How The Spitfire Became An Aviation Masterpiece | The Birth Of A Legend | Timeline
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- Опубліковано 26 чер 2024
- Check out our show Real Fake History's episode on the Battle Of Britain! 👉 • What If Nazi Germany H...
To this day, the Spitfire remains in our minds as the fighter aircraft that saved Britain from invasion and defeat. Spitfire: The Birth of a Legend tells the story of this legendary aircraft from a radical design on the drawing board to the fighter aircraft that became the symbol of Britain’s determination to fight on to victory. The story, along with dramatic archive and colour films of aerial combat, graphically illustrates the appeal and fascination the Spitfire has maintained since it fought in WWII. Featuring interviews with Alex Henshaw, pre-war record-breaking flyer, as well as the pilots who flew and fought in this celebrated aircraft in its finest hour against the Luftwaffe.
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What if the RAF had lost the Battle of Britain? Would the Brits have been overrun? Would the Nazis have won the Second World War?
Top historians debate one of the biggest what-ifs in history: ua-cam.com/video/OaH2-g04cIA/v-deo.html
Hi
The big problem for the Luftwaffe is they could not win. They might have done a lot of damage to fighter airfields but couldn't put them out of action. The best they could have hoped for would be to force Fighter Command to withdraw North of London or West, but that would still leave a strong RAF and of course the Royal Navy. It would have been impossible for Germany to get canal barges across and land on beaches with enough troops, tanks and guns as well as ammunition to stand a chance. If somehow Germany could have landed 100,000 troops and 1,000 tanks along with fuel, ammunition and food they would still be facing rather bad odds but I fail to see how they could have got a fraction of that to Britain then it gets worse for Germany they would have to take the remaining barges back to bring more fuel, ammunition and food as well as replacements for any lost tanks or weapons.
What If Or But...!!!
@@barrierodliffe4155 I agree. The Germans simply didn't have the logistical capability of putting a large invasion force ashore on British beaches. Getting a large force across the Channel is difficult enough if the troops only have their rifles with them (as what happened with the BEF in the Dunkirk evacuation). Getting their vehicles and, most especially, their tanks ashore would've been something else entirely. And that's not even factoring in fuel, ammunition and rations. Germany didn't possess landing craft to put tanks ashore. They'd have to capture a harbour, which would be suicidal with a direct assault (as Dieppe evidenced), and trying to take one after landing a distance away would be difficult and time consuming...plus it would be certain that the retreating British would destroy all facilities to deny them to the enemy.
Another factor is the weather. By early autumn, the English Channel would have been almost untenable, making the crossing of an invasion force even less likely to succeed.
If Germany had attempted an invasion, they might've been able to put an initial force ashore if they had surprise and temporary command of the air. However, bad Channel weather would've made reinforcing and resupplying in sufficient quantities almost impossible, if they were landing on beaches. As well, the Royal Navy would've come out and engaged the German fleet. The Wermacht invasion force would've soon found itself ashore, but without tanks and pinned down on a beachhead...or perhaps even encircled inland. (I can see Churchill, if they control of the Channel back, giving orders to allow the invasion force to advance, to enable it to be encircled.) The end result would've been a total surrender of the invasion troops.
It wouldn't have ended the war, but it certainly would have knocked Germany down a few pegs.
Chris Whitbre
I love how they included the German pilot perspective interview in this. That's something you don't get to see a lot, from what I've watched. Awesome doc.
Yea they are all brave men..
monoplanes are awesome... spits, mustangs, messers.. beautiful birds
@@robertjohn9684l,,k£∆
🐔🐐🐦Z1 LM
One of the German pilots featured has a book co authored by a friend of mine. “Spitfire on my tail” I think it’s called. Good read.
I wholeheartedly agree.
Best aircraft that has ever been made in my opinion. I live in Southampton and have seen the spitfire fly over many times and i never get tired of the sight and sound of that beautiful aircraft. I only live a short distance from where R.J Mitchell lived in Portswood. My great gran and aunt worked in the supermarine spitfire factor in Woolston during the war to and my grandad has told me some things what they told him including a German air raid that his dad who was stationed on the isle of white at the time saw the German bombers fly up the river and hit the factory.
Best ? Possibly...as an American I am a bit biased toward the mustang in that respect...that said...it is certainly the most graceful and beautiful aircraft ever made...followed closely by the mustang 😊
@@brotherscoobs I will admit and say the mustang is another great favourite of mine
It was the best
they share the same heart. in uk when a mustang fly's over high people will put there life on it and say that's a spitfire lol both planes are my favorite i cant split them @@brotherscoobs
@@brotherscoobs spitfire is the best!
