Transcript BATTLE OF BRITAIN FIGHTERS

The Battle of Britain Fighters:
A Flight Test Perspective
Vintage Wings of Canada
© Robert Erdos
SETP FTSW Nov 2009
How On Earth…
…did you get to fly all three Battle of Britain
fighters!?
Putting Things in Context
I’m not a fighter pilot.
1.
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Experience is limited to air
demonstration (formation,
aerobatics, etc.)
2.
These fighters are not all
of the same developmental
era.
3.
Experience limited to five
airframes:
1.
2.
3.
Two Spitfires
Two Hurricanes
One Me-109
The Scenario…
 Let’s imagine that all three fighters were serviced
and ready for flight.
 We will go through a flight chronologically,
addressing each fighter in turn:
– Similarities and differences;
– Strengths and weaknesses.
Hop in.
Let’s go flying!
Cockpit…
Spitfire
 Spade grip: cockpit too tight to
hinge stick at floor
 Cockpit layout: put things
where they fit
 Lever-differential brakes
 Brakes, flaps, etc. are
pneumatic
 A few novel “appliances”…
Cockpit…
Hurricane
 Retractable stirrup to
climb onto trailing edge
 Tall canopy rails
 Steel tube structure in
evidence
 Many common features
to Spitfire
 Confounded “H-gate”
hydraulic selector lever
Cockpit…
Me-109
 Semi-reclining
– Good ‘g’ tolerance
 Claustrophobic
 Conventional stick
 Wheels for trim and
flaps
 Propeller control via
toggle switch
– Propeller pitch shown
on “clock”
 German labels
– Oil pressure = kg/cm^2
Ground Handling
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 All WWII taildraggers are all challenging
by modern standards
– Continuous S-turning a necessity
– Positive angle of attack on the ground
– British aeroplanes used lever-differential
braking
 Spitfire: hot, nose heavy and blind
 Me-109: tail heavy, claustrophobic and
blind
 Hurricane: field of view is so good “you
can almost see where you are going”
Take-Off
Spitfire
 Blind
 3-point attitude
mandatory due to
prop clearance
 Beware of
“leftness”
Hurricane
 Mercifully
conventional
 A bit abrupt due to
low undercarriage
retraction speed
Me-109
 Compromised by
undercarriage
geometry
 Tailwheel MUST
be locked
Flying Qualities Summary
Spitfire
 Negligible control
friction or freeplay
 Odd “reversed”
control harmony
 Ailerons become
very heavy at high
speed
– Roll rate is
limited by strength
Flying Qualities Summary
Hurricane
 Very high control
system friction
– Bushings instead of
bearings
 Weak-negative static
longitudinal stability
 Negative maneuver
stability
 Strange pedal-pitch
coupling
 Good roll rate – faster
than Spitfire
Flying Qualities Summary
Me-109
 Very low directional
stability
 No rudder trim
 Instances of aileron
stall
 Elevator extremely
heavy at high speeds
 No propeller governor!
The Dogfight:
Speed

History books record
that the Spitfire and
Me-109E speeds
were well matched

Equivalent speed on
less power means
that the Me-109E
has a lower drag
coefficient
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www.spitfireperformance.com
The Dogfight:
Turn Performance

Factor: Wing loading
–
–
–
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Spitfire = 22 lb/sq ft
Hurricane = 24 lb/sq ft
Me-109 = 32 lb/sq ft
Factor: Wing shape
–
Spitfire’s elliptical wing retained
turn energy best
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The Dogfight:
Gunnery

Factors:
1.
Field of view
2.
“Stability”
3.
Fire power
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Landing
Spitfire

Blind
– Turning approach
to touchdown


3-point landings
ONLY
Brakes are best
avoided
Hurricane




May 3-point or wheel
land
Insufficient trim
authority
Maintain some
power until
touchdown
Terrible elevator
response
Me-109
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Slow flap extension
Blind
Compromised by
undercarriage
geometry
Tailwheel MUST be
locked
Braking satisfactory
So? Which is Your Favourite?
 All three aeroplanes have strengths
 The best pilot will win in either machine
 The successful pilot will fight to his own strengths
But seriously…
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How Do You Learn To Fly It?
1. Learn to fly like
they did in “the old
days”
How Do You Learn To Fly It?
1. Learn to fly like
they did in “the old
days”;
2. Talk to people
who have been
there before you;
How Do You Learn To Fly It?
1. Learn to fly like
they did in “the old
days”
2. Talk to people
who have been
there before you;
and
3. Kill the problem
with homework.
Thank You
Introduction:
Spitfire Mk XVI SL721
 Spitfire prototype first flight on 06
November 1935
 Became operational with RAF in
1937.
 Mk XVI Spitfire entered service in
October 1944.
– Low level attack version
– Fitted with two 20mm cannons
and two 50 caliber machine guns
 SL721 was flown by ACM Sir
James Robb, coded JM-R.
 Imported to the US and restored
in 1967.
 Flown by Jerry Billing at the Reno
Air Races in 1981.
 SL721 was acquired by VWC in
2001.
Introduction:
Hurricane Mk IV KZ321
 Hurricane prototype first flight on
06 November 1935
 Became operational with RAF in
1937.
 Mk IV Hurricane entered service
in March 1943
– Low level attack version
– Fitted with four 20mm cannons
and wing hard points
 KZ321 served with RAF 6
Squadron in Grottaglie, Italy.
 Recovered from Israel in 1983.
 Restored by Hawker
Restorations in 2001.
 KZ321 is the world’s last Mk IV.
Introduction:
Messerschmitt Me-109E4 3579
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Me-109 prototype first flight in
September 1935.
Became operational with RAF in
1937.
License-built in 1940 by Arado
for Messerschmitt
Assigned to fighter squadron
I.(J)/LG2 in France
Flown by Luftwaffe ace Hans
Joachim Marseille
Belly landed in France, Aug
1940. Rebuilt and assigned to
the Russian front.
Restored in the UK from 19911999 by Craig Charleston (UK)
for David Price (USA)
Owned by Ed Russell, Niagara
Falls, ON
Operational Procedures:
Approach & Landing
Downwind
130 KIAS
Canopy fully open
Pre-Landing Checks
Break
>Idle +
60° bank
Initial
+4 lb boost
2650 RPM
~220 KIAS
Undercarriage
Extend
2 Green lights
x
Base Turn
95 KIAS
Abeam landing pt:
Extend flaps
Turning Final
85 KIAS
Pre-Landing Check
Spare pics
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Questions?
What does
“fluggeschwindigkeit”
mean?!