Was the Spitfire the best fighter of ww2?
The Spitfire is most likely the most famous aircraft from the World War II era. It was the king of low-altitudes, it will be known forever as the plane that turned the tide in the Battle of Britain. The Spitfire was also the most produced fighter for the British and was continuously produced throughout the war.
Who shot down Chuck Yeager?
On March 5, Flight Officer Yeager took off from Leiston Field at about 10:15 in the morning for a mission to Bordeaux. Over France, his flight was jumped by three German FW 190 fighter planes and shot down when 20mm cannon fire cut his elevator cables and wounded him slightly in the right hand.
Why did hurricanes shoot down more planes than Spitfires?
In total Hurricanes shot down more Luftwaffe aircraft of all types than the Spitfire, mainly due to the higher proportion of Hurricanes in the air. Seven out of every 10 German aircraft destroyed during the Battle of Britain were shot down by Hurricane pilots. Losses were also higher among the more numerous Hurricane units.
How many Spitfires were destroyed in the Battle of Britain?
By the time the Battle officially ended, 326 Spitfires had been lost, 76 ‘struck off charge’ and 589 were damaged. However, 808 Spitfires entered service during the Battle, including some of the damaged ones repaired at factories such as the Morris Motors Cowley complex in Oxford.
How many bullets did a Spitfire fire in a minute?
The first Spitfires had the ‘A’ wing, with eight Browning machine guns firing 1,200 .303″ bullets a minute. Each gun had three hundred and fifty rounds, so the Spitfire could fire for about seventeen or eighteen seconds. The ‘B’ wing replaced four machine guns with two Hispano 20mm cannon,…
What was the purpose of the Supermarine Spitfire?
Supermarine Spitfire operational history. The Supermarine Spitfire, the only British fighter to be manufactured before, during and after the Second World War, was designed as a short-range fighter capable of defending Britain from bomber attack and achieved legendary status fulfilling this role during the Battle of Britain.