Stability and Control characteristics of the Early Mark Spitfires

[41Sqn_Banks]

Originally Posted by robtek

BTB, to be so condescending on such thin ice, ts ts ts.

150 mph, in a vertikal dive, with a GRADUALLY recovery, surely you'll reach a pretty high velocity before leveling out, accelerating all the time.

That is not a > 500 kg glider but a 3 ton machine with a not that much larger front surface.

Mass doesn't matter in vertical acceleration*. The speed doesn't instantly increase from below 150mph (second stall) to above x mph (aircraft breakup).

[41Sqn_Banks]

Again I don't get the discussion. All source state that spin recovery is pretty standard for Spitfire. The only "problem" is the light elevator/relative instability, which makes precise control more difficult than in other aircraft, but this is only a issue if the pilot is not used to the aircraft.
It's like driving a car with a sensitive clutch. You must be careful on the first day, but after a week it won't make a difference and you make use of the benefits.

[robtek]

Originally Posted by 41Sqn_Banks

Again I don't get the discussion. All source state that spin recovery is pretty standard for Spitfire. The only "problem" is the light elevator/relative instability, which makes precise control more difficult than in other aircraft, but this is only a issue if the pilot is not used to the aircraft.
It's like driving a car with a sensitive clutch. You must be careful on the first day, but after a week it won't make a difference and you make use of the benefits.

The thing is that if a pilot has a stall a bit closer to the ground and has to recover under stress, as the ground is rising to meet him, it takes nerves of steel to first let the speed build up to 150 mph in a vertical dive and then to gradually recover from the dive.

In the Spitfire it should be possible to overstress the plane if not done correctly as there is only about 2lbs per g stick force needed, where in other planes the pilot may not have the power to recover soon enough or to overstress the airframe.

[CaptainDoggles]

Originally Posted by 41Sqn_Banks

Mass doesn't matter in vertical acceleration*

That's only true in a vacuum. You have to account for density (among other things) when in the atmosphere.