41 squadron is one of the Oldest Squadrons
in the royal Air Force. It was active at the outbreak of World war two
equipped with Spitfire MK1,s and first seeing action of the East coast of
England in December 1939. In May 194o 41 squadron was based at
Hornchurch, the squadron was involved in combat over Dunkirk and during
the spring its pilots were involved in the defense of Britain
against the mass bomber formations of the Luftwaffe during the battle of Britain.
on the 15th August the squadron's small number of serviceable Spitfires
intercepted 90 plus enemy aircraft. 41 squadron flew all mks of spitfires finishing
the war flying the MKXIV.
Royal
Air Force fighter aircraft, maximum speed for mark I Supermarine Spitfire, 362mph
up to
The Seafire 47 with a top speed of 452mph. maximum ceiling for Mk I
34,000feet up to 44,500 for the mark XIV. Maximum range for MK I 575
miles . up to 1475 miles for the Seafire 47. Armament for the various
Marks of Spitfire. for MK I, and II . eight fixed .303 browning Machine
guns, for MK's V-IX and XVI two 20mm Hispano cannons and four .303 browning
machine guns. and on later Marks, six to eight Rockets under the wings or
a maximum bomb load of 1,000 lbs.
Designed
by R J Mitchell, The proto type Spitfire first flew on the 5th March 1936.
and entered service with the Royal Air Force in August 1938, with 19
squadron based and RAF Duxford. by the outbreak of World war two, there
were twelve squadrons with a total of 187 spitfires, with another 83 in
store. Between 1939 and 1945, a large variety of modifications and
developments produced a variety of MK,s from I to XVI. The mark II
came into service in late 1940, and in March 1941, the Mk,V came into
service. To counter the Improvements in fighters of the Luftwaffe
especially the FW190, the MK,XII was introduced with its Griffin
engine. The Fleet Air Arm used the Mk,I and II and were named
Seafires. By the end of
production in 1948 a total of 20,351 spitfires had been made and 2408
Seafires. The most produced variant was the Spitfire Mark V, with a
total of 6479 spitfires produced. The Royal Air Force kept Spitfires
in front line use until April 1954.
Spitfires Over St Michaels Mount by Robert Taylor.
Robert has chosen
to show a Spitfire in the Battle of Britain colours of No 41 Squadron
for his romantic portrayal of a Spitfire over St Michaels Mount, just
off the coast of Cornwall – where the southwest corner of the British
Isles meets the mighty Atlantic. This famous and historic landmark
dating back to the Iron Age is steeped in folklore and legend. The
castle of St Michaels Mount, perched atop a great granite rock that
rises majestically out of the sea in Mounts Bay, for centuries made a
tempting site for fighting forces. Here Robert cleverly uses this
historic fort to provide a symbolic backdrop to a wonderful study of one
of the most beautiful aircraft ever built.
Spitfires Over St Michaels Mount by Robert Taylor. Robert has chosen to show a Spitfire in the Battle of Britain colours of No 41 Squadron for his romantic portrayal of a Spitfire over St Michaels Mount, just off the coast of Cornwall – where the southwest corner of the British Isles meets the mighty Atlantic. This famous and historic landmark dating back to the Iron Age is steeped in folklore and legend. The castle of St Michaels Mount, perched atop a great granite rock that rises majestically out of the sea in Mounts Bay, for centuries made a tempting site for fighting forces. Here Robert cleverly uses this historic fort to provide a symbolic backdrop to a wonderful study of one of the most beautiful aircraft ever built. Victory Over the Rhine by Nicolas Trudgian. Of the many famous combat aircraft to serve their respective countries in the Second World War, two perhaps more than any others, created huge impact and consternation upon seasoned opposing pilots when they first appeared on the battlefront - the Supermarine Spitfire and the Messerschmitt Me262. Both in their day represented enormous advances in aircraft design and power, and both have continued to capture the imagination of aviation enthusiasts ever since. As the war progressed the Spitfire continually upgraded its performance and by the time the Luftwaffes new Me262 turbo-jet arrived on the scene the sleek new Mk XIV, powered by the awesome Griffon engine, was among the fastest piston-engine fighters of the war. The stage was set for a clash between the most powerful piston-engine fighter and the worlds first turbojet, and it was not long before the pilots of these two most advanced combat aircraft met in the hostile skies over western Europe. Ill-advisedly employed by Hitler as the wonder-bomber, the Me262 was initially issued to Bomber Units, one of which being KG51. Tasked with undertaking lightning fast raids upon advancing Allied ground forces, the shark-like jets employed their spectacular speed advantage to surprise, strike and escape. Not to be outdone, the RAF responded with their supremely fast Spitfire XIVs which had already proven themselves highly effective against Germanys V1 flying bombs. In his painting, Nick Trudgian recreates a typical moment: Spitfire Mk XIVs of 41 Squadron have intercepted and damaged a Me262 of KG51 and, with smoke and debris pouring from its damaged Jumo 004 Turbojet, the stricken Luftwaffe jet will be lucky to make it home. A dramatic painting and a fine tribute to the RAFs contribution to the Victory in Europe.
