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Kids from a Saigon orphanage rest under a canopy on the HMCS Crescent during a tour in1958.
 
Spitfire Movie To Debut In U.K.

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Few classic designs are as beloved as the British Spitfire, and this month, a new documentary film about the airplane will debut to celebrate the centenary year of the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force. “Spitfire” is the story of a fighter that was “forged in competition, shaped as the war clouds gathered, and refined in the white heat of combat,” according to the filmmakers’ website. Veterans of World War II who flew the airplanes tell their personal stories in the film. Flying scenes were shot by Seattle-based aviation photographer John Dibbs, who describes the Spitfire as “a sculpture that takes flight – it is a machine as art!” The film debuts July 17 in the United Kingdom, with plans to be distributed worldwide later this year.

The Spitfire, designed by Reginald Mitchell, of Supermarine Ltd., first flew in 1935, and deliveries to the RAF began in 1938. The design was influenced by a series of record-setting racing airplanes that Mitchell had worked on in the 1920s, including the S.6, which set a world speed record of 357 MPH in 1929. The Spitfire’s elliptical wing and powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin engine provided exceptional performance. “Spitfire” tells the airplane’s story through interviews with pilots who flew it in combat, and also explores how the airplane still serves its mission today, as an international icon and a reminder of the determination and sacrifice that won World War II. Rare archival film from the 1940s has been digitally remastered for the project, and an original score was contributed by composer Chris Roe.
 
Got a couple of hours?

https://archive.org/details/TheFirstOfTheFew

To my way of thinking this is one of the best movies about the Spitfire ever made, and it's got David Niven in it. Lots of good footage and a solid story about Mitchell and his dedication to building something that was more than just an airplane.

And for something different, here's a bunch of Mk V's in the employ of the Yugoslav Air Force.

Spitfires_of_the_No_352_%28Y%29_Squadron_RAF%2C_aka_Balkan_Air_Force_%2818_August_1944%29.jpg
 
I met the owner Bob odegaard briefly before his death in this airplane. He rebuilt two of them, the other being a white over red scheme. To me this is by far my favourite single engine piston aircraft. To see them in person is humbling. I asked the pilot once what the top speed was he said “I have no idea..fast” the redline was 500mph.
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I met the owner Bob odegaard briefly before his death in this airplane. He rebuilt two of them, the other being a white over red scheme. To me this is by far my favourite single engine piston aircraft. To see them in person is humbling. I asked the pilot once what the top speed was he said “I have no idea..fast” the redline was 500mph.
5eu0qu.jpg

You can see how close the prop is to the deck. Tricky to land. No bouncing!
 
They had no choice but the inverted gull wing, to get the gear down those extra few inches.
In effect, they designed the airframe around the engine, much like the Jug.
In both cases, astounding success.
 
Got a couple of hours?

https://archive.org/details/TheFirstOfTheFew

To my way of thinking this is one of the best movies about the Spitfire ever made, and it's got David Niven in it. Lots of good footage and a solid story about Mitchell and his dedication to building something that was more than just an airplane.

And for something different, here's a bunch of Mk V's in the employ of the Yugoslav Air Force.

Spitfires_of_the_No_352_%28Y%29_Squadron_RAF%2C_aka_Balkan_Air_Force_%2818_August_1944%29.jpg

Desert air intake? What theatre of operations? North Africa?
 
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