We tend to forget the brave souls who actually flew this wonderful aircraft. Without these pilots the spitfire is just a beautiful aircraft, with the pilots it became simply devastating. God bless those who gave their lives to protect us and god bless all those who continue to do so.
When I look at the Spitfire I do not see a 80yr old aircraft. I mean just look at it, those flawless lines blending in so well together. I think it can't be that old can it? Nothing from 80yrs past looks anything like it. No car, no ship, no train, nothing. No she isn't old at all. She is timeless. I feel the same about the Mustang but she's abit more brute and less grace. Both of those aircraft will still define an aircraft in it's perfect form for 1,000s of years to come. Eternal measuring sticks. Well done R.J.
Warren Chambers ..If the Spitfire were an actress, she would be Joan Collins.
@@wcstevens7 no i would say Audrey Hepburn, she like the spitfire was an eternal graceful beauty.
@soaringtractor All correct apart from the 'radical radiator housing design' The P51 utilised the 'Meredith Effect' to good effect in it's design. This was discovered in Britian in the 1930's. Nothing radical or new about it. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meredith_effect Also the visibility from the early A models and some of the B' wasn't so good until fitted with the Malcolm Hood giving superior visibility all round. Also invented in Britain and used on the later P51B' and P47's as well as other ww2 aircraft. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubble_canopy
@soaringtractor The radiator made use of the Meredith Effect. Not radical at all but a first based on the work of others and the designers at N.A. The Mustangs wings weren't true laminar flow as N.A. couldn't mass produce the wings to the required tolerances for it to have a true laminar flow effect but they did end up with a very efficient wing. The first 2ndWW aircraft to have a similar laminar flow style wing was the B24 which preceeded the Mustang into service. They had the same problem with tolerances. The boundary layer concept on which the laminar flow wing was based was the work of the legendary German aerodynamicist, Ludwig Prandtl. Prandtl hypothesized and proved the existence of the boundary layer long before the Liberator or Mustang was a gleam in anyone's eye.
@soaringtractor First built for the RAF. I totally agree, she was a wonderful aircraft when equipped with the best engine.
I love the Spitfire but the real winner was the Merlin engine. Given how standard it became for the RAF it deserves a pedestal of its own.
Merlin = Spitfire, Hurricane, Lancaster, Mosquito, Mustang, various boats, tanks and so on!
The Merlin has it's pedestal, it's in Jay Leno's personal garage. His showcase Merlin is a beautiful work of engineering and art.
The Merlin is a fabulous engine in it's own right...
The Spitfire and Hurricane were designed to take the Rolls Royce Merlin engine.
@@donnyschort6150 And that Donny is a PACKARD built in America version !!! V1650-1 Single stage supercharged !!!!
I'm from Belgium and I love the spitfire the most beautiful plane ever made
@@GODSCHILD81 well it's your opinion and I respect that
@@GODSCHILD81
The P 51 had more range and that was all, the Spitfire had better maneuverability, better rate of climb, better acceleration and went higher.
@@GODSCHILD81 You have to remember that the Spitfire was an older design built before the war, so that in itself puts it at a disadvantage compared to the p51 mustang, which was much newer. To make any such comparison fair, you’d have to look at two of the most popular and successful variants of each fighter. The P51D and Spitfire MK.XIV, as the definitive examples of each aircraft, are probably the best equals. In most cases, the Spitfire had better performance as an all-purpose fighter. The all-important climb rate for a P51D sat at 3200ft per minute whilst the Spitfire could climb at an impressive 3650ft per minute. The maximum speed of a P51D was 437mph whilst the Spitfire was slightly faster at 448mph. For interception, this was clearly quite important. However, the P51D was generally more specialized than the Spitfire. In it's main role, the Mustang proved itself as a superb escort fighter in Allied bombing raids over Germany. For this role, the American aircraft didn't really need the Spitfire's versatile performance. Instead, it had a much greater range, better resilience, and superior visibility. However, don’t forget, that the p51 mustang’s performance with regards to high altitude and speed was awful, initially-a result of the Allison engine. It wasn’t until the installation of the British Rolls-Royce Merlin that the aircraft’s capabilities improved. The Rolls-Royce Mustang Mk.X later used Rolls-Royce’s Griffon engine and the aircraft became, in its own right, a British variant of the original. In both cases, it was British engineering that solidified the capabilities of the aircraft. Both were very good at what they were designed to do. The Spitfire is arguably the most famous given its role in the Battle of Britain, and the significance that battle played in the overall outcome of the war.
