Want to fly a Spitfire?

[Guest]

Here's your chance. I came across "Pilot's Manual for Supermarine Spitfire IIA and IIB" at:

www.zenoswarbirdvideos.com-Images-spit-Spit2Manual.pdf

It is 25 pages of how to fly and operate a Spitfire. For example:

"Pneumatic system—an engine driven air compressor feeds two storage cylinders for operation of the flaps, breaks, guns and landing lamps. The cylinders are connected in series, each holding air at 200 lb per square inch pressure."

"To raise the undercarriage …."

There is an annotated photo of the instrument panel and cockpit equipment and a diagram of the fuel system. Details on all engine controls for warming up, take-off, climbing etc. What to do on entering the cockpit and before starting. Take-off and landing drill. The total fuel capacity is 85 gallons (386 litres).

All I need now is to get my hands on a Spit.

On my Christmas list is:

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Air-Ministry-Pilots-Notes-Lancaster-I-III-and-X-/9780859790062?redirected=true&utm_medium=Shopping& utm_campaign=ShoppingUk&utm_source=UK&utm_content= Air-Ministry-Pilots-Notes-Lancaster-I-III-and-X

Similar info on a Lancaster, £4.75 post free.

[Ian M]

Like the section on "Aerobatics" lol

Ian M

[Guest]

Link is broken for me - can you double check it, Steve? Thanks.

[stona]

Well, put yourself in the shoes of a young and newly qualified RAF pilot from the introduction of the Spitfire and throughout the war. There were NO two seat Spitfires built at the time. Our plucky hero would be given a copy of the pilot's notes to read and if he was lucky get a few hints and tips from someone who had flown the type and hopefully knew the ropes. After that it was a case of "over to you."

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

This video (which I posted elsewhere here) has some nice gun camera footage (if such things can be properly termed) of spitfires engaging and destroying a multitude of targets. running time, approx. 11 minutes.

[ojays]

Several years ago I was given an Aircrew Operations Manual by an ex RAF Liberator crew member, along with his Log book & Flight Engineers Wings.

It makes very interesting reading, everything from Armaments, Shell breakdown, Trajectories, Astronomy, Navigation, Engine Functions to name just a few.

How the hell they remembered all the techy bits beats me, page after page of it!

Gregg

[Guest]

Well, put yourself in the shoes of a young and newly qualified RAF pilot from the introduction of the Spitfire and throughout the war. There were NO two seat Spitfires built at the time. Our plucky hero would be given a copy of the pilot's notes to read and if he was lucky get a few hints and tips from someone who had flown the type and hopefully knew the ropes. After that it was a case of "over to you.

Now that is a scary thought !!!

[Guest]

The Germans put their gun cameras in the nose (mostly) and are much more shaky because of the engine vibration (except in the case of the Me-262, where it's shaky because of the speed). The British put their gun cameras in the wing roots, offering much more stability, and thusly, much clearer pictures. Creepy stuff to watch though. I am not a traditionalist, and have abandoned a lot of "holiday celebrations" as pointless wastes of my time, but I like to watch movies like this, documentaries and whatnot, around this time of year, as my own act of remembrance, and gratitude. I learned German today not because I had to, but because I wanted to.

[eddiesolo]

When I met a WWII fighter pilot, the one I wrote a poem about, he told me that the he was sick as a dog up to meeting the enemy and then after the combat had happened he was sick as a dog again. He also told me that the best pilots, the ones that survived, used to keep watching their rears all the time as 90% of kills came from that area, never let the sun be in front of you and once you had opened up on the enemy you turned away and looked for cloud, failing that you got low and didn't hang about. The 'Chest Tin' boys as he called them wouldn't last long as they eventually got knocked down, many died as a result. As he said, for glory was not a real option and those that came into the RAF soon learned it wasn't a game and that survival depended not just on skill and luck but on being savvy enough to call it a day and not push your luck. He saw some comrades shot down because they had to have one more pass at a formation or a crack at a damaged bomber and that's when they got jumped by the enemy fighters.

He also told me that he was told, when he was a green pilot, that there is nothing to worry about the German bomber formations, their weapons cannot shoot far and their aim is terrible! He dismissed this as crap, unfortunately some more young pilots thought it true and lingered too long near even damaged bombers to just get shot down. One bit he did learn was not to be afraid of attacking head on, go for the lead plane, a quick squirt at the cockpit, then a engine and dive under the plane and away. Two things happened, one the reaction of the German pilot would be to flinch and instinctively pull up and away. which they did, also the higher escort fighters couldn't dive through the bombers scattering.

