Seated in a Spitfire

[cstorey]

Yesterday, for the first, and almost certainly the only , time in my adult life I sat in a Spitfire cockpit ( I did sit in one on Horse Guards' Parade in the 1955 B of B commemoration but I was only 10 at the time ) . This was not in flying condition and I do not even know which model it was . What surprised me, however, was how poor the field of view was ( no parachute pack admittedly but I am quite tall ) , how large the prop was , and most surprisingly how large the aeroplane felt . Perhaps it was one of those aeroplanes which you have to get in the air to feel at home with

[Garry Russell]

That's why they make a curved approach...nice one

[DaveB]

I'm sure I read somewhere that you lose over 2miles of view under that Merlin in the nose though this I guess would change with altitude Certainly pays to throw it around a bit in order to see where you're going

ATB
DaveB

[Garry Russell]

They must've been very difficult to park at the local Tesco's.

[Nigel H-J]

I have many books written by pilots who flew the Spitefire, one book was First Light by Geoffrey Wellum and he described the crash into a Chance Light when making a night landing in the Spit; he was later told to make a curved approach for landing so as to keep the runway in sight after spending about a week being grounded. Also other pilots had remarked on the confines of the cockpit in comparison to the Hurricane which was much roomier.

Would love the chance of being able to sit in one but don't think that would happen, the next best thing is this site:

http://spitfiresite.com/2010/07/anatomy ... ckpit.html

For those who can afford it........a flight in a Spitefire is possible providing you weigh less than 192lb.

http://tigerairways.co.uk/spitfire-flights.html

Nigel.

[Jon.M]

It's all relative.

Here's a Spitfire pilot's opinion of the Messerschmitt Bf109 cockpit: http://youtu.be/-9YVei2Yb_k

Jon

[DaveB]

Yep.. I'd always believed the 109 cockpit was far worse 'size-wise' than a Spit and it was more difficult to get out of in an emergency. As you say Jon.. it's all relative

ATB
DaveB