Stability and Control characteristics of the Early Mark Spitfires

[ACE-OF-ACES]

Originally Posted by NZtyphoon

Pilot's Notes General AP2095

4. Manœvres not Permitted

(i)Intentional spinning of operational aircraft

(iv)The reasons underlying these prohibitions are partly considerations of strength, partly of control. Aircraft are designed to fulfil their operational role and not to perform manœvres of no operational value.

Bingo!

There were all sorts of 'rules' put to paper..

For example

Performing a victory roll over the air field..

Prohibited to be sure!

For more reason than one!

But does that mean the plane was unable to and/or unsafe while preforming a 'roll' during combat?

Nope!

[Al Schlageter]

"One might wonder why anyone would use this manoeuvre. There were situations, especially in the Battle of Britain, where we were so outnumbered that the Spitfire had no chance. The maneuverability of the Spitfire was so superior to the Me 109 that in a dogfight I considered two or even three Me 109s equal opponents."

Crumpp has claimed in the past that the RAF was not outnumbered in the air battles over south-east England.

[Crumpp]

The reasons underlying these prohibitions are partly considerations of strength, partly of control.

[IvanK]

Oh Dear a conundrum .... Spinning Spit II ok if authorised by CO or OTU CFI

[Crumpp]

What is the conundrum???

Where is the rest of it, btw?

[CaptainDoggles]

[IvanK]

So we have two references one says Spinning is "Prohibited" presented by Crummp (highlighted with red box to support his Spitfire stability impediment argument), and here another reference saying Spinning is Ok with authorisation from a pilot's CO or CFI in an OTU. i.e. in this reference its NOT prohibited.

What do you mean where is the rest of it ? .... its sitting on my desk as a written publication



If you want the entire page from which the snippet was taken from here you are:

[CaptainDoggles]

Found an interesting quote today that seemed very relevant to this thread:

"Nobody believes theoretical predictions but the engineer who computed them; everybody believes experimental results but the engineer who conducted the test."