Agreed
I love the spitfire. And I love hearing these pilots talk about their craft in such love, passion and respect.
The Spitfire was truly an amazing aircraft and always will be. One of the best looking aircraft ever in my humble opinion. The spirit of the folks that designed it and built it was very special, always looking to optimize the design and to make as many as possible. What it took just to construct those amazing and graceful wings was pretty daunting. When I think of the Spitfire, I also think of the Hurricane, slightly older generationally so not as fast but extremely rugged and maybe more of the somewhat unsung workhorse of the RAF. I also think of the mighty P-51 Mustang (kind of America's Spitfire in a way) which would not have come into its own without the same engine that powered the Spit and Hurricane.
26:48 Bob Doe quotations
*"We do not want to be remembered as heroes, we ask only to be remembered for what we did ... that's all*
*If you believe in yourself and believe in what you are doing then you are twice as strong as if you don't. That is what I believe and I certainly believed in my right to defend my land.*
*Wing Commander Bob Doe, RAF pilot (1920 - 2010 Age 89)*
*RIP Bob, and Thank you, you will be Remembered indeed.*
GrrMeister yes, but I’d rather be a German than a brexiteer. We’re slowly turning away from freedoms to becoming a part of American imperialism
America has no imperial ambitions anywhere period
@@markgranger9150 *Should have kept out of Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan etc as you appear to view yourselves as **_The World's Policeman_** and 100% Right no matter what damage caused.*
god bless those badass old men. every one of them.
Most of them were atheists by the end of the war? I would like to see a source of that statement.
they saved England from invasion..fact!
Keith Rich w
And women
Creek Walker
Not really. Germany had no capacity to invade britain
I love my P-51D Mustang, but man, the Brits made a beautiful plane in the legendary Spitfire. Love these documentaries.
The Mustang became a success only after it was fitted with the Spitfire engine, the Rolls Royce Merlin
@@john.brailsford7088 A match made in heaven.
@john.brailsford7088 I'm american, but that makes the Mustang even better in my opinion. A british engine and American guns is a perfect representation for how team work played a major part in the allies winning the war.
My grandad was a spitfire pilot during ww2. He would always talk about his flying days at every opportunity he got and boy did he have some damn good stories to tell.
Watched this some 10 years ago, fabulous documentary. Thank you for the upload.
Rubbish, the Germans saved Britian by switching from bombing airbases to London after 100 bomber raid on german civilians in Berlin. History is for victors.
@@sixsixteensevens297
History is written by people who do research unlike you, Germany did not switch, they had been bombing towns and cities in England all along and were losing.
@@barrierodliffe4155 Do your history. Churchill said a place bombed by Germany was London and he bombed Berlin before anyone in his cabinet could complain. Don't worry, there areplenty of Spifire orgasming dimbos.
@@sixsixteensevens297 wat
hope u r well.. its great to hear these old heroes, explaining WAR...without the foresight, of their Commander in Chief Hugh Dowding, & his 11th group commander Air Vice Marshall Keith Park, especially Robert Watson Watt & his RDF [ radar ] , the BOB would not have been won....
Dowding seized on this RDF very quickly, & built his chain home , new pioneering system for the defence of these islands, so again we would have lost. The Big wing theory of Douglas Bader & Leigh Mallory, would also have been a disaster.
Dowding & Park were SACKED, in November 1940, for not partying enough, or believers of spouting outrageous propaganda, was the thanks they got...How do i Know about all this, well it's not from books, so all the above mentioned, came from the lips of the Pilots of 11th group, whom did not mince their words, when, describing the shabby way Dowding & Park, had been treated.
Dowding referred to the American gangster Movies, when he said, if those gangsters, had cars with bullet proof windows, then why not his fighter pilots, & they did get them.
There are numerous docus about fighter command, but the best a brilliant 3 Part documentary about the BOB called Fighting the Blue, & its worth a look, & the anecdotes from the, saviours of Britain, these air warriors, will confirm most , of what I have commented on..
stay safe A Merry Christmas from Scotland
I'm Scottish/German , and had an uncle in the Luftwaffe . He had huge respect for the R.A.F.
99fruitbat booo The Germans lost the war ha ha ha
louis beer reviews and real ales Carft beer Thankfully they did indeed lose . My family fought on the British side . It was some years later that my Scottish father met and married a German nurse , working in Scotland , my future Mother . Her sisters husband had been in the Luftwaffe .
