Aerei Supermarine: libri illustrati di storia e guide

Supermarine 1913-63

It may be hard to imagine in 2012, but Great Britain was once filled with a plethora of aircraft manufacturers. One hundred years ago, the seeds of many of them were being sown, as the demand for aircraft gained pace following the outbreak of the First World War. Not all survived following the armistice and the subject of this book, Supermarine, only kept going by the skin of its teeth and certainly did not settle into a profitable aircraft manufacturing business until the mid to late 1920s.
However, with the genius mind of Reginald Joseph Mitchell on board, the company could do no wrong and without doubt, the company's most famous and well-known product was the Spitfire.

The colossal orders received for the fighter set the company on a steady post-war course which, once again, was a period that saw other companies fall by the wayside. Following Mitchell's demise, we must not forget the man who carried the baton, Joe Smith, who developed the Spitfire and Seafire into a machine that remained in production for ten years, ultimately ending its service career in Korea. Smith did not just ride on that back of Mitchell's designs and was responsible for the Spiteful, Seafang and the Attacker to name but a few.

This book gives readers an insight into the aircraft produced by Supermarine, and those that did not quite make it, as well as a history of the aircraft company itself.

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Fleet Air Arm Legends: Supermarine Seafire

Renowned naval aviation author Matthew Willis tells the story of the Supermarine Seafire - a navalised version of the famous Spitfire adapted for use on aircraft carriers.
Some 2646 examples were built and saw action with the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm from November 1942 until after the Korean War in the early 1950s. It was involved in combat during the Allied landings in North Africa (Operation Torch), the Allied invasions of Sicily and Italy, the D-Day landings, and Operation Dragoon in southern France.
With the Pacific fleet, the Seafire proved capable of intercepting and destroying the feared Japanese kamikaze attack aircraft.

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Supermarine Southampton - The Flying Boat that Made R.J. Mitchell

The Supermarine Southampton was the first in a series of successful flying boats designed by Supermarine's R.J. Mitchell and was the first one to be designed for the RAF after the First World War. Produced between 1924 and 1934 it entered into RAF service in 1925 and became the second longest serving (behind the Short Sunderland) and one of the most successful of the inter-war flying boats.

In an unusual move for the times, the Air Ministry ordered six Southamptons straight from the drawing board as the design had been based on the success of the experimental Supermarine Swan amphibious aircraft. So successful was the aircraft that a further twelve were ordered in July 1925.

The Southampton was a hugely successful aircraft for the RAF, the aircraft's main sponsor, and was used for reconnaissance duties and as a patrol aircraft. It became best known for a series of publicly lauded long-distance flights, the intention of which was partly 'flag waving' and partly for gaining valuable experience of flying boats in remote waters. The 1927 Far East Flight became known for the Southampton's display of its prodigious range and reliability.

The Southampton was a very successful series of flying boats with sales also being made to Argentina, Turkey and Japan almost doubling Supermarine's business in just a few years. A total of eighty-three of all types were built, all of which are revealed in this unrivalled collection of archive images, the majority of which, having been drawn from private collections, have not been published before.

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Supermarine Rolls-Royce S6B Manual (1931) - Record-breaking racing seaplane, winner of the Schneider Trophy (Haynes Aircraft Manual)

Il 13 settembre 1931, il Trofeo Schneider fu vinto dalla Gran Bretagna a Southampton Water dal Tenente di Vascello John Boothman, ai comandi del Supermarine S6B, S1595, con una velocità media record di 379.08 miglia orarie.

Pagine del libro "Supermarine Rolls-Royce S6B Manual (1931) - Record-breaking racing seaplane, winner of the Schneider Trophy"

Ralph Pegram racconta la storia delle competizioni per il Trofeo Schneider e descrive lo sviluppo dei progetti britannici di idrovolanti ad alta velocità.
Esamina l'anatomia dell'S6B (compreso il motore Rolls-Royce R), offrendo inoltre rare informazioni sulle sue caratteristiche di volo e su come veniva mantenuto, utilizzato e, naturalmente, impiegato nella competizione finale.

Maggiori informazioni sui manuali Haynes per aeromobili

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Beyond the Spitfire : The Unseen Designs of R.J. Mitchell

La storia popolare tende a semplificare, e i racconti sulla vita e la carriera dell'ingegnere aeronautico RJ Mitchell non fanno eccezione. Ricordato soprattutto per il suo epocale progetto dello Spitfire, i suoi altri progetti - molti dei quali fallimenti e delusioni - sono stati in gran parte ignorati.

Come progettista per Supermarine, Mitchell ha prodotto un'enorme quantità di concept, progetti e idee che non hanno mai superato la fase di progettazione. In "Beyond the Spitfire Ralph Pegram" vengono portate alla luce opere inedite di Mitchell, nel tentativo di valutare l'intero portfolio di uno dei più talentuosi progettisti aeronautici britannici.

Illustrato con una combinazione di disegni preparatori e impressionanti rendering CGI dei progetti di Mitchell, questo libro rappresenta un contributo prezioso e indispensabile alla nostra comprensione dell'opera di un uomo spesso definito un genio.

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Supermarine - An Illustrated History

Nel 1904, un eccentrico inventore di nome Noel Pemberton-Billing si interessò alle macchine volanti. Nello spirito dei pionieri che precedettero i fratelli Wright, si lanciò dal tetto di casa sua in un volo che si concluse a circa 9 metri di altezza.
Da questi umili inizi nacque un'azienda che arrivò a produrre l'aereo da combattimento più famoso e immediatamente riconoscibile al mondo: il Supermarine Spitfire.

