What do the circles on a Spitfire mean?
roundel
How do you identify a Spitfire?
There are several clues:
- Wing shape. The Spitfire has elliptical wings, while the Hurricane’s wing has a straight leading edge, a straight trailing edge and a rounded tip.
- Canopy shape.
- Radiator: The Spitfure has one radiator under each wing.
- Main landing gear: The Spitfire has a narrow.
What is the flag on the tail of a Spitfire?
Why is there a french flag on the tail of the spitfire? It is the RAF fin marking. The French features a ligter blue.
Why did the Spitfire have a target on it?
It’s a cunning plan to avoid being shot down because if you aim AT the roundels then you will miss. The secret is to aim in front of the roundels.
Why did the Spitfire have a target?
During the First World War, the French aviation authority faced a problem with French troops shooting down their own aircraft. To make it easier to ascertain which plane was their own, a roundel, adorned in the colours of the Tricolore, was added to help distinguish its planes from those of the enemy, to great success.
Did Spitfires ever carry bombs?
Spitfires helped to provide air superiority over the Sicily, Italy, and Normandy beachheads and served in the Far East from the spring of 1943. Fighter-bomber versions could carry a 250- or 500-pound (115- or 230-kg) bomb beneath the fuselage and a 250-pound bomb under each wing.
Did the Spitfires fight zeros?
British Spitfires engaged Japanese Zeros over Australia, and in the Pacific theatre. Not so much in Burma, as the Zero was a Navy plane rather than an army plane. The Spitfires weren’t on the whole the latest models at first, and the pilots were used to being able to out turn pretty much anything.
How did Spitfire pilots navigate?
A variety of technical navigational aids were also used as well, some of which were quite important in weather and at night. Homing beacons were employed, the most famous of which was the RAF’s Gee system, which was a directional beam that was detected and homed in upon.
What was the life expectancy of a Luftwaffe pilot?
Life Expectancy The average life expectancy of a spitfire pilot during the Battle of Britain was an astonishing four weeks.
How many B 17 Crews died?
That is the relevant consideration for this account. Of the 3,885 crewmen aboard B-‐17 Flying Fortresses that went down, 2,114 (54.4 %) did not survive; 866 of the 1,228 on B-‐24 Liberators (71.3%) died; 190 of the 236 (80.0%) fighter pilots who went down perished.
What is the difference between AB 17 and a b29?
The B-29 is much longer than the B-17 is, by almost five times as much! On top of this, the B-29 has a much longer wingspan, by almost 50%! Boeing also designed the B-29 to have a much larger bomb bay.
How much does a B-17 cost?
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
| B-17 Flying Fortress | |
|---|---|
| Primary users | United States Army Air Forces Royal Air Force |
| Produced | 1936–1945 |
| Number built | 12,731 |
| Unit cost | US$238,329 (1945) US$2.6 million (in 2016 dollars) |
What was the B-17 used for?
Developed by the Boeing Company in the 1930s, the B-17 was a four‑engine heavy bomber aircraft used by the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. It was a very effective weapons system, dropping more bombs during the war than any other American aircraft.
Was the b24 better than the B-17?
But, the record of the two types indicates that, of the two, the Liberator design was more versatile and considerably more advanced than that of the Flying Fortress. The combat records of both types contradict the assertions that aircrews flying B-17s were “safer” than those in B-24s.