35,000 ft in a VII

[fido]

No way, I struggled just ot get to 41,088, noticed we all have slightly different textures on our aircraft. Wonder if they are all the same under the skin?

                     Fido

[Wing Nut]

I dumped all of the fuel except for about 42  pounds(25% in each wing tank) and changed the pilot weight from 200 to 175 and that helped a small bit.  Flight dynamics that high are really strange.  There were times I would actually be pushing down on the stick and it would cause me to go up.  ???

[fido]

I'd give the fuel changes a try, but I struggled so hard for that last 88ft I don't think it would help. I even tried using flaps, h_ll, I was only going 76 KIAS. Wonder if a full on Photo Recon would do better, maybe a Merlin71 or a Griffon powered Mk XIX?

                      Fido  ::)

[Hagar]

WHERE ARE THE CHIPS?????????????????????????

I thought all pommy food has chips?

Another common misconception although chips are popular among the youngsters. I like them occasionally myself but not with every meal. Kids all over the world seem keen on all sorts of junk food I wouldn't even look at. After seeing the common sterotypes & misinformation the media are so fond of I often wonder what impression you guys have of the average Brit. People of my & Fozzer's generation would prefer a good traditional roast dinner.

[quote]No way, I struggled just ot get to 41,088, noticed we all have slightly different textures on our aircraft. Wonder if they are all the same under the skin?

[HawkerTempest5]

[quote]I'd give the fuel changes a try, but I struggled so hard for that last 88ft I don't think it would help. I even tried using flaps, h_ll, I was only going 76 KIAS. Wonder if a full on Photo Recon would do better, maybe a Merlin71 or a Griffon powered Mk XIX?

[ozzy72]

With the maximum possible fuel load after a speed climb to altitude the VII could whizz along at 40,000ft. This was the maximum accepted practical altitude, obviously as she burnt fuel she would float higher (I checked my Spitfire bible earlier )
Roger is right on the altitude record
Mk VIIs served until 1947 as meterological aircraft. Amazing bit of kit But then hey, its a Spitfire

[aeronut]

For the benefit of Hagar and Foz-Your 'Meals on Wheels'will be starting next week

(Without the Chips,Pomme frites or Fries )

[C]

I believe the highest interception of WW2 was made by a Mk VII by Prince Emanuel Galitzine (who passed away late last year or earlier this year) against a JU-86.

I can't fine the exact figure online, but I believe it was in the region of 37,000-39,000ft

Charlie

[Wing Nut]

I'll tell you what.  Fozzer, why don't you fix us all dinner, freeze it, then send it out overnight UPS.  Then we can all heat it and have a nice Simviation dinner all at the same time!

[fido]

hey  Hawker   I swear the MkXIX thing was just a lucky guess. Hope the de-froster worked and the pilot had a good heater.

                              Fido

[Guruswarmyoz]

According to the book figures that i have (from the book: Aircraft of WW2, by S Wilson):

Mk VII
Max Level Spd (MPH TAS) 408mph @ 25,000 ft
Service Ceiling: 43,000Ft.
The HF Mk VII is a presurised high Alt fighter powered by either a Merlin 64 or a Merlin 70 of 1710HP & 1655HP respectively. The aircraft uses the "B" type wing with extended wing tips.

Mk VI
The Mk VI was the 1st Spitfire to use cabin/cockpit pressurisation to counter the High Alt Ju-86P Recon aicraft used by the Luftwaffe at the time.
Max Spd (MPH TAS) 364 MPH @ 22,000ft
Service ceiling: 39,200Ft
Powerplant: Merlin 47 of 1415HP.
The aircraft uses the "B" type wing with extended wing tips.

Note here: Service ceiling was defined as when the climb rate falls to 100fpm --> this is also used for the service ceiling definition for modern light aircraft. For modern military (i.e. Jet fighters) the service ceiling is defined as i understand it as when the climb rate is 1,000 fpm.
Also note, these figures are for a standard Atmosphere of 15 degrees Celcius and a pressure of 101325 pascals (1013.3 millibars//hectopascals) at sea level and nil wind.

[HawkerTempest5]

[quote] hey

[Hagar]

[quote] hey

[fido]

Hawker
Better you than he, I think if he had both lost cabin preassure, and run out of fuel at 51-5 he would have had more to say than, OOPS.

[Wing Nut]

Has any propellor driven craft ever officially broken the speed of sound?  I know there are rumours of it being done in a Thunderbolt in a steep dive, but nothing I've seen that's official...