RJ Mitchell, la mente ingegneristica di punta della Supermarine, progettò ben ventiquattro velivoli diversi durante i suoi vent'anni di lavoro presso l'azienda. Lo Spitfire, la sua più grande creazione, si è guadagnato uno status leggendario raramente concesso a semplici macchine.
Dopo la prematura scomparsa di Mitchell e la distruzione della fabbrica per mano della Luftwaffe, la Supermarine proseguì con nuovi progetti radicali per l'era dei jet.

Il percorso che ha portato allo Spitfire e ai suoi successori a reazione è uno dei viaggi più straordinari nella storia dell'aviazione. Dalla fondazione del primo aeroporto, ai record stabiliti dagli idrovolanti da corsa e alle spedizioni di un anno a bordo di idrovolanti oltre i confini della civiltà, la storia della Supermarine ha influenzato il corso della storia mondiale.

Questo libro ripercorre la storia che si cela dietro le iconiche fotografie che hanno catturato lo spirito di quest'epoca d'oro di sperimentazione e di rapidi progressi tecnologici e conquiste umane.

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From Nighthawk to Spitfire : The Aircraft of R.J. Mitchell

RJ Mitchell era praticamente un autodidatta e quasi tutti i suoi aerei erano idrovolanti a bassa velocità. La storia di come quest'uomo proveniente dalle Midlands, una regione senza sbocco sul mare, apprendista in una fabbrica di locomotive, sia diventato il responsabile dello Spitfire è di per sé una storia avvincente.

Questo libro dettagliato ci racconta come Mitchell ha imparato il mestiere, contribuendo alla produzione del complesso Nighthawk (progettato per contrastare la minaccia degli Zeppelin tedeschi) e arrivando gradualmente a costruire idrovolanti da corsa da record che si aggiudicarono il prestigioso Trofeo Schneider internazionale.
Mitchell si trovava quindi nella posizione ideale per progettare un aereo ad alta velocità quando la guerra era imminente. Tuttavia, come rivela John K. Shelton, la produzione del famoso caccia non era affatto scontata e il suo contributo fondamentale alla vittoria nella Battaglia d'Inghilterra fu "una questione di un soffio".

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Spitfire People - The Men and Women Who Made the Spitfire the Aviation Icon

Published to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, this book presents a fresh angle on the Spitfire by examining the contribution to its development and achievements by over 65 people, some famous, others not. Without the courage and tenacity of some leading political and military figures and the hard work of lesser-known mortals, there would have been no Spitfire, no Battle of Britain and no ultimate victory in 1945.

Many people in positions of power played their part in the ultimate success of the Spitfire, but a few staked their reputations on a radical design that brought together the best in British design, technology and ingenuity.

This book tells many significant individual stories.

Political people: Sir Winston Churchill (voice in the wilderness and wartime leader), Air Marshal Sir Wilfred Freeman (senior champion of the Spitfire in the Air Ministry), Lord Beaverbrook (Minister for Aircraft Production);

Design and development people: Reginald Mitchell (chief designer 1934a 36), Joe Smith (chief designer 1936a 47), Jeffrey Quill (test pilot), Ernest Hives (Rolls-Royce experimental head and key player in the design of the Merlin engine), Sir Stanley Hooker (mathematician and Merlin engine developer), the ladies of Vickers Supermarine at Trowbridge (factory workers);

Operational people: James 'Johnny' Johnson (highest-scoring Spitfire ace), Henry Cozens (first squadron commander), Geoffrey Wellum (youngest Battle of Britain pilot), Douglas Bader (Spitfire wing leader and inspirational disabled pilot).

Experimental people: Tony Martindale (RAE Farnborough test pilot), Eric 'Winkle' Brown (chief naval test pilot and the first man to land a Seafire on an aircraft carrier);

Heritage people: Ray Hanna (Old Flying Machine company), Carolyn Grace (the only female owner/pilot in the world), Phill O'Dell (chief test pilot at Rolls-Royce and Spitfire display pilot).

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Spitfire's Forgotten Designer - The Career of Supermarine's Joe Smith

Whenever the Spitfire is mentioned the name of its famous designer R.J. Mitchell comes to mind. However, Mitchell died in June 1937 and never saw his prototype design progress into becoming one of the most famous fighter aircraft of the Second World War.

Working under Mitchell as chief draughtsman was Joe Smith who was greatly involved with the early design of the Spitfire. After Mitchell's death, Smith first became manager of the design department, and then chief designer.

This illustrated book celebrates the inspirational and innovative work of Mitchell, Smith and their successful design team. Including first-hand accounts of members of the design team and apprentices, it reveals a little-known but pivotal figure. Smith's dedication, leadership and the part he played in the development of the Spitfire and post-war jet aircraft have largely been forgotten.

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Seafire F III vs A6M Zero - Pacific Theatre (Osprey)

Products of vastly different design philosophies, the Seafire F III and the A6M Zero were never intended to meet in combat, and never should have.
The Zero, extremely nimble at low speeds was purpose-built as a shipboard fighter. In contrast, the Spitfire was intended to operate from established airfields, and needed to be adapted as a carrier fighter.

The book examines these two iconic fighters and their two very different histories, using fantastic artwork and first hand accounts to illustrate the last aerial duel of World War II, as the British Seafire overcame its critics to emerge victorious over the Japanese Zero.

Contents: Introduction - Chronology - Design and Development - The Strategic Situation - Technical Specifications - The Combatants - Combat - Statistics and analysis - Aftermath - conclusion - Bibliography - Further Reading - Glossary.

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