R J Mitchell

R J Mitchell PDF

Author: Gordon Mitchell

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2011-10-24

Total Pages: 454

ISBN-13: 0752474480

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The Spitfire began as a near disaster. The developments of this famous aircraft took it from uncompromising beginnings to become the legendary last memorial to a great man - and elegant and, with its pilots, a highly effective, weapon of war. The Spitfire would not have happened at all, however, without Mitchell's indomitable courage and determination in the face of severe physical and psychological adversity resulting from cancer. His contribution to the Battle of Britain, and thereafter to the achievement of final victory in 1945, was so great that our debt to him can never be repaid. This poignant story is written from a uniquely personal viewpoint by his son, Gordon Mitchell.

Schneider Trophy to Spitfire

Schneider Trophy to Spitfire PDF

Author: John Shelton

Publisher: Haynes Publishing UK

Published: 2009-02-15

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781844255306

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This is the first book to give a comprehensive account of the entire design career of legendary aircraft designer Reginald J. Mitchell. Renowned as the creator of the iconic Supermarine Spitfire fighter, Mitchell was also responsible for the sleek record-breaking seaplane aircraft that won outright the Schneider Trophy in 1931, and other classic designs such as the Stranraer and Southampton flying boats. John Shelton examines Mitchell’s 28 designs and recounts how each of his aircraft emerged in response to contemporary requirements and to prevailing design philosophies.

R.J. Mitchell, Schooldays to Spitfire

R.J. Mitchell, Schooldays to Spitfire PDF

Author: Gordon Mitchell

Publisher: Tempus Publishing, Limited

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 342

ISBN-13:

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Biografi over den enkelske flykonstruktør, der skabte det fra 2. verdenskrig kendte jagerfly Supermarine Spitfire skrevet af hans søn.

R. J. Mitchell: To the Spitfire

R. J. Mitchell: To the Spitfire PDF

Author: John Shelton

Publisher: Fonthill Media

Published: 2023-04-16

Total Pages: 809

ISBN-13:

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R. J. Mitchell at Supermarine is the definitive account of the life of Britain’s best-known aeronautical engineer. Shelton calls upon unpublished letters, extensive press accounts, and updated material from his previous publications, concentrating particularly on the harsh conditions of Mitchell’s apprentice years, the precarious state of the aircraft firm he joined, and moments of good fortune of which he took advantage. He was a ‘chancer’ as well as a methodical developer of, mainly, slow flying seaplanes. Mitchell’s progress from draughtsman, with no formal training in aeronautical design, to internationally known chief designer is charted through a chronological study of his designs, revealing a formidable work ethic with a complex personality that combined ‘dreams and common sense’. It will also be shown how the success of his high-speed Schneider Trophy designs propelled him reluctantly into public attention and how his anxiety for his pilots’ safety matched an equal concern that his designs should not let down an expectant nation. Later expectations on him to produce a ‘killer fighter’ were equally daunting, and the outcome was often uncertain, but details of colleagues’ accounts highlight the essential and unique contribution of R.J.’s experience and drive to the eventual appearance of the iconic Spitfire.

The Four Geniuses of the Battle of Britain

The Four Geniuses of the Battle of Britain PDF

Author: David Coles

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

Published: 2012-10-24

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 1783033843

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"Had it not been for the vital contributions of the four men and their inventions described in this book the Battle of Britain could not have been won by the Royal Air Force. Each of these brilliant men contributed enormously to the aircraft and equipment upon which the gallant RAF fighter pilots depended to take on and defeat the hitherto overpowering Luftwaffe during Hitlers European onslaught. Watson Watt was the moving force behind Britains vital early warning radar network that allowed Allied fighter aircraft to intercept the incoming German bomber raids. Henry Royce was the driving force throughout the development of the Merlin engine that powered both the Hurricane and Spitfire.Sydney Camm persevered with the design of the Hawker Hurricane which was to destroy more Luftwaffe bombers in the Battle than any other type. It was amazingly resilient and provided an extremely stable gun platform. Never living long enough to see the success of his beautiful Spitfire, RJ Mitchell was the designer of the only British aircraft that could outperform the Nazi Bf 109s fighters and which allowed the attacking Hurricanes a little more safety while doing their job below. This is the story of those men behind the scene of the greatest air battle in history. "

Beyond the Spitfire

Beyond the Spitfire PDF

Author: Ralph Pegram

Publisher: History Press

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780750965156

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Was R.J. Mitchell truly a genius? Delving into the projects that remained stuck on the drawing board. Reginald Mitchell's death at just 42, soon followed by the defence of Britain by pilots flying his finest creation, the Spitfire, elevated him to legendary status. He spent his whole career as a designer with Supermarine, whose products came from his pen or those that worked under him. Histories focus on the successful aircraft; those that failed to make the grade tend to be glossed over. But beyond this is a large body of concepts, early designs and projects that have never seen the light of day, the ideas generated by Mitchell and his team that never left the drawing board ; stepping- stones on the way to later aircraft, sketched out concepts that withered on the vine, and projects that failed to attract orders. This book attempts to look at the entirety of Mitchell's portfolio in perspective. Was Mitchell truly a genius? Hopefully this book will allow the reader to draw their own conclusions.

From Nighthawk to Spitfire

From Nighthawk to Spitfire PDF

Author: John Shelton

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2015-07-06

Total Pages: 226

ISBN-13: 0750965509

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R. J. Mitchell was virtually self-taught; surprisingly, almost all his other aircraft 24 aircraft were slow-flying seaplanes. How a lad from the land-locked Midlands, apprenticed to a locomotive works, came to be responsible for the Spitfire is a great tale in itself. This detailed book tells us how Mitchell learned his trade – from 1916, contributing to the production of the cumbersome Nighthawk, designed to combat the German Zepplin threat, and gradually coming to produce record-breaking racing floatplanes which in 1931 won outright the prestigious international Schneider Trophy. Mitchell was thus well placed to design a high speed aircraft when war began to threaten, but Dr Shelton reveals the production of the famous fighter was by no means a certainty and how, indeed, its vital contribution to winning the Battle of Britain was ‘a very close run thing’.

The Grand Designers

The Grand Designers PDF

Author: John D. Anderson Jr

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2018-03-22

Total Pages: 318

ISBN-13: 1108340563

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The airplane has experienced phenomenal advancement in the twentieth century, changing at an exponential rate from the Wright brothers to the present day. In this ground breaking work based on new research, Dr John D. Anderson, Jr, a curator at the National Air and Space Museum, analyzes the historical development of the conceptual design process of the airplane. He aims to answer the question of whether airplane advancement has been driven by a parallel advancement in the intellectual methodology of conceptual airplane design. In doing so, Anderson identifies and examines six case histories of 'grand designers' in this field, and challenges some of the preconceived notions of how the intellectual methodology of conceptual airplane design advanced. Filled with over one hundred illustrations which bring his words to life, Anderson unfolds the lives and thoughts of these grand designers.