featured retractable undercarriage, and landing flaps - both of which imposed a new workload on pilots unused to them. In addition, the armament of eight weapons was carried in the wings - unlike WW1 aircraft, the pilot could not clear any jams or blockages.
The Spitfire was not the first or only aircraft to incorporate all these features together - even the famous elliptical wing tips were an existing solution that had been used on other types of aircraft - but Reginald Mitchell's design genius brought them together in a way that resulted in an all round excellent performance.
This particular machine, a Mk V dates from 1942 and is owned and operated by the Shuttleworth Collection, based at Old Warden Aerodrome, near Bedford, England,