ENGLAND'S GRATITUDE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 64, 13 April 1943, Page 6

ENGLAND'S GRATITUDE

REGINALD JOSEPH MITCHELL

HE CREATED THE "SPITFIRE"

Readers Avhosc money is helping to buy "Spitfires" have probably j wondered Avho designed the plane ] which has caught the imagination ; of the whole Avorkl and given our ; pilots such confidence that they do not hesitate to attack the best Ge-rv man fighters at any odds. The genius behind the "Spitfire" died three years before the. fighter which represented tAvent3*-frve years of designing had become a household Avord. When Reginald Joseph Mitchell died, in 1937 at the early age of 42, Britain lost one of her greatest aircraft designers—perhaps her greatest designer. He had bejm ill for seA T eral years but. the plans of thjiis great fighter plane were complete. If the name of R. J. Mitchell is new to you the reason is to be found in his natural modesty and rather retiring disposition. He Avas good company but avoided, publicity. He "'rose from the ranks," leaving school at. sixteen, but educating himself in science. He Avas nineteen Avhen the Avar of 191-1-18 broke out and wanted to join up, but the Ministry of Munitions refused to release him. Already his genius for design had been recognised.. The Ministry's decision had no great effect, perhaps, on the course of the AA 7 ar of 1914-ilB, but it Avas to have a profound effect on the air Avar of 1940; Hanging in the great hall at the South Kensington Science Museum, which records the history of aviation, is a slim seaplane, looking as fragile as a gnat, its graceful lines in striking contrast to many of t'ho clumsy structures round itThat seaplane Avas one of the. remarkable family of. Supermarine j flying boats and seaplanes Avhi'ch brought Britain a series of victories in the Schneider Trophy races, ending in the trophy being Avon outright. The Schneider Trophy races attracted only passing public interest in Britain. Millions thought that ! building 300 m.p.h. planes wa& all right from a sporting point of vieAV, but after all, "what practical use > could the}* be? Wouldn't the money ■ be better spent on something of - more practical A r alue?

They have, their answer now every time tliey see a "Spitfire"' streaking after fleeing Messersclimitts, for the "Spitfire" is really the "S6" equipped. with landing wheels instead of floats. Of Mr Mitchell incorporated many improvements in the later designs, but the "Spitfire" is a direct descendant of those superb seaplanes which gave. Britain such ascend ancy in the Schneider Trophy that probably even if there had been another race, there would have been no challengers. Miitche.ll gave his whole working •life to designing plarie-s and his name is associated with many types which became famous all over tl 10. world from 1920 onwards. The "Spitfire" was his supreme achievement, perhaps, but many of the- R.A.F. flying boats which have, performed such excellent reconnaissance, convoy and anti-submarine: patrols were products of. his genius. Flying boats were, indeed, his first speciality. He joined the famous'Supcrmarine factory during the : war in 1914-18 and his talent, for design w r as such that at twenty-six he was designing a Schneider Trophy plane. His Sea Lion won the trophy in 1922. Mitchell was one of the first to realise that for sheer speed, the seaplane would be superior to the flying boat. He was also one of the first to understand the. superiority of the monoplana over the biplane. in 1925 Mitchell designed the "S4" one of two seaplanes "commissioned" by the Air Ministry for the Schneider Trophy race. "S4 ?> was a remarkable machine, breaking away from all t.lie previous British traditions for racing plane:?. The work was done in record time. The Ministry gave instructions on March 18. By August 25, Mitchell's "S4" was being tested in

the air. Before embarking for the U.S.A. where the racie wjjis to be held, Mitchell had the satisfaction of seeing his p'ane beat the -world's speed record of '220.75 m.p.h.. although the a- k.'pt secret. 'Ue "S-l" could have beaten the American Gurtiss which ma-'h 232.57 m.p.h. must remain a maH?- nf speculation, for Mitchell had very bad luck. A hangar ~ ~c n damaged the mach-

ine. Mitchell worked with mechanics day and night to get' it repaired., hut it got out of control .short!}* before the race and sank. Mitchell was not discouraged. Ho went on to produce "So," "S(>"' and "S6b" each an improvement on the other. The piloted by Lieutenant Webster astonished the Italians by averaging 281.84 m.p.h. T]ie Italians challenged it and even took the world's speed record, but Mitchell and the Air Ministry had done what was necessary—achieved a "parent" machine of a greas breed of fighters. { Although at. this period the Italians were the only ones who could even approach the British speeds, it is notable that they have been left behind. Their planes did not last the pace. Mitchell —plus British workmanship—was too much for them.