Supermarine Spiteful
Spiteful | |
---|---|
General information | |
Type | Fighter |
National origin | United Kingdom |
Manufacturer | Supermarine |
Designer | |
Service | Royal Air Force |
Prototypes | NN660, NN664, and NN667[1] |
Number built | 19 (including the three prototypes) |
History | |
First flight | 30 June 1944 |
Developed from | Supermarine Spitfire |
Developed into | Supermarine Seafang |
The Supermarine Spiteful was a British
The Spiteful was ready for production as the war was ending, but in testing had shown only marginal improvements over existing types, and was now being overtaken by jet-powered designs. Of the original order for 150 Spitefuls, only 19 were built. Meanwhile the Royal Navy opted for a navalised variation of the Spiteful type, the Supermarine Seafang, but few of those were bulit either. The wing developed for the Spiteful was used for the Supermarine Attacker jet.
Design and development
Background
In 1942, in order to improve the
In September 1942, Supermarine used Specification No 469, which outlined the first steps towards designing the Type 371, which would later become the Spiteful. Specification No 470 was issued by Supermarine on 30 November, which stated:
A new wing has been designed for the Spitfire with the following objects: 1) To raise as much as possible the critical speed at which drag increases, due to compressibility, become serious. 2) To obtain a rate of roll faster than any existing fighter. 3) To reduce wing profile drag and thereby improve performance. The wing area had been reduced from 242 sq ft (22.5 m2) to 210 sq ft (20 m2), and a thickness chord ratio of 13% had been used over the inner wing where the equipment is stored. Outboard the wing tapers to 8% thickness/chord at the tip.[3]
Specification 470 described how the wing skins were to be relatively thick, aiding rotational stiffness, which was needed for good aileron control at high speeds. Although the prototype was to have a dihedral of 3° it was intended that this would be increased in subsequent aircraft.[3] To improve the aircraft's ground handling, the Spitfire's outward-retracting undercarriage was replaced with one that was inward-retracting system, so that the wheels were spaced further apart. This eliminated a perceived fault in the original Spitfire design that had made it comparatively difficult to land.[1]
The Air Ministry was impressed by the proposals. In February 1943 it issued Specification F.1/43 for a single-seat fighter with a laminar flow wing; there was also to be provision made for the pilot to have for good visibility, for the
Prototype trials
The new wing was fitted to a modified
NN660 was first flown by Supermarine's chief test pilot Jeffrey Quill from Vickers' flight development site at RAF High Post, Wiltshire, on 30 June 1944.[9] Although the new Spitfire's speed performance was comfortably in excess of an unmodified Spitfire XIV, the wing displayed issues at the stall which, although acceptable, did not come up to the high standards of the Spitfire’s earlier elliptical wing. NN660 crashed on 13 September 1944 during an improvised low altitude mock-combat with a standard Spitfire XIV. The test pilot Frank Furlong was killed.[8][10] No reason for the loss was established, although the subsequent accident report discussed the possibility that the aileron control rods had momentarily seized or become disconnected during the flight. Quill encountered a similar problem one day when the ailerons jammed during "a high g turn" in NN664 but he had the altitude to recover.[11] The controls were afterwards redesigned, which caused the first flight of the second prototype (NN664) to be delayed.[9] By December Supermarine was being criticised by the Ministry for slow progress on the aircraft. Flight testing showed that performance was better than that of the equivalent Spitfire, but not as good as expected, and anything (including splashes of mud or dead insects) on the wing broke the laminar flow and reduced speed.[12]
The Spitfire's fuselage was redesigned to improve the pilot's sightline for deflection shooting and to use a larger fin and rudder to eliminate directional instability.[13][note 3] The instability had arisen following the introduction of the more powerful Griffon engine and was exacerbated by the introduction of the four-bladed and subsequent five-bladed Rotol propeller airscrews.[7] At the same time Supermarine designed the airframe so it could take either Griffon or Merlin engines.[7] The updated design incorporated the new fuselage but not the enlarged fin/rudder.[7] NN664 first flew on 8 January 1945, still unpainted.[9] Subsequent modifications used to try to resolve faults found during trial flights included altering the wing section, and enlarging the fin, rudder, tailplane and elevators. The enlarged tail improved handling but caused a further drop in top speed.[12]
The Spiteful was found to be faster than the Spitfire, but the increase in speed was not as great as had been expected. The Spiteful had more adverse compressibility effects and poorer stalling characteristics than its predecessor.[13]
Name
As early as 1943, the
The Air Council was told in October 1943 that the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was "interested in the choice of name" and wanted to discuss it with the Secretary of State. Sir Charles Portal, the Chief of the Air Staff, thought the name Valiant was much better than Victor.[16] In November, needing to settle the matter, the Council decided that the Spitfire XXI would be named Valiant, provided the Admiralty agreed. However, Supermarine objected to Valiant and wanted one starting with the letter S. Portal suggested Spiteful which was accepted without discussion at a meeting in March 1944.[17]
Production
