Arial Reconnaissance in a Spitfire

[david antony]

This is a great story, which I’m sure you will enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... e3SrjLlcUY

[InTheSky]

This is a great story, which I’m sure you will enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... e3SrjLlcUY

Very nice video, I always like this plane .

Frank

[Greg Beetham]

Those photo recon boys were incredibly brave, going deep into Hitler country without even a popgun, just a couple of cameras.
Greg
ps I wonder why they didn't use the Tempest V? it could do 430Mph in level flight, no Bf109 or FW190 or even the Bf262 would catch it if it had a head start.

[Dr. Harout]

Great story. TFS.

[Atgets_Apprentice]

Those photo recon boys were incredibly brave, going deep into Hitler country without even a popgun, just a couple of cameras.
Greg
ps I wonder why they didn't use the Tempest V? it could do 430Mph in level flight, no Bf109 or FW190 or even the Bf262 would catch it if it had a head start.

Even with additional internal & external tanks, the Tempest V would not have had the range to reach Berlin and Eastern Germany, and did not have the high altitude performance of the PR Spitfires.

[Birma]

Wow - what a great movie. Thanks for posting that DA. It brought a lump to my throat when he realised they had actual video of his crash landing. What a great guy, and hats off to the guys who made the movie as well.

[david antony]

The Spitfire also had the advantage of the Rolls Merlin Greg.
It never let them down.


Not my Photo

[Greg Beetham]

Yes the Merlin was a hugely successful engine as was apparently the Griffon, also made by RR.
Apparently from what I can gather the Spitfire was adapted to the photo recon roll very early in the piece, before the Tempest even became operational, eventually getting superchargers for high altitude performance and pressurized cockpits, so the recon efforts and adaptations for that seemed to remain with the plane they began with.
The Tempest was good in the attack roll it seems and chasing down V1’s but the high altitude performance wasn’t given priority with supercharging the Napier engine specifically for that.
Reading about the Tempest is a bit of a boondoggle, there’s so many prototypes and engine variants (including RR) it’s hard to keep track but the Napier engine was powerful, one of the last variants produced 3000hp but the airframe wasn’t designed for that much power.
One interesting little snippet I found was that the Tempest with the extra fuel tanks had a similar range to the long range Spitfire but it was ambiguous the way it was stated, it was given as 1500Miles (ferry range), which to me means one way only, not 1500 there and 1500 back.
Greg

[aster]

A very good and sentimental documenary, David Antony.

Thanks for sharing.

I'm sure there are many more hidden or forgotten in other people's attics gathering some dust waiting to be discovered.

Yildiz

[Atgets_Apprentice]

One interesting little snippet I found was that the Tempest with the extra fuel tanks had a similar range to the long range Spitfire but it was ambiguous the way it was stated, it was given as 1500Miles (ferry range), which to me means one way only, not 1500 there and 1500 back.
Greg

You are correct about Ferry Range, and this would also have been at a lower altitude, and lower cruising speed than a PR Spitfire on operations.

[david antony]

You are so right Yildiz. I just hope that more will surface.