Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/09/10
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 07:03 PM 9/10/2007, G Hopkinson wrote: >Bob, as I understand it the clipped wings were part of modifications, >intended to improve performance against the newer Focke-Wulf >190. I think the clipped wings improved roll rate. >It definitely seemed to mess up the elegant wing shape. >Probably Marc or someone will tell us the story! I recall a phrase >quoted from the period, "clipped, cropped and clapped out" or >something like that, referring to the modified airframes. Hoppy Yes, the clipped wings were to improve the roll rate. The tale of the Spitfire design is very complex and has resulted in dozens of books. The best single source, in my view is in William Green's FAMOUS FIGHTERS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR. In fine, the British were blindsided by a couple of German developments, such as their problematic fuel-injection system but, in the end, British engineers tended to always be a jump ahead of the Germans. The Spitfire was quite possibly the most satisfactory fighter of the Second World War, albeit it had short legs. The Spitfire has had six decades of horrid press in Australia due to its relatively poor performance in 1942 in the north. But, then, this poor performance was more a factor of poor training, lousy logistics, and lack of support. Eric Bergerund pretty well restores the Spitfire to its proper status in his book on the aerial war in the Pacific in the Second World War. I quit flying over a chance remark regarding a Spitfire but that is a tale for a different day. Marc msmall@aya.yale.edu Cha robh b?s fir gun ghr?s fir!