The Spiteful was ordered into production as the Spiteful F.XIV, the numerals being carried over from the original Spitfire Mk XIV.[18] The numbering was chosen to allow for Merlin-engined variants though ultimately none were built.[12] In total, 650 aircraft were ordered from Supermarine.[13] The number contracted to be built was first reduced by 260 aircraft; a second cancellation left 80 machines to be built. The third and final cancellation reduced the size of the contract to 22 aircraft. The first production aircraft, RB515, flew for 15 minutes on 2 April 1945. A week later, it sustained damage when Quill had to make a forced landing at RAF Boscombe Down but was repaired and returned to flight.[19]
With the advent of jet propulsion, the order was cancelled in May 1945, a few days before the end of the war in Europe, with only a handful of Spitefuls built.[18] Supermarine received a replacement order for 150 Seafangs.[11] A few Spitefuls were taken "on charge" for evaluation by the RAF but did not see squadron service.[4] NN664 was delivered for official trials at Boscombe Down in June 1945, followed by NN667 between February and June the following year. The assessment was "below average" with criticism of the cockpit layout and time to refuel and rearm.[20] By March 1946, Supermarine was informed that the RAF only needed the Spiteful as a "low altitude attack aircraft" and during the year RB516 was sent to the Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment to see if the design had value as a fighter-bomber.[21][note 4] When the company objected, the Spiteful project was finally abandoned.[19] In July 1948, 13 of the Spitefuls were sold for scrap.[21]
Variants
There were three variants of the type defined. Of the aircraft produced, those with the Griffon 69 engine and a five blade Rotol propeller were given the designation F. Mk 14. The two other variants, F Mk 15 and F Mk 16, differed only in the engine variant used or the number of propeller blades:[18]
Variant | Engine | Weight | Maximum speed | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
F Mk 14 | Griffon 69 with five blade Rotol and short intake
2,375 hp |
9,950 lb (4,510 kg)[22] |
483 mph (777 km/h) at 21,000 feet (6,400 m)[22] | 19 built (two prototypes and 17 production: RB515–RB525, RB527–RB531, RB535).[22] |
F Mk 15 | Griffon 85[note 5] with six blade contra-rotating propeller
2,350 hp |
10,200 lb (4,600 kg)[24] |
476 mph (766 km/h) | 1 built:[note 6] RB520, which was fitted with a hook as an interim Seafang prototype in early 1945.[13] |
F Mk 16 | Griffon 101[25]
2,420 hp |
9,950 lb (4,510 kg) at take-off[25] |
494 mph (795 km/h) at 28,500 ft (8,700 m);
408 mph (657 km/h) at sea level[25] |
Conversion of RB518, which was used for propeller development with a Griffon 101 engine and a two-stage three-speed supercharger in 1948 and later designated as the F. Mk 16).[22] Its 494 mph (at 27,500 ft) was a record for a British piston engine aircraft.[13] |
Further development
"Jet Spiteful"
In late 1943 or early 1944, Smith proposed that the company develop a simple jet fighter based around the Spiteful's wing.
The Admiralty expressed an interest in the aircraft for use as a naval fighter and issued specification E.1/45 around it.[10][31] The aircraft, named the Supermarine Attacker, was the Royal Navy's first jet aircraft. It had a short career with the Royal Navy during the 1950s, and served with the Pakistan Air Force until 1964.[31]
Supermarine Seafang
During the mid-1940s there was some uncertainty over whether jet aircraft would be able to operate from the
Specifications (Spiteful XIV)
Data from Supermarine Aircraft since 1914 [18]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 32 ft 11 in (10.03 m)
- Wingspan: 35 ft (11 m)
- Height: 13 ft 5 in (4.09 m)
- Wing area: 210 sq ft (20 m2)
- Airfoil: root: Supermarine 371-I; tip: Supermarine 371-II
- Empty weight: 7,350 lb (3,334 kg)
- Gross weight: 9,950 lb (4,513 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce Griffon 69V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine, 2,375 hp (1,771 kW)
- Propellers: 5-bladed constant-speed propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 483 mph (777 km/h, 420 kn) at 21,000 ft (6,400 m)
- Cruise speed: 240 mph (390 km/h, 210 kn) at 255 mph (222 kn; 410 km/h)
- Range: 564 mi (908 km, 490 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 42,000 ft (13,000 m)
- Rate of climb: 4,890 ft/min (24.8 m/s) at 2,000 ft (610 m)
Armament
- Guns: 4 × 20 mm (0.787 in) Hispano Mk.V cannon with 156 rpg
- Rockets: 8–12 × RP-3 rocket projectiles
- or 4 × 300 lb (140 kg) rockets
- Bombs: 2 × 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs
See also
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
- CAC CA-15
- Fiat G.56
- Hawker Sea Fury
- Martin-Baker MB 5
- Messerschmitt Me 309
- North American P-51 Mustang
- Yakovlev Yak-9
Notes
- ^ The engine of the 1935 prototype Spitfire was the Rolls-Royce Merlin, then the most powerful engine available. It produced about 950 horsepower (710 kW). The secondary structure of the Spitfire's wing needed to be as light as possible to keep the power/weight ratio, and therefore performance, as high as possible.[3]
- ^ The prototype programme was later revised to one MkVIII Spitfire fuselage with new wing and contra-rotating Griffon, one Type 371 with contra-rotating Griffon and a Type 371 with Merlin and regular propeller. The change to the latter was due to no contra-rotating Merlin gearing having been ordered into production.[7]
- ^ Supermarine had been told in August 1945 that the Spiteful had been removed from the fighter programme though kept as a fighter-bomber[21]
- ^ Buttler gives Griffon 89 or 90 as the engine [21]
- ^ No photographs of a F. Mk 15 are known [21]
- ^ Supermarine had suggested an aircraft using the Halford H.1 jet engine with a Spitfire wing in 1942.[27]
- ^ At the time known as the B.41, the engine was later called the Rolls-Royce Nene.[28]
- ^ The 18 naval aircraft were cancelled 1946 and 18 Sea Vampires ordered.[30]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Morgan & Shacklady 2000, p. 494.
