Spitfire runway info please?

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Member for

20 years

Posts: 2,249

Hello Guys,

I'm gathering info about the Spitfire. Of course a lot can be found at several places, but I can not find the minimum lenght of runway that is required to take off and land a spitfire.

Does someone have this info about Spitfire MKI, MKII, MKV, MKVIII and MKIX.

Greets,

Stieglitz

Original post

Member for

18 years 5 months

Posts: 2,392

Contact anyone that opperates a Spitfire, they may be able to help. But i would guess that their examples take off distance may be shorter than in ww11.

Member for

20 years 7 months

Posts: 18,353

Hello Guys,

I'm gathering info about the Spitfire. Of course a lot can be found at several places, but I can not find the minimum lenght of runway that is required to take off and land a spitfire.

Does someone have this info about Spitfire MKI, MKII, MKV, MKVIII and MKIX.

Greets,

Stieglitz

Stieg.

From The Spitfire Story (Alfred Price), for the first production Spitfire MkI, K9787:

Take-off run (zero wind) - 420yds
Distance to clear 50ft screen - 720yds
Landing run (with brakes) - 380yds

Spitfire MkI K9793 - 7th production Spitfire fitted with the de Havilland 3-blade, two-pitch metal airscrew:

Take-off run (zero wind) - 320yds
Distance to clear 50ft screen - 490yds
Landing run (with brakes) - 235yds

Spitfire IIa - first production machine built at Castle Bromwich:

Take-off run - 230yds (although this does not state if it was in zero wind!)
Distance to clear 50ft screen - 400yds
Landing run - 350yds

I'd look into Spitfire - The History for you, but I need to do something else! Sorry! :o

Hope this helps, anyway.

Member for

20 years

Posts: 2,249

Thanks Ollie and Daz.

This is a good start. I shall contact some operators for further info.

Cheers,

Stieglitz

Member for

18 years 5 months

Posts: 2,392

I would imagine as i said the modern distance may be different as they are proberably lighter or even heavier with the de millitrisation and fitting of modern radios etc that they require.

Member for

20 years 7 months

Posts: 18,353

I would imagine that, since most Spits these days fly without guns, which are pretty weighty, then it would be a slightly shorter distance.

However, there was some discussion a while back (originated by me) as to whether a Spit could get off in fifty yards. Here's the link:

Spitfire short take-offs

Member for

18 years 5 months

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But then they carry modern radios and saftey gear which then adds to the weight. And then the person (must stay politicaly correct) flying it.

Member for

18 years 5 months

Posts: 2,392

Maybe with a good steam catapult, a contra rotating prop, and a ski jump it may get 50 yards. The one at the shuttleworth collection gets airbourne fairly fast. But compared to most things they fly it is a very long run.

Member for

20 years 7 months

Posts: 18,353

But then they carry modern radios and saftey gear which then adds to the weight. And then the person (must stay politicaly correct) flying it.

Modern radios - presumably smaller, hence lighter? I've no idea, having never had cause to inspect one fitted to a Spit. I just like to look at the cover ;)

Modern safety gear - such as? :confused:

But, again, Spits these days are probably lighter since they don't carry weapons stores or a full tank of fuel...?

Member for

18 years 5 months

Posts: 2,392

True i didnt think about fuel and ammo etc.
Safety gear, Extinguisher system maybe? backup radio.
I dont know about radios either realy as ive never looked into them.
Okay i guess they are lighter now.

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24 years 2 months

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Why would they not carry a full tank of fuel???????? Some even have extra fuel tanks in the gunbays.....

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18 years 5 months

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Depends on the operator and how far they are going and how long they are flying for i suppose.

Member for

20 years 7 months

Posts: 18,353

Why would they not carry a full tank of fuel???????? Some even have extra fuel tanks in the gunbays.....

I was assuming for local flights - there are all kinds of variables for this topic.

Member for

20 years 7 months

Posts: 2,529

Don't forget the take-off run is affected by:

ground surface condition (long wet grass needs a longer run than dry tarmac)
wind (a take-off into a strong wind is shorter than nil wind or a cross wind)
temperature (a hot day requires a longer run)
slope (uphill = longer)

Member for

19 years 7 months

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Meteor Runway runway info please?

Okay, can anyone tell me if it is safe to operate a Meteor (F8 or T7) from a 4,000ft hard runway?

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20 years

Posts: 2,249

Great link Guzzineil! I'll get bored now ... :D

Thanks a lot!

Stieglitz

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20 years 3 months

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A Legends full aero's display with full wings (50 galls= 50 lbs-ish)

Mmmm, decimal point moved there a bit. More like 300 lbs. Isn't it about 6 lbs a gallon for fuel?

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20 years

Posts: 409

Philip Rhodes, ref Meatbox; it would be very imprudent to try and operate-safely, off anything less than 5-5500 ft of hard runway, particularly today,in terms of performance,risk etc.6000 ft would be better,as Meteors have pneumatic brakes ,which tend to fade easily,don`t have anti-skid,and spares are difficult to get.Even J-Provosts/L-29,L-39 s are operated off a minimum of 1500m. Syc........

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15 years 2 months

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theres lots of Spitfire data to astound/bore your friends with here... :rolleyes:

http://www.spitfireperformance.com/spittest.html

Neil

This info says Mk XIV needed 760 yards of landing strip to clear 50 ft.

How much heavier was XVIII for instance ?

Member for

20 years 7 months

Posts: 7,025

Do the Spitfires of today use the same amount of power from the engines to take off or are they restricted slightly as not to over stress/wear them out.
Is the fuel better now than in the war?.