From the 1941 study, it sounds to me that hi-speed rolling was not a strong point
Rolling was never really a Spitfire strength, partly because of the large area of wing tip outside of the aileron; the clipped-wing Spitfires had a better roll-rate at all speeds than those with conventional wing tips while those with pointed, high altitude tips were worse. Another part of the problem was the fabric covered ailerons, still fitted to the NACA Spitfire Va, which tended to "balloon" at high speeds, further reducing their effectiveness.
09-06-2012, 08:12 PM
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