Celebration marks Spitfire debut.

[Blackleaf]

Celebration marks Spitfire debut
5th March 2006


A celebrated test pilot will take to the skies in a Spitfire as the country celebrates the first flight of the world famous aircraft 70 years ago.

Alex Henshaw, 93, was the chief test pilot for the Spitfire throughout most of the war, based at Castle Bromwich in the West Midlands.

He made sure that successive versions of the plane were able to take on the Germans, firstly in the Battle of Britain and then all over the world.

He will again sit in a two-seat version of the 'Spit', as it is affectionately known, and take to the air over the warplane's birthplace, Southampton.

The eight-minute flight, weather permitting, will recreate the day when at 4.35pm on March 5 1936 one of the world's most celebrated warplanes took to the skies for the first time from the then Eastleigh airfield - now Southampton International Airport.

The aircraft was designed by the famous 'RJ' Mitchell at Supermarine's factory in Southampton.

The re-enactment will be a fitting tribute to the aircraft and the designer who died in 1937 of cancer aged only 42. Many feel he has not received the recognition he deserves.

Mr Henshaw, who lives in Newmarket, Suffolk, said the day will be particularly nostalgic because he flew his first Spitfire from Eastleigh.

"For me this is really full circle as I first flew the Spitfire from Eastleigh on my birthday in November 1939 and this is the last time I will go up in one so it's very nostalgic," he said.

When the aircraft is airborne it will be joined by four other Spitfires for a flypast.

dailymail.co.uk

 

[#juan]

I believe this is a much later version of the Spitfire than the one Alex Henshaw flew in 1936 but still a beatiful airplane.

 

[Curiosity]

Juan and Blackleaf

Thanks for the informative article on the history of the Spit....
Neat picture - what a great aircraft and I love the name she has....

Google had some stuff - because I am a sucker for pictures of warbirds.... and here is some other stuff on the celebrations this date...

http://www.northamptonshire.co.uk/archives/00000604.htm

SPITFIRE ANNIVERSARY YEAR TAKES OFF AT DUXFORD"

Imperial War Museum Duxford is delighted to announce that it will be marking the anniversary of the first flight of the legendary Spitfire fighter with a special display on Sunday 5 March. 70 years to the day of the first flight, Carolyn Grace, the world's only current female Spitfire pilot, will display her Spitfire to Duxford's visitors.

2006 is the 70th Anniversary of the first flight of the Supermarine Spitfire, an aircraft that played a crucial role in the 1940 Battle of Britain and preventing the invasion of Britain. Designed by Reginald J. Mitchell, the Spitfire remained in production throughout the Second World War with over 22,000 built and being continuously improved so that when production ceased over 40 variants existed.

The Spitfire has had a long association with Duxford since the famous fighter first entered RAF service there in 1938 with no. 19 Squadron. Today, Duxford is home to more preserved airworthy Spitfires than anywhere else in the world.




In this Spitfire 70th Anniversary year Duxford will be hosting a number of special themed events to celebrate the contribution of this special aircraft to Britain's history.

In addition to the 5 March anniversary flight, Duxford will be staging:

Saturday 13 May - The Spitfire Era - a day of lectures on the famous aircraft

Sunday 13 August - Spitfire Day - see Spitfires up close and flying, and meet Spitfire pilots past and present.

Saturday 2 /Sunday 3 September - Spitfire Anniversary Air Show - the largest aerial celebration of the Spitfire in Britain.

The Spitfire displaying at Duxford on March 5 ML407 is the Grace Spitfire, owned and operated by Carolyn Grace, the only current female Spitfire pilot in the world. Carolyn has been flying the Duxford-based Spitfire since 1990, getting her Display Authorisation in 1991, and adding Aerobatic and Formation qualifications to that since. Carolyn flies the Grace Spitfire at both public and private air shows up and down the country and across Europe, and has also flown in no less than five record-breaking Spitfire formation flypasts between 1996 and 2000. For further information about the Grace Spitfire please visit the website at www.ml407.co.uk

Duxford is just south of Cambridge at junction 10 of the M11. Ample free parking is available. Admission is FREE for Children under 16, £13 for Adults, £11 for Senior Citizens, and £8 for Concessions. Group rates are available. For more details visit the Duxford Website at www.iwm.org.uk/duxford. For enquiries please call 01223 835000 or email duxford@iwm.org.uk

 

[#juan]

This is a Canadian F-86 mark 6 fighter flying over Germany in the late fities. Canadair built about 2000 of them. Some were purchased by Britain, some by Germany, and of course some by Canada. This is probably my favorite aircraft.