@@louisbeerreviews8964 We lost yes, but we are winners now, have fun with Brexit and fall of Britain :)
If Germany had remained the Weimar Republic (aka no Nazi's) Europe today would have been Communist. Think Warsaw Pact across Europe, including Britain. Do you seriously think that with Stalin dominating Europe, that the 'cold war' wouldn't have turned hot? The vast majority of Britons would have been carted off to the gulags, just like the Russians.
@@bryanjames5234
Just in your dreams, the Nazi's were more likely to make Europe communist.
Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few.
hope u r well.. its great to hear these old heroes, explaining WAR...without the foresight, of their Commander in Chief Hugh Dowding, & his 11th group commander Air Vice Marshall Keith Park, especially Robert Watson Watt & his RDF [ radar ] , the BOB would not have been won....
Dowding seized on this RDF very quickly, & built his chain home , new pioneering system for the defence of these islands, so again we would have lost. The Big wing theory of Douglas Bader & Leigh Mallory, of 12th Group, in the midlands would also have been a colossal disaster.
& thankfully Dowding & Park, basically told them to shove it.
Dowding & Park were SACKED, in November 1940, for not partying enough, or believers of spouting outrageous propaganda, & that was the thanks they got...How do i Know about all this, well it's not from books, so all the above mentioned, came from the lips of the Pilots of 11th group, whom did most of the fighting & they did not mince their words, when, describing the shabby way Dowding & Park, had been treated.
Dowding referred to the American gangster Movies, when he said, if those gangsters, had cars with bullet proof windows, then why not his fighter pilots, his CHICKS, as he called them & they did get them..
There are numerous docus about fighter command, but the best a brilliant 3 Part documentary about the BOB called Fighting the Blue, & its worth a look, & the anecdotes from these air warriors, will confirm most , of what I have commented on..
stay safe A Merry Christmas from Scotland
Those planes were magnificent machines.
But the pilots who were willing to go up and face more experienced enemies deserve a world of credit.
That took courage and determination.
The men in the machines were what really made the difference.
And nads like coconuts.
70 years later and the Spitfire is still a bloody good looking air craft. Also the Merlin power plant needs a mention. RR built some reliable motors in its time too. Thanks for the upload. I enjoyed this documentary.
Real men flying proper machines displaying amazing bravery and will to resist against all odds. Respect
The most beautiful and iconic aircraft ever. That title will NEVER go to any other aircraft. God bless R.J.Mitchell , all who helped design , build , maintain and fly them .
Debatable.
@@WALTERBROADDUS and you would say that the most beautiful and iconic aircraft is?
@@kestrels-in-the-sky My favorite? 🤔 Grumman F7F Tigercat. ua-cam.com/video/Sm7dOl2-XMU/v-deo.html
two spitfire aces came from my village, Johnnie Johnson and Stanford Tuck. Great guys and so ordinary after the war.
Tuck also flew Hurricanes. I read his biography many years ago - " Fly for Life ", as I recall. He was taken prisoner and spent part of his captivity in the famous Staled Luft III
Johnny Johnson Lived in my home town, The Mk IX he thought was the ultimate MK All his 38 victories were Fighters mostly FW 190s.
They were not both born in your village though.
@@spanishpeaches2930 . You will be aware that Johnson was born on Warner Stand that there is a question mark whether Robert or his brother were born on Cotes Road before moving to Catford.It seems that both were recorded as Robert on official documents. Perhaps a parent remarried?
3:30 to 4:40 illustrates just how many holes had to be drilled and riveted. That panel carried across at 4:35 is a real eye-opener. The work involved to make just one one airframe is amazing.
At Dunkirk, the RAF were hardly credited at the time, but dd a much work behind the lines to keep the German army and Luftwaffe at bay.
Kesselring certainly credited the RAF with preveinting many of the Luftwaffe bombers from getting through to attack the troops and ships.
thank you to the man who fought on our behalf we well never forget you. you are legends
Lol now your country has been taken over by Muslims.
And the woman that built these fighting machines. God bless all their soles.
@@bobkebob9980 and the commies.
@@bobkebob9980 do you have a problem with muslims?
They met the Spitfire and times changed! The King!
9:09 I know this is irrelevant but I died laughing at those T34 with german cross
And at @18:45, the M3 half tracks >_< and Pattons, looks like a mingle of the movies Battle of the Bulge meets The Battle of Britain.
The Germans would have loved to have a a few thousand T-34s
most of the footage is from the movie "the battle of britain"... one of the greatest war movies at it's time... most of the machinery is inaccurate I guess because there were't any surviving aircraft/tanks to use, and the visual effects tech was limited... the Messerschmits you see are actually Hispano Suizas
@@fidan2fast Ironically, If I'm not mistaken those Spanish Air Force Me's used in the movie were RR Merlin powered.
