Welcome to the content of the folder with the striking finds. Unfortunately I can not show everything because it lacks a lot of background information. Furthermore, some items where unusable because of the damp conditions it was once stored in. Especially the unique pictures suffered a lot. It is therefore a pity I can not show all the pictures (maybe on a later date when they all are restored). But I will share the most important findings with you. I can assure you that my heart skipped sometimes a beat. This happened with the design for the Mk VD/E, which had the Rolls-Royce Camelot or the flying ambulance, and what to think about the Twin-Spitfire… Beside the official drawings were some doodles and a few cartoons. Who ever made these drawings and cartoons is a mystery. Some bear a unknown signature, but that’s it. I whish you happy browsing and remember, if the jet had not spoiled it all, what interesting Spitfires could have seen the light of day?

Some of the drawings had some touching up done and had to be ‘unwrinkled’. To bring you the best quality, I had to use some extra memory and therefore the download may take some time, my apologies for that.

One of the first serious projects for a new Spitfire, the F Mk VD, was designed around the Camelot engine built by Rolls-Royce. In principal it were two Merlins with the top one up side down. These 24 cylinder engines could produce a massive 3500 hp that would give the Spitfire a speed of at least 870 km/h.

In the first sketches the spinner had an enormous size and the exhaust outlets of the Camelot were placed on a different place (see drawing above). Later on during the development a simple solution was found and a standard spinner was used. With this solution also the cooling was improved because an inlet could be incorporated below the spinner.

During the first drawings it became obvious that the enormous powers that the Camelot produced had to be considered. In later notation there was an idea to use a contra-rotating propeller. The final prototype became the Mk VE and was first flown early April 1942. After some testifying the project was cancelled because the cooling was not sufficient enough, the radiators could not handle the fast rising temperature. The only built Mk VE was scrapped in the fall of 1944. In my possession are a few pictures of the Mk VE, and the ‘best’ is shown above.

One of the more promising Spitfire projects was the Twin-Spitfire Mk 99. Inspired by the American design of the P-82 Twin-Mustang, Supermarine started to research the possibility if the Spitfire could also be converted in that way. It was a slow progress because a lot of time was wasted on where to place the pilot and navigator/radar operator (In the UK they drive on the left side of the road). But the constructors finally went for the international option. With international sales in mind, they placed the pilot on the portside. Only some drawings are preserved of Sheetproject 10099 Tw Mk 99.

The next generation of the Twin-Spitfire, the Mk 199, was introduced in 1946. It was basically constructed out of two F.21 fuselages. Had the original Mk 99 an elevator rudder connection between the tail sections (see drawing above), on the Mk 199 this was deleted. Research showed that it disturbed the airflow in a rather negative way. And this configuration made it different to the Twin-Mustang. Because of the deleting of the connection there was a problem to overcome with the cables to the rudders of the tailplane. Supermarine had a revolutionary solution to the problem, the rudders became electric powered for a better synchronism. It is known that the (or they?) prototype, the LA333/334, made a few testflights. What became of the aircraft afterwards is unknown. Because of the topsecret development only one picture was released, but one with some heavy censorship (see below).

A project that was waiting for the go-ahead, was the successor to the T9, the trainer version of the Mk IX that was operating with great success in Holland and Ireland. But because of the fast development of the jetfighter, it was built only as a prototype and it never came to production orders.

The unique feature on this version was the introduction of a low bi-plane. The intructor and trainee had the same position as in a normal Spitfire F.XIV (this differs from the T9 where the trainee was brought forward so the instructor had more room in the back). The T-900 was to be constructed out of two F.XIV fuselages with wings bolted together to built one trainer version. But first, a prototype of two Mk V's were 'molten' together and was registerd as Type 900A.

When the first flight was made is unknown (somewhere in the summer of 1946) and ended in disaster. The handling was very troublesome because of the poor aerodynamics. The airflow over the first wing created a reversed effect on the second wing. This made it very difficult to lift the 900A from the runway. When it finaly lifted, it was hard work to stay aloft, and the 900A had to make a belly landing.

The endeavours with this Mk V 900A prototype were soon cancelled. After this failed first project, two Mk IX's fuselages were put together and designated as AT-900. First flight was in December 1946 and all the problems with the aerodynamics were solved one step at the time.

The final version of the Mk T-900 project would have the Griffon 61 (2005 hp) and was (theoretically) to reach a speed of around the 705 km/h. Testing the AT-900 went well and with the aerodynamic problems solved, the final version was created. Two F.Mk XIV's were used, and designated as the AT-900B (RN222). It kept her complete armament so it could be used as a heavy ground-target attack plane.

The AT-900B lacked the trainer facilities, so a navigator could be placed in the rear. The prototype of the AT-900B (RN222) was flown with great success, but it never went into production.

The Spitfire was an offspring from the Supermarine planes on floats which won the Schneider Trophies for Britain. And so it was taken from that plans to develop a sea going aircraft which could be used as a spotter plane with armament. There was the Seafire which operated from aircraft carriers or land base, but this new idea was a single fighter launched from a battleship. To test this new concept, three Mk V's and a single Mk IX were tested as floatplanes, in such places like Egypt.

Under the cover of that these floatplanes were developed for use in remote places where landings strips were scares, such as the Pacific, testing was done. But the true reason was the hunt for German U-Boats. When spotted, the Spitfire was launched, for an attack or to coordinate fire from the ship(s). The first testing of the single Folland float Spitfire Type 889 were very promising. The follow up on the Type 889 was the Type 890 Firecat (after 'Spitfire' and 'catapult') which were basically F.Mk XIV's with a single Folland float.

