Spitfire flaw

You not having the History Channel is like Mosquito not having a pilot.

Feel free to pay a monthly bill so I can have Sky.

 

JOining this thread late.

I suspect the real culprit here as mentioned in Quills bio is that the elevators where fabric covered and not suitable for very high speed work. Windtunnell tests show them deforming at compressability speeds.

I think this was quickly rectifed as a recall and mk9 onward where all metal surfaces.

I may be wrong but I think this is there real problem.

Kev

 

Dam raid not effective? Ha ha ha! Effectively removed about 4 months of production through the Ruhr Valley. Not effectvie my ****!

Been reading Fight For The Sky by Bader, and apparently the Spit did have a few minor wing problems in high speed dives etc, but that was down to the covering in the Mk1's. I think they put material on the ailerons for fear of the aluminium being ripped off. This allowed the ailerons to bend slightly in high speed manouevres and so created a minor porblem. It was cured by covering the ailerons in aluminium.
As to the 109, it couldn't take the extreme pullouts and turns of the Spit and Hurri, and so the wings would rip off. Germany lost a lot of fighter Aces through this slight 'problem'.

yea you got it there Kitty. the moveable surface where fabric covered which was standard practice untill this was found on the spritfire.

As said ther 109, FW190 and the Mustang where all metal surfaces.