*Aces High by Iron Maiden starts to play*
The Spitfire is truly the most beautiful airplane then and now. I could never get tired of looking at a Spitfire.
It's an aeroplane
@@ryreinhardt The 707 or747 are aeroplanes, the Spitfire is far more than that. The Spitfire took us from the biplane age, became the pinnacle of piston engine fighters and took us on to the jet age.
@@barrierodliffe4155 yes the spitfire is really the only legendary plane, there have been many great, and magnificent aircraft but only the spitfire is a legend.
You missed my point, I was pointing out the word is aeroplane not airplane, why it is used I have no idea
I like this narrator very much, with his mildly northern accent and clear enunciation. Well done!
These humble old dudes who saved all our arses, they had a proper set of balls.
Imagine today's 19 or 20 year olds flying to save england . Yea sure .....
I always loved seeing the spitfire in the Hanley museum, glad it’s getting a referb.
remember when it was in the big 'greenhouse' across the road?
100% the greatest fighter plane of WW2.
Melhor documentário que já vi em minha curta vida de 30 anos. Senti tantas emoções, tive tantas lembranças inexistentes de dias que nunca vivi. É difícil explicar. Chorei como uma criança, uma, duas, três, dez vezes e desejei de todo coração ter nascido nessa época. Época em que homens eram homens de fato, patriotas e idealistas. Sinceramente não me encaixo neste século e fico feliz por isso. As feições enrugadas dos últimos pilotos ainda vivos têm mais vida que qualquer rosto jovem atual. Que todos os que viveram essa guerra descansem em paz. Eu realmente estou muito emocionado, obrigado por postar essa maravilha 😭😭😭😭😭
All hail the Spitfire! It is the icon because it deserves the status. Without still forgeting planes like Hurricane.
Just as the B-24 was the workhorse of US aerial bombing operations, the Hurricane was the back bone of the RAF during the Battle of Britain. Regards from the USA.
Bravery at its highest level. Can’t even imagine what they had to go through. The greatest generation!
Not the greatest but one of them. WWI would have been terrifying in the trenches.
@@gordonlawrence1448 How ignorant, you have no clue, the greatest generation indeed.
This one plane gives me the best feeling of pride and has influenced me to join the RAF, so thank you to all those who fought in ww2 as the RAF fighters.
The British spirit, summed up in one magnificent machine. The Spit' will always be a British icon, and deservedly so (although it is a shame that other aircraft like the Hurricane, Mosquito and Lancaster are largely forgotten).
Here in Windsor, Ontario, there's an organization restoring a Lancaster and building an airworthy Mosquito. The Lancaster was previously on display in a park.
Just thought you would like to know that they aren't fully forgotten ;)
WW2 planes of all types continue to amaze people. It helps that so many various types from all countries are being restored or already flying.
A Hawker Typhoon restoration is well underway. That will impressive if/when completed.
Rubbish, the Germans saved Britian by switching from bombing airbases to London after 100 bomber raid on german civilians in Berlin. History is for victors.
The most beautiful plane ever built,for shape and sound there's nothing like it long may it live
Its a collection of metal and screws, thats all.
Rubbish, its like your lawnmower only with oily blood soaked sentiment.
but vulcan
what holds the modern ones together craft paste glue idiot
what do they use these days Craft glueno nuts or bolts come off It mate
I will always love that sweet and gracious elegant elliptic wing. Yes, there were many WW2 exceptional warbirds but none like the Spitfire. I guess that not only England but the whole free world should be grateful with Reginald Mitchell for having created such a flying wonder.
I have had a beautiful print of this airplane as painted by Barrie Clark on my walls for 30 years. I love this plane.
This is a really cool video! I’m only 14 but I LOVE history. Especially around the wwII era. Thank you to all the men who fought!
Good to see a youngster who is interested in this stuff! We should never forget.
Watch the series 'Soviet Storm: World War II in the East', they have it here on youtube, you will not be disappointed.
watch the 1969 Battle of Britain film :)
same im now almost 15 but then i also wad 14 and this plane is magnificent
Thank you for the respect. Young man 🖒
such a beautiful aircraft
Brings a tear to my eye...What a beautiful machine
15:05
“You don’t *fly* a spitfire
You just strap in and *fly* “
10/10
The French ace Pierre Clostermann (33 kills) who served as a fighter pilot in the RAF used to say Spitfire had a "feminine beauty". I agree, she is so gracious.
