Spitfire!
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Martin Overall flying Spitfire Mk 1a N3200 over Cambridgeshire, England 12th June 2021. My first ever 'air to air' shoot - absolutely brilliant it was!
AR501 made her long awaited return to the airshow scene in the hands of Stu Goldspink at The Shuttleworth Collection May Evening airshow 2018. The aircraft is a geniune combat veteran and entered service with 310 (Czech) Squadron at Duxford in 1942.
This is Spitfire Mk IX MK912 that I was extremely lucky to catch taking off from Sywell Aerodrome.
Built in 1944, this is a genuine survivor of WW2, and took an active role in supporting the D-Day landings on 6th June 1944. Now painted in the markings of RAF No. 312 (Czech) Squadron, complete with the black and white identification stripes applied to all Allied aircraft just ahead of the D-Day invasion.
For a Spitfire to get into the air takes a run of 30 seconds or so, and I try to capture and convey the excitement I experience from seeing that event (a plane taking to the air) in a single frame.
Henri Cartier-Bresson talked about the 'decisive moment' in terms of composition; "....but inside movement there is one moment at which the elements in motion are in balance. Photography must seize upon this moment and hold immobile the equilibrium of it. "
I'm not comparing my work with his, rather, drawing inspiration from his observations about the nature of photography.
This Spitfire is AR501, a Mk Vc owned by The Shuttleworth Collection, and seen here taking off from its Old Warden base.
This is Stu Goldspink at the controls of Spitfire Mk IX, serial MH434.
The Mk IX Spitfire was rushed into production in 1942 when it became clear that the then current Spitfire Mk V was being outclassed in battle by the Focke-Wulf Fw 190.
The Spitfire Mk IX was essentially a Mk V fitted with the new, more powerful, Rolls-Royce Merlin 60 engine with its two-stage supercharger, which put it on a more equal footing with the Fw 190. Spitfire test pilot Jeffrey Quill described the Mk IX's performance as a 'quantum leap' over the Mk V.
Based at Duxford, but seen here at nearby Old Warden on a rainy August day. ('Nearby' - about 40 minutes by road, but only 5 - 10 minutes by Spitfire!)
A picture can hardly convey the NOISE and excitement of a dozen Spitfires taking to the air one after the other! This full-frame, uncropped image is of a 1945, RR Griffon 65 engined Mk XVIII which could hit 425mph.
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, using several wing configurations. It was also the only British fighter produced continuously throughout the war. The Spitfire continues to be popular among enthusiasts; around 70 remain airworthy, and many more are static exhibits in aviation museums throughout the world.
Registration: G-ALGT
Construction Number: 6S-432263
Code Number: RM619 / AP-D
Model Supermarine Spitfire Mk XIV
Operator: Rolls Royce
This aircraft flies over our house most days taking people on a flight down the south coast. We often see it doing a loop over The Solent
This Spitfire is a Mk IXc, serial MK912, an 80-year-old survivor from WW2. It carries the black & white D-Day Invasion stripes applied to all Allied aircraft just ahead of 6th June 1944 in order to aid visual 'friend or foe' identification. The greatest threat to the planes came not from the Luftwaffe, which had been greatly diminished in capability by then, but from 'Friendly' ground and air forces. The stripes are beautifully straight-edged on this Spitfire, but in the rush of war, they were frequently applied with a standard RAF broom and could be quite rough.
Seen here displaying at Old Warden in England.
John Romain gave us a great display in this Spitfire Mk XIV, serial RN201 at Old Warden. From its home at Duxford, Old Warden is about 40 minutes drive, but probably only 10 minutes by Spitfire!
This is a Mk Vc machine dating from 1942.
The pilot is clearly visible through the windscreen.
If you look very carefully indeed, you can just make out two wires, running between the tips of each tail wing to the body of the aircraft. These were used to transmit a radio signal that made friendly aircraft appear larger on the very early radar screens then in use to detect enemy aircraft.
The yellow stripes on the wing leading edges were added to help differentiate friend from foe when the aircraft was seen from head on, as here.
This Spitfire Mk Vc, AR501, is owned and operated by The Shuttleworrth Collection and based at Old Warden aerodrome.
You get a real sense of speed from this Spitfire FR Mk XIV as it leaves the ground. The undercarriage is in the process of retracting - we can see the left main wheel folding up into the wing, and the small tail wheel at the rear is almost inside.
The round window on the side is a camera port for taking air to ground photos - this model of Spitfire could be used as both a Fighter and Reconnaissance aircraft, hence the FR designation in the name.
Powered by a Rolls-Royce Griffon engine, this type could achieve more than 440mph in level flight. Photographed at Duxford in Oct 2024.
A 1940's Spitfire takes off from the Imperial War Museum (IWM) Duxford's celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the Battle Of Britain.
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Pilot Gabriel Barton at the controls of this Spitfire Mk Vc, serial EE602. The metallic, circular fuel filling point is clearly visible on top of the cowling.
A reasonably well resolved image - the stencilled 'Walkway' wording is clearly legible.
The six exhausts on each side of the engine are paired into three 'fish tails' - these both suppressed any flames emanating from the exhausts (which could be seen from a great distance in low light) and also created a tiny bit of extra thrust.
Based at Duxford, this Spitfire was photographed at Old Warden in August of 2024.