Incidentally, I flew these for about three years way back then.

http://f-86.tripod.com/

 

[Curiosity]

Wow Juan

I didn't realize Canadair built so many - did they use the same engines for the F86 and the exports....or are we talking about different contractors in the UK and Germany for their own
specifications.

I can't tell if the craft had one only or two seats.... or both????

I love swept wing - it makes them so streamlined.

You are one lucky guy to have flown those beauts.

 

[#juan]

W.C.

The first hundred or so off the Canadian assembly lines had American engines. They built the rest totally in Canada, with the more powerful Canadian Orenda engines. The aircraft weren't much faster than their North American Aviation forebears but they climbed faster and could reach 30,000 feet in half the time. During the Korean war there was a production shortfall and Canada provided fifty Canadian F-86s to the USAF. An American lady, Jacqueline Cochran set the world speed record for women in a Canadian F-86.

PS - The Sabre only came with one seat.....and no bathroom.. :wink: :lol:

 

[Curiosity]

LOL Juan

OK - no bathroom would keep me forever out of that craft!!!

My husband was rebuilding an old WWII plane in our yard (don't ask me what it was please)....anyway there was a pipe which the guys relieved themselves in.....I was fascinated.....and made him angry when I said "everything for the guys then eh?"

I am always happy to know about women in aviation - a good strong aircraft doesn't care who is at the stick - if it is treated with care and love.

30,000? Were your ears suffering or did they have good pressurization for a single pilot?

 

[Daz_Hockey]

RE: Celebration marks Sp

I am very pleased my home town got the recognition it deserves for producing the machine that effectivly blew the lufwaffe out of the sky and won use the battle of britain.

 

[#juan]

W.C.

Another North American Aviation airplane I flew was what we called a Harvard trainer. In the U.S. it was called a Texan. The Harvard had a relief tube that one could use if you absolutely had to.

The F-86, like most fighters of that day was pressurized to maintain a maximum of five pounds per square inch differential between inside and out. Basically, when the aircraft was at forty thousand feet, your cabin was at ten thousand feet. We also had oxygen. No relief tubes

 

[Curiosity]

Juan

Ya that was what he called it "relief tube"..... I was absolutely fascinated! Always wondered what they did on those long bombing raids but figured men just did the manly thing in a bucket!

At 40,000 I doubt anyone would need a relief tube with such a pressure differential - how could anyone go anyhoo hahaha....

 

[Curiosity]

Re: RE: Celebration marks Sp

I am very pleased my home town got the recognition it deserves for producing the machine that effectivly blew the lufwaffe out of the sky and won use the battle of britain.

Well thanks Daz - for your home town's contribution!!!

Are you there (in the UK) or Canada now?

 

[#juan]

W.C. wrote:

Juan

Ya that was what he called it "relief tube"..... I was absolutely fascinated! Always wondered what they did on those long bombing raids but figured men just did the manly thing in a bucket!

I was just thinking about that bucket. Specifically, I was thinking about the first wing-over after the bucket was used. That would probably discourage the use of the bucket a second time. Ah, there's nowhere to put a bucket in a fighter anyway.

 

[Daz_Hockey]

RE: Celebration marks Sp

I'm currently back in southampton Wednesday's child, I had to return for my graduation, and have been saving up a bit of money for my return to Canada (if I dont, it's a waste of my work visa).

I wonder if Skandia Life have canadian offices?...just a completly random thought that soz....but nope, my grandfather's just recieved his war medals, he flew in a spitfire, he said "you could tell it was built for racing, it was too beautiful for fighting.....but have no doubt it could fight"....it looks amazing too, although RJ Mitchell hated the name, England and the free world have a lot to thank that beautiful lady and that clever man for

 

[#juan]

I can talk about airplanes all day, but this topic is about this lovely beast.

 

[missile]

One of the pilots was 93 years old, and one of the original pilots who fought the germans in WW2. it must have been a thrill for him to relive some of his "glory days"

 

[#juan]

One of the pilots was 93 years old, and one of the original pilots who fought the germans in WW2. it must have been a thrill for him to relive some of his "glory days"

Henshaw was the pilot that test flew every version of the venerable Spitfire. Under Henshaw's testing, the Spit went from an 750 horse power, superior, fighter to a 2,000 horse power world beater during the course of the war.