Spitfire wing spar material

[ppopsie]

Does anyone know about the material of the main spar franges on the early to mid models of the Spitfire?

I have got confused because on the very last of this video the narration says the tubes were in steel. But I think that was not unreasonable at the time of building the prototype aircraft.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwima1jX1PU

 

[meritas]

According to Haynes "Spitfire owners manual" , p65, main was 11 SWG (4MM) alluminum alloy

 

[Nate]

Spars were telescoping spring steeel, spar webs were aluminum. One version had an all aluminum spar, but that was a later varient.
Nate

 

[spitfirefive]

The top and bottom front spars are indeed constructed from a series on aluminum alloy box sections placed one inside the other with the number of box sections reducing towards the wing tip.
The photo gives the idea explained above. The photo shows the wing of our MkVc which is under restoration at the moment.
Hope that helps,
Kind regards,
Dave

 

[ppopsie]

Thanks guys. I got Haynes' manual too. It must be a fantastic approach in the early days of the metal skinned airframe designing, but I wonder was this RJ Mitchel's original idea or not?