Happy Birthday to the Spitfire - Page 2

stevestrat · 4th March 2016, 19:29

Talking of Spitfires, I watched a fascinating documentary on Forces TV last night, about the first aerial battle over 40,000 feet. It involved a stripped out Spitfire Mk IX and a Junkers JU86. I had never heard of a JU86, German (obviously) pressurised photographic reconnaissance aircraft capable of flying at over 40,000 feet. It flew so high it was out of reach of anti aircraft fire and RAF fighters. They started carrying a single 550lb bomb, one dropped on Bristol city centre caused a considerable number of casualties. A decision was taken to specially train a small group of RAF pilots to acclimatise them to high altitude/low pressure and two Spitfire Mk IXs were modified, stripped of armour plating and any other equipment deemed "unnecessary" and double supercharged in order to fly high enough to challenge the JU86. The German pilot spoke of the shock at finding a Spitfire on his tail at 40,000 feet, one of the cannons on the Spitfire jammed and every time he tried to fire the remaining cannon it threw the plane off balance but it did enough damage to make the JU86 dump its bomb and high tail it home. No surprise as the JU86 crew were literally sealed into the pressurised cockpit, no way of escaping a damaged aircraft! The pilots of the Spitfire and the JU86 became good friends post war.

P.S. I've had a flick through, the program is repeated 9pm Sunday evening, Forces TV, Sky channel 264. If you are interested in WW2 aircraft it is interesting.

FLYER · 4th March 2016, 19:35

40,000 feet .

Christ it must have been cold .

Colin P · 4th March 2016, 20:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevestrat

Talking of Spitfires, I watched a fascinating documentary on Forces TV last night, about the first aerial battle over 40,000 feet. It involved a stripped out Spitfire Mk IX and a Junkers JU86. I had never heard of a JU86, German (obviously) pressurised photographic reconnaissance aircraft capable of flying at over 40,000 feet. It flew so high it was out of reach of anti aircraft fire and RAF fighters. They started carrying a single 550lb bomb, one dropped on Bristol city centre caused a considerable number of casualties. A decision was taken to specially train a small group of RAF pilots to acclimatise them to high altitude/low pressure and two Spitfire Mk IXs were modified, stripped of armour plating and any other equipment deemed "unnecessary" and double supercharged in order to fly high enough to challenge the JU86. The German pilot spoke of the shock at finding a Spitfire on his tail at 40,000 feet, one of the cannons on the Spitfire jammed and every time he tried to fire the remaining cannon it threw the plane off balance but it did enough damage to make the JU86 dump its bomb and high tail it home. No surprise as the JU86 crew were literally sealed into the pressurised cockpit, no way of escaping a damaged aircraft! The pilots of the Spitfire and the JU86 became good friends post war.

P.S. I've had a flick through, the program is repeated 9pm Sunday evening, Forces TV, Sky channel 264. If you are interested in WW2 aircraft it is interesting.

I,ll watch it i love ww2 aircraft.

stevestrat · 4th March 2016, 20:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Colin P

I,ll watch it i love ww2 aircraft.

You'll enjoy it. I was channel surfing before I went to bed, that's how I spotted it. Talks about both the German and RAF pilots careers before they met at 40,000 feet and how they and their families went on to become close friends after the war.

I was into WW2 aircraft in a big way when I was younger but I had honestly never heard of the JU86.

macafee2 · 4th March 2016, 21:02

for my wedding annerversary on 29th september my wife has booked me a flight in a 2 seater

Seem to be a few places around where you can get a flight.
the sight and sound make me go weak at the knees
macafee2

stevestrat · 4th March 2016, 21:09

Closest I got to a flight in a WW2 aircraft was when I was in the air cadets, summer camp at Kinloss. We were all getting to go on routine patrol flights in Nimrods, I was one of a handful to be picked to go over to Lossiemouth to go on a patrol flight in a Shackleton. Nine hours in a Shackleton, that really was something else.