I look at those videos as often I can, ans I read as many books I can, and I happen to be surprised not to see the name of Richard Hillary whose "The last Ennemy," is very moving. Great men, great aircraft, great History. Thank you for giving us this wonderful video.
(So sorry for my dreadful English).
I personally think that the spitfire is one of if not the most beautiful and graceful aircraft ever created.
My heart remained with the Spitfire. The mere sight or sound of a Spitfire still brings deep feelings. She was such a gentle little airplane, without a trace of viciousness. She was a dream to handle in the air. - Erwin Miller, P-47 pilot, 4th Fighter Group
A heartfelt thank you from generation Z for your service to civilisation on planet earth sir.
There are some who say that this is better than that airplane, American saying he misses his Spitfire so easy to fly and that is what is needed in the heat of battle
Rubbish, the Germans saved Britian by switching from bombing airbases to London after 100 bomber raid on german civilians in Berlin. History is for victors.
Tactical mistake by the Germans gave the RAF breathing space to recuperate and become much stronger.
Seven sevens.
Why resort to lies.
The Germans did not switch, they had been bombing London and other cities all along. The truth is the Luftwaffe gave up on attacking airfields because they were unable to put any out of action.
Such a beautiful plane, I miss seeing them fly. The sound of the Rolls Royce Merlin engine... Wow ♥️
My Mum and Dad spent all of the war doing double shift on Spitfire
I am proud of them and the thousands of the generations that endured WW2
The war that will come will be airborne Not in an aircraft but the airwaves 😢
This is the first time I saw this & I really love it. If you think about in a indirect way the Spitfire was a game changer during WWII. It ran circles around the Luftwaffe. It was also the begining to the downfall of Germany & the Luftwaffe as we know it. Please note this is comming from an American.
Thankyou for your service! 👊
My dad has flown the spitfire and P51 Mustang as a display pilot at airshows and what really surprisesd me was that the Mark 9 featured in the thumbtnail is exactly the same one my dad flew.
Hands down the most beautiful aircraft ever made. Hearing the pilots who got to fly it talk about their experience in it has always been thrilling in and of itself.
WW2 aircraft have a special design quality that makes them stand out, even among modern jets. Top place in graceful, fluid design is the Spitfire, specifically the Spitfire MK IX. Ranking # 2 & 3 are the FW190A, and the P51B/C/D. Not only were these aircraft works of art in design, each was highly effective and made their mark on history. The most overlooked underappreciated aircraft are the Hawker Hurricane and the Grumman F4F Wildcat, each of which held the line and performed superbly, punching above their weight class!
You can add the P-40 to that list. It fought in a lot of theaters, holding the line until better aircraft came along. The Spit, the P-40 and the Wilcat are the aircraft that fought the enemy to a standstill.
@@PappyGunn Absolutely the P40 is on that list. The P40 did get its share of limelight due to Flying Tiger use, while the Hurricane and Wildcat soldiered on in relative obscurity. However, the P40's limelight quickly ended, and the P40's very effective use throughout the war is overlooked. Two thumbs up to you for catching my oversight!
I'm a American but I strongly LOVE the Spitfire it's the most BEAUTIFUL and the most FEARED aircraft of WW2.
I also named my kitten Spitfire due to him being fast, fearsome, and beautiful.
I named my cat BF 109 because he goes downward pretty fast when i throw him off the roof.
93 Octane
Don’t trash the 109. It would be your final undoing had this be 1940
A Spitfire from Duxford just barrel rolled over my garden this afternoon. I heard the Merlin engine long before I saw the plane.
Warbird Lover.
I thumbed down 93 octane for illtreating cats.
The Bf 109 lost in 1940.
Paint a Formula 1 Racing Car in Camo and in 1940 it's was the same thing...
I love their can do attitude and the matter of fact way they talk about engines cutting out and gun malfunctions.
What a beautiful airplane, indeed! Having lived in Britain in the mid-50's, I can attest to the high regard held for the Spitfire by ordinary Britons. Excellent documentary.
As an American. I'm proud to say I'm proud that we were there to help these brave men take back the front and stop the Germans! Thanks
The Spitfire (and it’s variants) was the only fighter to my knowledge that was in production prior to WW2, throughout the duration of the war, and continued after the war with the last ones rolling out in 1948. Many nations operated them in their armed forces for decades after that. This fact alone makes it remarkable.
incorrect. BF109 production started earlier and ended later than the spitfire lmao
@@aerohk you are right, I found out that Hispano was producing their variants of the BF109 as late as 1958. Thanks for pointing that out.