Testing with the Firecat was done from the battleship HMS Duke of York. Officially the Duke of York was to be deployed in 1945 to the Pacific to lead the British fleet against Japan. But because of 'mechanical' problems it was stationed at Malta. In the Mediterranean the testing with at least two Firecats, Type 890, were done. It was never put into production because the war with Japan, soon was over.

The most farfetched idea by Supermarine was to convert a Spitfire as a ‘vertical takeoff’ version. This design, the VTOLflyer (Vertical-Take-Off & Landing) was equipped with a hinged engine so the propeller was also a lifting rotor. To prevent the fuselage from spinning, a little tail rotor was installed. For extra lift, on both sides of the fuselage, small fans were incorporated in the stabilisers of the tailplane. In this configuration the aircraft couldmake, more or less, a vertical takeoff. At a safe altitude the engine was brought slowly horizontal, so the lifting smoothly went over to a pulling force and normal flight.

Mk VB, AB537 was set aside for the configuration, but not used. Later Mk XIV, RN228 was used to built a mock-up, but a prototype was never built. The idea was probably too farfetched and the whole project was silently dropped.

The standard Spitfire was not a successful nightfighter. To change this, a radar operator had to be incorporated. The best solution seemed to be side by side. This was better than in tandem, both flyers had a better communication this way and it was much more cosy. To accommodate the both flyers the fuselage was widened.

The radar, an A.I. Mk V, was installed beneath the fuselage. The information to the target from this device was given to the pilot by the radaroperator. Despite the widening of the Spitfire, there was no room in the un-heated cockpit for two flyers in heavy jackets, and frustrations run high. A follow up on this idea, was to drop the radaroperator and this task was given to the pilot. Spitfire Mk IX, SL666 (with the designation NF Mk XXVB) was equipped with an APS-20 Radar. First testing were positive and an expectation of a score of 75% was predicted.

NF Mk XXVB, SL666, with the APS-20 was deployed in March 1944 with No.219 Squadron, a squadron at that time equipped with the Mosquito 30 nightfighter, and that operated from RAF Woodvale. The Mosquito flyers were specialist teams, and a single pilot in the nightfighter Spitfire had too much workload and the scoring expected 75%, dropped to 10%. The Mosquito was a far better nightfighter than the proposed Spitfire NF Mk XXVB, and it was not further developed. A very last attempt was done with the Twin Spitfire, but this was also dropped when the war ended.

The first ideas for the Red-Spit came from a Dutchman, J. Peuttiere, who was working at the time with Supermarine. This designer also came up with it’s name, which revered to the Red Cross and the Dutch word for rescue (Redding). The plan was simple. A standard Spitfire could be converted as an plane to repatriate wounded men. The fuselage was stretched one foot (30 centimeters), so a stretcher could fit easily in it.

Behind the pilot a hinged door was installed. Inside the fuselage was room for one stretcher. The cables for the steering were led beneath the stretcher. There was a concern that the door in the monococq structure would weaken the fuselage, but the installed bearings for the stretcher brought enough strength. At least four were built (converted PR Mk XIX’s). It is not known if there was ever a Red-Fire in RAF inventory. But it seems, they were sold to the Israeli air force in 1948.

During the war there were, because of the bombardments and other fire exchange, often big fires which were difficult to control. An aircraft which could bring a load of fire retardant seemed a good solution, especially to difficult places that a fire-fighter not could reach. A lot of Mk I/II's became during the war obsolete when better versions took their place. These unused aircraft were great for conversion testing. And a few were set aside for conversion to the SpitFire-extinguisher.

According to the survived drawings the undercarriage was stretched. The extra room underneath the Spitfire was large enough to accommodate a big tank (1000 imp.gal.) for the fire retardant.

When it was discovered that the fire retardant was not sufficient enough this project was not further developed. After the war obsolete Allied bombers took over the idea of ‘airtanker’ with great success and are still in use in some places in America during widespread forest fires.

I had my doubts to publish the picture below, because it is obvious a fake one. But it is an interesting picture and I like to share it with you. Because it shows that even in the forties pictures were manipulated to give an idea who it eventually would look when the aircraft took to the air or to distribute it as propaganda.

One of the shortcomings of the Spitfire was her range of flying. To overcome this the Spitfire was given droptanks. But this hindered the performance of the aircraft. A research was started to see if it was possible to tank a Spitfire in the sky. A standard Mk IX should be converted with an enormous fuelcell behind the pilot. A Merlin 70 had to bring the Spitfire into the air with a top speed 450 km/h, and rendezvous with thirsty colleagues.

The problem with fighters with propellers was to construct a good working probe and nozzle, outside the propellers circle, to receive the fuel. When the P-51 Mustang with her enormous range reached the ETO, the project was cancelled.

Finaly, I present some plans and ideas that were only in draft form. These sketches are fun to see but in my opinion not serious considered for real development (at the time). An example of such an idea is the Firefort Mk 17B that looked like the Boulton-Paul Defiant, an ill fated fighter with only a gun turret behind the pilot. Lessons from this deception were built into this idea.

An extreme brainwave hit someone at Supermarine in 1943 (according to the date on the back of one of the drawings). Just as the German desigers, the British were just as inventive, as this shows in an idea for a ‘Swing-wing’ version of the Spitfire.

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