Spitfire Float Planes (1 Viewer)

[Shortways]

I am looking for original documents of the Spitfire Float Plane. If any exist at all?

When one searches on the internet, the dubious AI results often talk about the water-rudders being retractable. This would require a special cockpit control; However, I seriously doubt this was the case, when looking at pictures of the floats and water-rudders.

Does anyone have anything that would shed some of light?

 

[MiTasol]

As a general rule water rudders are always retractable. The reason for this is that when they contact the water on landing, if they are extended, the shock loading puts a massive load on the whole mounting area and the forces are such that they slam back and bury themselves in the top of the float. I can promise you that is not a fun repair.

I would severely doubt that the photo you have posted is of the real water rudder on a Spitfire as that water rudder would be of very limited use. Water rudders normally extend well below the bottom of the keel so that they have purchase. That photo screams AI as only a little above the yellow would actually be in the water during operation and so would be essentially useless and floats almost always have blunt ends. I would say always but the Brits did do strange things at times and the weight penalty of a long tapered end would not normally be considered acceptable.

I would very surprised if that was not an AI Computer Rendered Artificial Picture - ie AI CRAP.

 

[Wurger]

Actually the rudders just looked like that. It seems these didn't need to be retracted because these were the integral parts of the floats.

 

[MiTasol]

Thanks @Wurger

As I have said before - I was taught that there are three ways of building an aeroplane, the right way, the wrong way, and the British way. Those water rudders are going to be of very limited use and are definitely not retractable.

 

[Shortways]

Thanks @Wurger

As I have said before - I was taught that there are three ways of building an aeroplane, the right way, the wrong way, and the British way. Those water rudders are going to be of very limited use and are definitely not retractable.

Hi MiTasol. It wasn't AI, but it was a 3D animated model. I used it to show a more detailed example, but as Wurger already showed … they did actually look like this. Apparently, some test-pilots (trained by Jeffrey Quill), who had also flown Schneider Trophy Float-Planes, commented that they did enable a straight line takeoff. This opposed to their previous Supermarine Schneider Trophy aircraft which did not have water-rudders and had a semi-circular takeoff path.

 

[skyking1]

Just an observation, but I would surmise that the ventral extension of both the rudder and vertical stabilizer had a lot to do with how well you can steer it on takeoff.
That greatly improved the low speed leverage, getting into the propwash.
Note the trophy plane totally lacked that. They learned from those semicircular runs.

 

[Oliverlovesplanes]

Spitfire Mk Vb (Float)
War Thunder Wiki
https://wiki.warthunder.com › unit › spitfire_mk5b_float