@@piobmhor8529 Actually the Hispano was altered, it had a Hispano engine and later a Merlin engine Bf 109 production ended in 1945, although Czechoslovakia made some after the war.
Although Yaks and Las are way more popular in my country, I never underappreciated Spitfire. Truly a wonderful plane to fly and fight in. Truly a legend.
My great Grandad Fuelled the spitfires in the battle of Britain..
Mad to think how tough these boys were and still are in our blood
Excellent work here as an 'Appendix' to the Battle of Britain film of 1969; it rightly extols the beauty of its design and its heroic triumph shortly before, and during, WWII. Thank you for posting this documentary.
It was, is and will remain a legendary aircraft.
Those planes are BEAUTIFUL
Still puts a tear in my eye when I see a spitfire ,most beautiful plane ever built .🇬🇧
Thank you R.J Mitchell for making the biggest banger in a dogfight scenario
I read somewhere that not only was the Spitfire's wing elliptically shaped as lofted, but its dihedral was elliptical as well--what a jewel of aerodynamic engineering!
The Spitfire and the Mosquito . Thank you .
Fantastic Documentary!!! I really liked the footage and the interviews with the pilots... Just awesome!!!!
Wonderful history of fighter planes so much interesting full of curiosity temptations 🎥
The narrator is the same one that does the British version of "How It's Made"... I keep expecting to see how tires are made or something..lol.
And he used to do The Garage IM THE BOSS OF THIS GARAGE !
I thought I've recognised him already.
he was also in Coronation Street
Absolutely outstanding documentary. It bears the hallmark of BBC excellence. 🙏🏼💛
As child in the fourties i saw tem often in the belgian, Brussels sky. For shure they helped a lot in the victory. I gratefully keep in mind the Pilots who lost their lives and brought a major contribution to the end of WW2. But the friends of yesterday have changed their mind...and Europe will miss them.
"other aircraft like the Hurricane, Mosquito and Lancaster are largely forgotten"?? Not by me
In many ways, the Mosquito was a more exceptional plane than even the Spitfire.
@@psk1w1
The Mosquito was good, bomber, night fighter, fighter bomber, photo reconnaissance, strike fighter.
The Spitfire fighter, photo reconnaissance, fighter bomber, dive bomber, escort fighter.
I would rate them both as the best of their type, the Beaufighter comes a close second to the Mosquito and the Tempest comes a close second to the Spitfire.
@@barrierodliffe4155 I think we are on the same page.....
And me neither
I grew up in the 70's, building every model of all of them I could get my hands on. The P-38 will always be my favorite though. But let's all be honest. anything is a little cooler with an English accent.
Much like cars nowadays, it seems modern jets just don't have the same character and beauty as the older versions before them
Perhaps because then it was the time of trial and error, with more experiments and new design choices.
Nowadays both cars and planes feel more "standartized", with similar designs and modernizations.
To this day the Spitfire inspires generations. To this day the Spitfire can make anyone who sees one up close fall in love with it. I was fortunate enough to see a Spitfire up close 25 years ago, and I fell in love with the Spitfire that very moment. And to this day I would give anything to fly in one.
Rubbish, the Germans saved Britian by switching from bombing airbases to London after 100 bomber raid on german civilians in Berlin. History is for victors.
Seven Sevens Not really....they didn't get air superiority before they switched. It could be argued,(being as Brits are tops in dirty tricks)...that the question was put......How do we get relief for our airfields? And Churchill, being the genius that he was , said....bomb Germany. Adolf will get so annoyed he will say...bomb British towns.........and thus were the Krauts defeated.
However....to be Honest, Britain was bombing targets in Germany right from the word go.......and even then...he would still have to invade. Now I don't know if you have ever crossed the English channel.........?
Give me a FW 190 D anytime,pretty loses to function all day.
@@jameswallis6093
By the time the Fw 190 D came along the faster better performing Spitfire Mk XIV was in service and nothing could beat it.
@Smalls
You will not get much sense out of SixSixteen Sevens who used to be Seven Sevens
Achtung ! Spitfire !
What a testament to those production engineers , with all those moving parts yet made reliable, absolutely awesome
Great documentary-the combat scenes were take form "Battle of Britain"-one of the best WWII movies ever made.
The Merlin, a magical name for a magical engine, this was the engine that realized the incredible performance of the spitfire.
It's actually named after a bird of prey, as were the other RR engines.
Spitfire and De Havilland Mosquito two legends of the RAF
Many more, I lived near 303 squadron at Northolt airfield.
