Stability and Control characteristics of the Early Mark Spitfires

[6S.Manu]

Thks for the answers.

Originally Posted by NZtyphoon

1) The body responsible for investigating air accidents before and during WW2 was the AIB (Accidents Investigation Branch) which was responsible for investigating all air accidents. http://www.aaib.gov.uk/about_us/history.cfm
2) Why bother speculating on a question which can never be answered? It's like asking how long is a piece of string.
3) Presumably whatever was available - if a wreck was at the bottom of the sea AIB would not have gone chasing after it.
4)Again, unquantifiable speculation

Originally Posted by bongodriver

1) in all probability yes....it's their job, why call in people who aren't qualified?
2) probably a very small amount, in all likelyhood just the events which lead to MIA and unknown fates.
3) as long as the methods produced the answer does it matter?
4) let's not forget that most Spitfire pilots were flying with a squadron and the squadron pilots are all credible eye witnesses to what happens, through all of the recounted stories and biographies etc nobody ever mentioned the Spitfire as being 'particularily' weak or seeing squad mates breaking up with any regularity.

1) I looked in the website but I asked because it's not written that's the only responsable of investigation but it's part of the entire Department.

A Department could delegate some accidents to a company and other crashes to another: my doubt is the existence of another qualified company during that time... it's a natural to make use of external help (the AAIB was indipendent) during difficult times. So is it sure that the RAF had not a internal investigation departement and AAIB was the only responsable? Could it be that it was responsable for the accidents in a determined territory (England)?

2) & 3) I ask because of the possibility of not investigated accidents regarding structural failure: if so the Mr.Newton's numbers posted by Glider are far less interesting: as I said, since those were only accidents with a defined wreckage, how many more planes went down for structural failure over the sea (the channel, Malta ect)?
I think an investigation would always require witnesses... my question was if there would be an investigation at all in case of no wreckage.

4) Bongo, I know... infact I expect that the loss of the wings was a rare accident: I think more of a not critically damaged airframe for which, I think to have read somewhere, the plane had to be partially rebuild... could a plane with partial airframe damage have the same performance? Does its manouvrability and stability remain the same? Because IMO in combat area easily a damaged plane would be taken down by the enemy...

I know it's speculation, but not useless IMO. To have the complete picture we need to be sure of these things, otherwise there is no absolute truth.