Scary stuff and basically just teens or early twenties. He watched films and just laughed at the way it was 'Tally Ho' and 'Chin-Chin' rubbish. Once you saw the formation and was given the 'Tally-Ho' you were on your own. He said he once got away by the skin of his teeth when he lingered too long in a straight line, he saw in slow motion tracer flashing past his plane, suddenly he heard some bangs, it brought him to his senses and he dove away.opened up the throttle and ran for home, luckily the German didn't press the attack.

Si

[Guest]

This one is from the luftwaffe perspective. The eerie bit is when the Bf-110 pilot is picking apart the B-17 like he's got all the time in the world. Then gets so close that he almost rams the bomber (or what's left of it)

warning: contains graphic gun camera footage

[eddiesolo]

This one is from the luftwaffe perspective. The eerie bit is when the Bf-110 pilot is picking apart the B-17 like he's got all the time in the world. Then gets so close that he almost rams the bomber (or what's left of it)warning: contains graphic gun camera footage

I was told that they use the cannon to kill the rear gunner and disabled the ball turret, once this done they moved in and used the machine guns. Dangerous as bits of bomber have hit the fighters and brought them down.

Si

[Guest]

Link is broken for me - can you double check it, Steve? Thanks.

That's odd. I have just tried it and it works (for me). Ian M (Mr. Muddle) posted that he had got it

Try:

http://www.zenoswarbirdvideos.com

Then, in your browser, search for the words:

spitfire

With my browser I just hold down the Command key (Windows stuff has a similar key) and press F and enter the search term. For me it finds this link to the pdf download page:

[ATTACH]72936.IPB[/ATTACH]

Good luck!

[Guest]

And if the 262 is your thing (as it is mine) then this short clip at 1:23 is always worth a gander.

(I get the chills when listening to the pilot and gunners on the radio)

[Guest]

http://www.crecy.co.uk

has a lot of interesting books.

[stona]

I was told that they use the cannon to kill the rear gunner and disabled the ball turret, once this done they moved in and used the machine guns. Dangerous as bits of bomber have hit the fighters and brought them down.Si

Other way around Si. Machine guns or 20mm cannon first. 30mm cannon, which had limited ammunition and was not easy to aim, second.

When attacking from the rear it was the upper turret that many Luftwaffe pilots were most wary of. I have a transcript of an interrogation of a captured pilot from JG 4 who describes it, with understatement common to pilots from all sides, as "most unsympathetic".

As an example, attacking an unescorted formation,JG 4 had abandoned the head on attack pioneered by Egon Meyer. It was a difficult attack for relatively untrained pilots to accomplish.

Tactics for the Fw 190s of the "Sturmgruppe" tasked with attacking the bombers were as follows.

They closed to about 2,000m behind the bombers and on the command "Pauke, Pauke......" from the Geschwader commander dived to pull up and open fire with MK 151/20 cannon firing bursts at the rear gunner. At 200m they would open fire with all guns, including the MK 108 30mm cannon, aiming at either of the inboard engines. The area from the inboard engine to the fuselage was considered most vulnerable on both the B-17 and B-24.

The initial attack was carried out with the lighter armament.

After the attack the Fw 190s would reform about 100m below and to the left or right of the bomber formation. The order to reform left or right was given at the same time as the order to attack. Thus the complete order would be "Pauke,Pauke, Abgang Links (or Rechts)". A variation was "Pauke, Pauke, Versammeln Links (or Rechts)"

On an unescorted formation two or three attacks would be made. Fighters who were out of ammunition or whose weapons had malfunctioned were ordered to stay in formation and make the passes with everyone else.

Similar tactics were used against an escorted formation except that one of the escorting Gruppen, usually Bf 109s, would position itself below the bombers as the Fw 190s attacked in order to provide cover as they reassembled.

The US escort fighters would attempt to dive through the Luftwaffe fighters escorting the "Sturmgruppe" and engage the Fw 190s. If they succeeded in numbers the Fw 190s would break formation, abandon the attack and dive away in small elements to return to base.

After the attack the aircraft disengaged and flew away in formation. If the Fw 190s of the "Sturmgruppe" had lost their escort they dived away (they dived faster than a P-51) and flew away fast in the standard four aircraft formation (Schwarm).

It required few (low single figures) hits from a 30mm cannon to bring down a four engine bomber.

Cheers

Steve