- ^ a b Buttler 2004, p. 27.
- ^ a b c d e Morgan & Shacklady 2000, p. 493.
- ^ a b Bowyer 1980, p. 48.
- ^ Quill 1986, p. 414.
- ^ Buttler 2004, pp. 27–28.
- ^ a b c d e Buttler 2004, p. 28.
- ^ a b Quill 1986, p. 248.
- ^ a b c Morgan & Shacklady 2000, p. 496.
- ^ a b c "Vickers Supermarine Spiteful". BEA Systems. Archived from the original on 19 January 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ a b Quill 1986, p. 420.
- ^ a b c Buttler 2012, p. 202.
- ^ a b c d e Buttler 2004, p. 29.
- ^ Meikle 2014, p. 208.
- ^ Delve 2007, p. 100–101.
- ^ a b Delve 2007, p. 101.
- ^ Delve 2007, p. 102.
- ^ a b c d e Andrews & Morgan 1981, p. 266.
- ^ a b Morgan & Shacklady 2000, p. 499.
- ^ Buttler 2012, p. 204.
- ^ a b c d e Buttler 2012, p. 205.
- ^ a b c d e Buttler 2012, pp. 200, 205.
- ^ White 2019, p. 105.
- ^ Thetford 1946, p. 19.
- ^ a b c Morgan & Shacklady 2000, p. 503.
- ^ Robertson 1960, p. 141.
- ^ Buttler 2004, p. 207.
- ^ Quill 1986, p. 284.
- ^ Buttler 2004, pp. 29, 207.
- ^ a b Buttler 2004, p. 208.
- ^ a b c "Vickers Supermarine Attacker". BEA Systems. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ "Vickers Supermarine Seafang". BEA Systems. Archived from the original on 14 February 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ Jackson 2007, p. 85.
- ^ Pegram 2022, pp. 88–90.
Sources
- Andrews, C. F. & Morgan, Eric B. (1981). Supermarine Aircraft since 1914. London: Putnam. ISBN 978-0-370-10018-0.
- Bowyer, Chaz (1980). Supermarine Spitfire. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 978-08536-8-464-0.
- Buttler, Tony (2004). Fighters & Bombers, 1935–1950. British Secret Projects. Vol. III. Hinckley, UK: Midlands Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85780-179-8.
- Buttler, Tony (2012). British Experimental Combat Aircraft of World War II: Prototypes, Research Aircraft and Failed Production Designs. Manchester, UK: Hikoki Publications. ISBN 978-19021-0-924-4.
- Delve, Ken (2007). The Story of the Spitfire: An Operational and Combat History. London: Greenhill. ISBN 978-18536-7-725-0.
- Jackson, Robert (2007). Britain's Greatest Aircraft. Barnsley, UK: Pen and Sword Books Ltd. ISBN 978-18441-5-600-9.
- Meikle, Nick (2014). Malloch's Spitfire: The Story and Restoration of PK350. Oxford, UK: Casemate Publishers (Ignition). ISBN 978-16120-0-253-8.
- Morgan, Eric B.; Shacklady, Edward (2000). Spitfire: The History (5th ed.). London: Key Publishing. ISBN 978-0-946219-48-3.
- Pegram, Ralph (2022). Supermarine Secret Projects. Vol. 2: Fighters and Bombers. Mortons.
- ISBN 978-0-09-937020-8.
- Robertson, Bruce (1960). Spitfire: The Story of a Famous Fighter. Hemel Hempstead, UK: Model & Allied Publications Ltd. ISBN 0-900435-11-9.
- Thetford, Owen (1946). Russell, Douglas Arthur (ed.). Aircraft of the Fighting Powers. Vol. 7. Leicester, UK: Harborough Publishing Company Limited. OCLC 774473103.
- White, Graham (2019). Allied Aircraft Piston Engines of World War II (2nd ed.). Warrendale, Pennsylvania: SAE International. ISBN 978-07680-9-554-8.
External links
- Spiteful & E.10/44 from Jets45 (self-published)
- Spiteful profile and photo from 1000aircraftphotos.com (self-published)