Читать книгу Engineering Hitler's Downfall - Gwilym Roberts - Страница 63

Among the persons principally responsible for the RAF being equipped with Hurricane and Spitfire fighters were Air Chief Marshal Sir Edward Ellington, who introduced a number of far-reaching expansion schemes; Wing Commander R. T. Williams and Squadron-Leader Ralph Sorley from the Air Ministry; and Sidney Camm and Ronald Mitchell, the chief design engineers of the Hawker Aircraft Company and the Supermarine Aviation Company respectively. The 1934 Air Ministry Specification F.5/34 was the original basis for these two fighter aircraft. However, following discussions between the officers and the two manufacturers, modified specifications were developed, F.36/34 and F.10/35 being the geneses of the Hawker Hurricane and the Supermarine Spitfire fighters respectively. The specifications required aircraft with a minimum speed of 500 km/h (310 mph) and were designed to be powered by the newly developed Rolls-Royce Merlin engines.