Читать книгу Engineering Hitler's Downfall - Gwilym Roberts - Страница 66

In 1920, when only 25, he was appointed chief designer and chief engineer of the Supermarine Aviation Company, which specialised in the design and manufacture of seaplanes. These included a number of flying boats for the RAF and of high-speed racing seaplanes which were entered for the annual Schneider Trophy races held in the early inter-war years. Two Supermarine S.5 aircraft were entered in 1927, and finished first and second. The Supermarine S.6 won in 1929. The final entry in the series, the Supermarine S.6B, marked the culmination of Mitchell’s quest to ‘perfect the design of the racing seaplane’. The S.6B won in 1931 and broke the world air speed record 17 days later. When Vickers took over the Supermarine Company in 1928, they made it a condition that Mitchell should remain in post for at least five years. Following the issue by the Air Ministry in 1934 of the specification for a new fighter, Mitchell designed the Spitfire, bringing together a number of ideas originated by others but combining them and incorporating his own skill in designing high-speed aircraft. The first prototype was rejected because of unsatisfactory performance; however, a redesigned aircraft won the approval of the Air Ministry, and the prototype of the modified plane first flew in March 1936. During the early war years the Spitfire proved to be the most effective fighter aircraft. Altogether, Mitchell designed 24 aircraft. Sadly he died in 1937 aged 42, and thus did not live to see the vital role his aeroplane played in the defence of Britain and the free world.