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Spitfire
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The Merlin Engined Spitfires *
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The Spitfire was the creation of Supermarine's Chief Designer, Reginald Mitchell.
More than just a highly successful fighter, it became a symbol of hope and defiance
for Britain in the dark days of 1940 and of victory during the concluding days
of World War II. Built in greater numbers than any other British aircraft, the
"Spit" flew on every front between 1939 and 1945.
The prototype Spitfire first flew in March of 1936. Power was provided by a Rolls-Royce Merlin C of 990 HP. Gross weight was 5200 pounds. On July 19, 1938 the first Mark I Spitfire was delivered to the RAF. Mk I and Mk II Spitfires saw service in the Battle of Britain. The Mk II was fitted with a slightly more powerful engine, but was otherwise similar to the Mk I. 1583 Mk Is and 920 Mk IIs were built. Armament was eight .303 Browning machine guns. The next significant version, the Mk V, went into service in early 1941. By the end of the year almost every day fighter squadron in Fighter Command was re-equipped with this mark. The Mk V was a basically Mk I or II airframe fitted with the more powerful Merlin 45. Over 5600 were produced. Armament was two 20mm cannon and four .303 machine guns. To counter the threat of the Luftwaffe's Fw 190, the improved Merlin 61 engine was mated with a Mk V airframe to become the Mk IX. The Mk XVI was identical to the Mk IX except it was powered by the American built Packard Merlin 266. Production of both marks continued until wars end. Over 7000 examples were produced. |
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Specifications - Mk XVIe
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Wing Span
Length Gross Weight Maximum speed Range Ceiling Engine Armament |
36ft. 10in
31ft. 1in 7300 lbs 416 mph 439 miles 43,000 ft Packard Merlin 266 2 x 20mm cannon, 2 x 50 cal mg |
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* Many other versions of the Merlin and Griffon engined Spitfire were produced that are not mentioned here. |
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The Eagle Squadrons
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There were certain young men in the United States, shortly after Dunkirk, who, for
a variety of reasons, felt that it was time to go to the aid of the pilots of Fighter
Command. Some felt that measures were made necessary by the threat the Nazis posed
to our free world. Others simply found the promise of danger and adventure too
thrilling a prospect to resist.
Each by his own unique route, 244 brave and boisterous young Americans arrived in England and formed the three famous Eagle Squadrons. Number 71 Squadron was declared operational on October 8, 1940, and it was soon joined by numbers 121 and 133. Between them, over the next eighteen months, these three Eagle Squadrons accounted for an official total of 73 enemy aircraft. In fact, historians are almost unanimous today in believing the actual figure to be considerably higher than this. Even so, this conservative estimate of their contribution to the Allied war effort shows that the RAF had at least the equivalent of six Luftwaffe squadrons fewer to worry about! During the time the three squadrons were operational as Eagles, many pilots were shot down and taken prisoner. After America's entry into the war the Eagle Sqadrons became the Fourth Fighter Group within the US Army Air Forces and many more former Eagles suffered the same fate. Despite the controversial nature of their enlistment and their reputation for a 'hard fighting, hard playing' philosophy, the men of the Eagle Squadrons provided a vitally-needed morale boost for the hard-pressed pilots of the RAF and, indeed, for the entire nation. They flew and fought for all they were worth and earned the admiration and respect of their fellow pilots of the RAF. When the Unites States joined the war in Europe it was to the experienced fighter pilots of the Eagle Squadrons that the USAAF looked to form the backbone of their new figher wings. This exhibit is dedicated to the Eagle Squadrons of World War II, and to the American volunteer fighter-pilots who flew to fame as Eagles. |
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The Eagle Squadron Memorial Spitfire
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In 1940, the RAF established 3 fighter squadrons for American volunteers who
flew for Britain against the Axis before The United States entered World War
II. They were known as the Eagle Squadrons.
In 1966, the Eagle Squadron Association was organized by the survivors of these three squadrons. In 1979, negotiations began with the Royal Air Force Historic Aircraft Committee to bring a Spitfire to this country. Led by Association president Edwin D. "Jesse" Taylor, and after eight years of patient coordination and diplomacy, a formal agreement was reached. The Spitfire Mk XVI, SL 574, that you see in this exhibit, was refurbished by the staff and technical trainees of No. 1 School of Technical Training at RAF Halton. Air Marshall Sir Harold Maguire presented it to the Eagle Squadron Association on April 20, 1989. It serves as a memorial to those brave Americans who were killed in the line of duty as well as the surviving aviators who risked their lives while serving in the Eagle Squadrons. |
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Items of Interest...
| Related Links |
| Supermarine Spitfire - Warbird Alley |
| Spitfire |
| Supermarine Spitfire I - Royal Air Force Museum |
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