Fascinating Spitfire start and takeoff vid

[joe bob]

I would think this video would be right up most A2A folks alley.
I find the very asymmetrical flap retraction during during the taxi out interesting as well as the very large control movements on the takeoff roll.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=94d_1378995955

[tbaac]

Interesting, thanks for that. It looks like its a trailer for a DVD. Do you have the DVD? Any good?

Interesting that he said it was a mark i but he didn't seem to pump the landing gear on takeoff.

[tbaac]

This clip looks like its from the same DVD.

Its a short interview with Alex Henshaw test pilot. He confirms that the Spitfire was the best plane around at that time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaCsq-pFgP8

[tbaac]

Joe, I suspect this is what you were saying earlier, but I notice that you can buy a download copy of the video for a fiver from the link that you gave.

Its an hour length video, 1.3gb.

I bought it and I'm glad that I did. There's a nice bit in there watching some basic aerobatics being flown from inside the cockpit, and they talk to several former or current Spitfire pilots.

I also learnt a few things (although I was no expert prior to watching it). I'd wondered for example what the throttle friction lock was for. Apparently its because to raise the landing gear you had to take your left hand off the throttle so that you could use your right hand to raise the undercarriage. Obvious I guess but it didn't occur to me.

I also enjoyed listening to a description of the cockpit whilst imagining A2A's Spitfire cockpit.

The only thing was, the music wasn't quite as good as Cody would have chosen

[joe bob]

I just posted a cool vid I stumbled across on liveleak. I didn't know it was for sale.
I agree that the narration during the maneuvers is great.
I don't think I have seen another vid or photo that conveys what the control column is like.
Much smaller than I imagined with greater movement required.

[tbaac]

Apparently (according to his company's website) Tony Bianchi, the pilot in the clip you posted, flew in the film version of First Light.

I liked the pilot from the BBMF in the film as well.

Some great quotes in there from some of the older pilots, such as:
"A sheer delight to fly.... you just thought what you wanted to do and it did it"

[tbaac]

Sorry to monopolise the thread. The video is about 15 years old I think. There's a discontinued VHS version of it available on amazon as well as a DVD.

Here's another short clip on YouTube. Its not from the same film but does contain 2 of the same pilots talking about the Spitfire:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBCnsjuCExk

Tony Bianchi, the pilot in the clip that you posted appears about 4:30.
Paul Day, the BBMF pilot in the video appears at about 5:39. He's also flown more modern fighters, and in the clip he notes some of the shortcomings of the Spitfire in comparison.

"I think Mitchell got it absolutely right"