Spitfire W+B

[oscardeuce]

Anyone have acess to a W+B chart for a Spitfire? I'd like to know what the minimum weight on the tail would be to put the CG aft of the envelope.

[Bill Greenwood]

It of course varies with model and example, but The Spitfire V Manuel may be a good source. I will be back home Tue. to try to find more info. What model amd what engine do you have?

[oscardeuce]

Actually some reseach for a possible TV show. Could a Spitfire take off with someone hanging off the tail ( right on top of the horizontal stabs let's say.

[Raven]

Not only could they, but several actually did. At least two ground crew survived for a landing, and one (who was a WAAF) was alive until at least the 1980s. One (In Italy, IIRC) died when he fell off at height.

These were all 'pilot error'; the groundcrew were draped over the tail to provide weight for a Max power run up, but weren't able to hop off before the pilot took off.

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's Mk.II was the one that the WAAF flew on the tail of.

Discuss over on Flypast's Forum, and you'll get chapter and worse...

[oscardeuce]

I'm a bit surprised. That's quite a bit of weight on a long arm.

[Dan Johnson II]

Actually it was AB910 the B of B flight Mark V that took the gal aloft on the tail. I've seen photos of another Spit with an 'erk' in flight on the tail as well.

A scary ride no doubt

Dan

[Bill Greenwood]

I never considered whether those stories about a passenger on the tail could be true from a physical standpoint. They are widely reported, but I'm not certain of the proof. Wasn't there a reported photo taken of the WAF from another plane in the pattern? Remember the max wt & balance would only come into play in slow flight near stall. If you had enough power and speed it would probably fly. A Spit has so much "flyability". The stall behavior is not only better than other fighters, but of most any plane. What I wonder was trying to hold on in a 150 mph slipstream!