Polish pilots flying Hawker Hurricane fighters. Watched them landing, sometimes with damage to the airframe or streaming glycol coolant.
They were determined pilots.
spitfire . mustang p51 . lighting p38. p47 the jug . bf109 love em all ..built many of them as a kid and radio controlled with my father ..we've had a love affair of aircraft over 50 years ...and dad still flys ..cheers for upload
Bursting with Pride as I see my beloved IWM Duxford, Cambridge, England featured... a must to visit for any plane enthusiasts; a working airfield too, with pleasure flights available as well as the first place for the spitfires flew from during WW2.
Superb! I fell in love with this aircraft when I saw my first one, at an airshow aged about four or five. That would have been about '69 or '70 - but I was smitten! The love affair has continued with me into my 50's.
I went to duxford a few years a go and saw what u believe to be a first for 75 years. 3 mks1 spits in a v formation. Simply orgasmic
Sam I been to duxfourd with my dad and my grandad
You will see more Spit's there now Sam , if you get the chance go back and see. Rob.
Simply outstanding.
A Iconic Aircraft with a history that can not be Rivaled
I doubt that. It was a great aircraft for sure, but just look at the history of the Fw 190 ending in the best prop of its time, the Ta 152.
@@craigveurr452
The Fw 190 had its moment of glory in 1942 but from the Spitfire Mk IX on it was outclassed.
The Ta 152 H was for high altitude so a Ta 152 C was developed with shorter wings and a different engine, few were made and they achieved little.
@@barrierodliffe4155 the A variant was a bit outdated in late ww2, but there was still the Dora. Besides, the Ta 152 H was superior at all altitudes.
@Jack Tangles I disagree with your disagree. But since neither of us can convince the other one, I recommend we'll just leave it there.
@Jack Tangles Again, I won't bother wasting my time for nothing at all since you will stick to your opinion and I will stick to mine.
How fitting and poetic: @21:45 The Me109 sinks down, the Spitfire rises.
Respect to all from this generation of true heroes iv seen loads of spitfire documentaries but this ones probably the best one
8:37 I live near there (Sleaford, about a 1/2 hr drive away). My driving instructor (a retired pathfinder for the British army - he was part of the 6 man team who detonated the Argentine air force fuel reserves) regularly gets me to drive around Grantham. Says it's good practice for urban areas. I'd have to agree with him. It's a lovely place.
The spitfire is the most beautiful thing that flew in the air
Sorry, but the Concorde beat that by a mile
@@Anglolord93 and the SR-71 beat the Concorde by a mile and a half
Not being unpredictable. I'm sure the Russians thought the same things about their own aircraft. From their point of view.
I mean really. Isn't it a fact, that all our opinions are based on our own point of view.
@@axlejohnson9156 seems like your right
@@TheCsel
The SR 71 leaked fuel like a sieve and was so costly to fly and maintain that quite apart from the losses it was retired very early.
This is probably the most well known WW2 fighter plane of all time.
Land of hope and glory. Thank you Mitchell!
I have bought a scale model of the spitfire. And now i am leaning more about it. What great aircraft respect for spitfire and the pilot's that flys them.
I’m learning about this in class
The sense of country is the big issue I get from watching this, as I do when watching American documentaries. Today 2021 there appears to be an attack on proud citizens of their countries history during battles. We fought against fascism and for freedoms, today we see Americans and the EU citizens calling us fascists. Changing the meanings of words to fit the agenda is a large part of what these mean died fighting against. Words do hurt when used as done starting 1930"s.
That’s because this country, and America, or in the early stages of fascism.People in this country don’t recognise it because they think that Britain is immune. Far from it. Because we’ve not had it in the past, we are now vulnerable. The Europeans have experienced it and understand the warning signs.
This Documentery is one of the best I have seen please be more thanks
Spitfire Mk.XVI Externally similar to the Mk.IX, it was powered by the Packard Merlin 266 and was flown with both normal and clipped wings. Total production of the type was 1,054, entering service in November 1944.
Royal Air Force Museum
RIP Geoff wellum
I'll 2nd that . i met this great man and got his autograph. Rob.
35:58 Made me proud to see the Valdemar Atterdag which I think was paid for by exile Danes and flown mostly by Danish pilots.
Ja , Jeg er enig. Tak ska´ De har. Møjn fra Sønderjylland.
Thanks for the posting for this.
Rip Gentlemen of the Royal Airforce.
I really admire the British for gallantry defending their mother country England..what a brave pilots that defeated the powerful German air force !
Thank you!