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While I don't disagree with this individual's perspective (he was there!) I'd also take into account that his opinion was based on his environment and what he witnessed. Did he mention what squadron he served in?Just read something interesting. Of course everyone knows that Hurricanes outnumbered Spitfires in the Battle of Britian. But an RAF fitter said that had they had nothing but Spitfires, even in equal numbers to the Spitfire/Hurricane mix, they might well have lost.
He said that they could turn around a Hurricane in only nine minutes, while a Spitfire required 26 minutes. He thinks that turn around time was a crucial element.
3 minutes!I'll bet a P-39 could have done it in five minutes!
5 minutes, the tea has got to steep for at least 3 minutes.3 minutes!
3 minutes!
That was because the cannon jammed and the bombers they were intercepting were too high to get there anyway.3 minutes? Don't be silly, It was ready for another mission five minutes before it had even landed!
P-39's radios were solar powered. The cowl armor doubling as solar panels. A lesser known quality of the aircraft to be sure. I think it was pilot Buck Rogers that tinkered with the idea of using that solar panel to power an early laser. Engineering attempts failed however as it upset C/G too much.One little known item is that a lot of the RAF fighters in the BoB had battery powered HF radios. I don't know how often the batteries were replaced in those or how long that took to accomplish. And of course after installing new batteries the radios had to be tested as well.
HiJust read something interesting. Of course everyone knows that Hurricanes outnumbered Spitfires in the Battle of Britian. But an RAF fitter said that had they had nothing but Spitfires, even in equal numbers to the Spitfire/Hurricane mix, they might well have lost.
He said that they could turn around a Hurricane in only nine minutes, while a Spitfire required 26 minutes. He thinks that turn around time was a crucial element.
and then notice the swarms of men around the fighters in the posed publicity pictures kindly provided by MikeMeech.Two armourers working together:
- the four inboard .303s - 8 minutes
- the four outboard .303s - 12 minutes
- total - 20 minutes