Favorite Spitfire?

[Wing Nut]

Personally I prefer anything MkXVI and up.  I always liked the bubble canopy better.  I would hand the title of most beautiful WWII fighter to Spitfire, even over the Mustang.  Which is yours and why?

[ozzy72]

Always the Merlin engined high-backed models. I'm not that keen on the Griffons sound, and I really DON'T like the bubble canopy!
The MkV is probably my favourite, as it was built as an stopgap model and became the mode greatly produced model! Of course its basically a re-engined MkI, and the MkIX is a re-engined MkV..... Heck I could go on all day But bottom line, the V is just the sexiest aircraft ever built
Of course the Seafire III was a modded MkV too. Delicious

Mark

[HawkerTempest5]

For me it has to be the MkXIV. All Spits are fantastic, but those big Griffon engine types just look the part with that huge great five blade prop and awesome looking cowl bumps. The MkXIV really looks like it could "get the job done" and I think the growl of the Griffon sounds just great.
I am swayed a bit however by the fact that I grew up near Rolls Royce at Hucknall in Notts and we saw their MkXIV all the time when I was younger. Now they have a PR XIX and that still flies over here once in a while.

[Hagar]

I like them all & have no particular favourite. The Merlin-engined versions have that classic sound I've always associated with the Spitfire & would recognise anywhere. Alex Henshaw, the legendary Supermarine test & display pilot flew every type of Spitfire built. During his time at Castle Bromwich he personally carried out something like 3,000 test flights. He probably knows more about the Spit than anyone else alive or dead. http://www.angelfire.com/sd2/spitfirefactory/man.htm
This man once flew a Spit inverted down Broad Street, the main street of Birmingham, below the level of the buildings on either side. People still remember it today & I only wish I had a copy of the photo published in the local papers at the time. He preferred the Mk V over any other as it was the most aerobatic. I'll go along with that.

PS. Henshaw also regularly barrel-rolled the Lancaster during testing - with the crew on board.

[Wing Nut]

Ozzy, have you ever actually flown in a Spitfire?  If yes, then what and when and how?

[ozzy72]

Alas Kevin I have not yet had that honour. I've got up close and personal with a few. Touched a load, but not yet got my grubby paws on its controls and headed into the wild blue yonder. Its a matter of time......

Mark

[Wing Nut]

Last weekend I stood with one hand on a F4U Corsair and one hand on the only flying F2G-D Super Corsair in the world.  I was in heaven!  And me without a camera!  :'(  All in all, the museum also had:

a TBM Avenger,
a Sea Fury,
a Mustang,
a P-19,
a Beech Staggerwing,
a DC-3
a 1/2 scale F/W 190
a F-86 Sabre Jet

ALL IN FLYING CONDITION!!!  Needless to say, I was in heaven...

[ozzy72]

RAF Hendon have the only two-seater conversion FW190 in the world (to the best of my knowledge).
Also they've recently got the P-40 back on display (Brensec would love it!), and they've got the Harvard back out in RAF yellow, a Tiger Moth, the mighty Lancaster, with B-17s and 25s for company!! Heck its got sooooooo much good stuff
I've been getting the giff on the Belgrade Air Museum, and am planning to organise a little trip down there, as they have a Spit V amongst other things.... I'll keep you posted

Mark

PS. Lucky on the Avenger. I've never got close to one, just seen them fly a couple of times

[Felix/FFDS]

PS. Henshaw also regularly barrel-rolled the Lancaster during testing - with the crew on board.

"Sigh of a Merlin" ....  He would place a cup of water on the "dash" (for lack of a better word) and when rolling the Lanc, the cup would probably lift an inch or so, then settle back ... without loss of liquid ... another time, also scared a mech who was standing behind him - he lifted up an inch or so and settled back ...

[C]

I think it got to be a LF mk Vc, with the wing tips lopped off, a short spinner and de Havilland prop... Although I did spend many a weekend of my childhood at Old Warden which may explain this...

Charlie

[C]

Having said that the late Mark Hanna in MH434 was a display to be seen...

Charlie

[HawkerTempest5]

Having said that the late Mark Hanna in MH434 was a display to be seen...

Charlie

Interesting you say that because no one has voted for the MkIX.

[C]

True, no one has voted for the IX...

Probably be no. 2 on my list...

Charlie

[HawkerTempest5]

Probably be no. 2 on my list...

Yeah, the MkIX would be my second choice. When it comes to Spits, I think I'm a bit odd because I like the Griffons and the clipped wing models. The clipped wing LF MkIXe/XVI comes very close to the MkXIV as my top Spit!

[ozzy72]

The MkIX is my number 2 choice. Lovely plane. And Roger I have to agree the clipped wing ones look good, and handle great at low altitude. The oddest looking Spit was the high-altitude interceptor MkVII with its pointed rather than eliptical wings.

Mark