Who designed the wings of the Spitfire?
R.J. Mitchell
R.J. Mitchell put everything he had learned working on the high speed Schneider trophy-winning aircraft into his design work on the Spitfire. Shown at the top here is cross-section through a decommissioned wing spar from a wing now under repair.
What inspired the design of the Spitfire?
The springtime flight display and stubby, rounded wings apparently inspired RJ Mitchell’s Spitfire design, giving the aircraft its speed and manoeuvrability.
What type of wing did the Spitfire have?
Wing types. The Spitfires with the single-stage Merlin engines used five different wing types, Type A, B, C, D and E wings, which had the same dimensions and plan but different internal arrangements of armament and fuel tanks.
What was special about a Spitfires wings?
The Spitfire wings were incredibly thin. They presented much less resistance to the air than a thicker wing. Additionally, a ‘cantilever design’ was used for the wings. This means they were self-supported and that all of the structure and supports were inside the wing.
Where did the Spitfire wing design come from?
The paper concerns the aerodynamic design of the Spitfire wing and the involvement of the Canadian-born Beverley Shenstone in this. It is suggested that the wing’s distinctive double- ellipse planform could have come from Prandtl’s work at Göttingen on finite wing theory.
What is the most stable wing design?
The elliptical wing is aerodynamically most efficient because elliptical spanwise lift distribution induces the lowest possible drag.
Was the Spitfire an interceptor?
The Spitfire was designed as a short-range, high-performance interceptor aircraft by R. J. Much loved by its pilots, the Spitfire served in several roles, including interceptor, photo-reconnaissance, fighter-bomber, and trainer, and it continued to serve in these roles until the 1950s.
Was the Spitfire pressurized?
Produced from 1942 it was designed for tactical reconnaissance but could climb high to avoid enemy fighters but did not have a pressurised cockpit. First production Spitfire with the Griffon engine and entered limited service with two squadrons from October 1942.
Why was the Spitfires wings clipped?
Shortening the wings lowered the effective altitude of the Spitfire but increased the roll rate, making it more maneuverable at lower altitudes. Clipped wings were not the only alteration made to the Spitfire wing shape. Extended tips were also used for high-altitude performance.
Why are elliptical wings not used?
The basic elliptical wing shape also has disadvantages: The almost uniform lift distribution of a constant-aerofoil section elliptical wing can cause the entire span of the wing to stall simultaneously, potentially causing loss of control with little warning.
What is the leading edge of an aircraft wing?
The leading edge of an airfoil surface such as a wing is its foremost edge and is therefore the part which first meets the oncoming air.
Where did the Spitfire’s planform come from?
The paper concerns the aerodynamic design of the Spitfire wing and the involvement of the Canadian-born Beverley Shenstone in this. It is suggested that the wing’s distinctive double- ellipse planform could have come from Prandtl’s work at Göttingen on finite wing theory.
Did the Spitfire shoot down any planes in WW2?
There seems no way of nailing them,’ complained a German fighter pilot. The Spitfire was in action from the start of World War II, shooting down its first enemy planes, two JU88 bombers, over the Firth of Forth on October, 16, 1939.
Why did the Spitfire have elliptical wings?
Function trumped form in the Spitfire’s design. The grace and style of the aircraft’s elliptical wings are the unintended result of purely functional requirements. (Flickr) Function trumped form in the Spitfire’s design. The grace and style of the aircraft’s elliptical wings are the unintended result of purely functional requirements.
How did Germany turn the Spitfire into a hybrid plane?
‘The Germans took the Spitfire then tried putting the front end, the engine, of their Me109 fighter, on the front end of it, producing this ghastly looking hybrid,’ said British aviation historian Nik Coleman. ‘Funnily enough it worked great, better than either of the original aircraft.