Colin P · 4th March 2016, 22:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevestrat

Closest I got to a flight in a WW2 aircraft was when I was in the air cadets, summer camp at Kinloss. We were all getting to go on routine patrol flights in Nimrods, I was one of a handful to be picked to go over to Lossiemouth to go on a patrol flight in a Shackleton. Nine hours in a Shackleton, that really was something else.

For my birthday later this year my wife has got me a day out at the heritage hanger at biggin hill. At the end of the tour i get to sit in a spitfire and have my photo taken.

planenut · 5th March 2016, 16:57

One of our most beautiful aircraft, the Spitfire.
Odd thing today, I was at an address for the first time and when the question of "date" came up, I made a remark that it was "Spitfire Day". No sooner said the guy ushered me into his lounge where he has polished crank shafts from a Spitfire and a Hurricane Merlin, fantastic.

4th March 2016, 19:29	#11
stevestrat This is my second home ZT260 #243 (resting) Join Date: May 2010 Location: Prestonpans Posts: 22,546 Thanks: 650 Thanked 4,624 Times in 3,358 Posts	Talking of Spitfires, I watched a fascinating documentary on Forces TV last night, about the first aerial battle over 40,000 feet. It involved a stripped out Spitfire Mk IX and a Junkers JU86. I had never heard of a JU86, German (obviously) pressurised photographic reconnaissance aircraft capable of flying at over 40,000 feet. It flew so high it was out of reach of anti aircraft fire and RAF fighters. They started carrying a single 550lb bomb, one dropped on Bristol city centre caused a considerable number of casualties. A decision was taken to specially train a small group of RAF pilots to acclimatise them to high altitude/low pressure and two Spitfire Mk IXs were modified, stripped of armour plating and any other equipment deemed "unnecessary" and double supercharged in order to fly high enough to challenge the JU86. The German pilot spoke of the shock at finding a Spitfire on his tail at 40,000 feet, one of the cannons on the Spitfire jammed and every time he tried to fire the remaining cannon it threw the plane off balance but it did enough damage to make the JU86 dump its bomb and high tail it home. No surprise as the JU86 crew were literally sealed into the pressurised cockpit, no way of escaping a damaged aircraft! The pilots of the Spitfire and the JU86 became good friends post war. P.S. I've had a flick through, the program is repeated 9pm Sunday evening, Forces TV, Sky channel 264. If you are interested in WW2 aircraft it is interesting. __________________ Steve T4 Location Map Last edited by stevestrat; 4th March 2016 at 19:35..

4th March 2016, 21:09	#16
stevestrat This is my second home ZT260 #243 (resting) Join Date: May 2010 Location: Prestonpans Posts: 22,546 Thanks: 650 Thanked 4,624 Times in 3,358 Posts	Closest I got to a flight in a WW2 aircraft was when I was in the air cadets, summer camp at Kinloss. We were all getting to go on routine patrol flights in Nimrods, I was one of a handful to be picked to go over to Lossiemouth to go on a patrol flight in a Shackleton. Nine hours in a Shackleton, that really was something else. __________________ Steve T4 Location Map

4th March 2016, 19:35	#12
FLYER Banned rover75 cdti AUTO TOURER 160 bhp. Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Glasgow Posts: 35,346 Thanks: 2,985 Thanked 3,685 Times in 2,463 Posts	40,000 feet . Christ it must have been cold .

4th March 2016, 21:02	#15
macafee2 This is my second home Rover 75 Saloon & Tourer Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Lincoln Posts: 14,960 Thanks: 1,630 Thanked 3,032 Times in 2,181 Posts	for my wedding annerversary on 29th september my wife has booked me a flight in a 2 seater Seem to be a few places around where you can get a flight. the sight and sound make me go weak at the knees macafee2

5th March 2016, 16:57	#18
planenut Regional Secretary Rover 1.8T Tourer Join Date: May 2007 Location: Heathrow Posts: 6,986 Thanks: 1,551 Thanked 2,036 Times in 1,264 Posts	One of our most beautiful aircraft, the Spitfire. Odd thing today, I was at an address for the first time and when the question of "date" came up, I made a remark that it was "Spitfire Day". No sooner said the guy ushered me into his lounge where he has polished crank shafts from a Spitfire and a Hurricane Merlin, fantastic.