Julian Mitchell: It's plane to see that Stoke-on-Trent's Spitfire needs some TLC...
SO YOU think you know about the Spitfire? Well, I thought I did too, until I spent 10 minutes with Mark Harris from Supermarine Engineering in Burslem.
I say '10 minutes' because that's how long it seemed, but then I glanced at my watch as I left the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery – in a somewhat giddy state brought on by Mark's strong dose of facts and figures combined with my own equal measures of heady delight, burning pride and the feeling that I was truly, tremendously inspired – and it was nearer to two hours.
Not surprising, really. There was much to learn. With a nod to my own (I had thought quite robust) knowledge about the Spitfire, Mark had generously skipped the typical introduction that 20,351 Spitfires were built between 1938 and 1948, 24 different marks etc, and instead started with the fascinating racing pedigree of Supermarine Aviation Ltd.
In 1913 the company had started to produce sea going aircraft, but then became known worldwide for its racing sea planes which achieved glorious success in the pre-eminent competition of the time, the Schneider Trophy.
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Just as Formula 1 is today acclaimed globally as representing the 'cutting edge' of extreme motoring, the seaplanes of the 1920s and 1930s were actually the driving force behind aviation advancement.
The seaplanes created by Supermarine Aviation's chief designer Reginald Mitchell and his team not only won the trophy outright in 1931, having won in 3 successive tournaments, but they broke the world air speed record twice in the process. Impressive.
This racing pedigree, Mark explained, is actually why the Spitfire was relatively difficult to construct.
Whilst the German aircraft could utilise production line techniques due to simplicity of design, the Spitfire was by and large individually hand-crafted. Those iconic streamlined curves required the internal parts to be hand twisted using jigs, with no two planes ever being quite identical. It's the old adage. True beauty is never mass-produced, and perfection takes time.
I must confess that, throughout my life, I have been fascinated by the history of my great uncle, Reginald Joseph Mitchell, and deeply impressed by his unquestionably brilliant talent.
RJ Mitchell died in 1937 aged only 42. That's younger than I am now, I often think. Yet how he lived his short life to the full – designing and producing 24 spectacular aircraft of widely varying types.
These same aircraft fascinated and captivated me, even in my earliest years, and would ultimately guarantee me a plentiful supply of source material for my numerous school projects. So when I was approached by Neil Gilson to join a small group of enthusiasts and Potteries Museum and Art Gallery staff and helpers, who wanted to preserve the Spitfire in the Hanley Museum and Art Gallery, how could I say no? I was intrigued, excited and eager to help.
I knew that several similar attempts had been made in the past but they all seemed to have stalled and the aircraft is now in serious need of help.
It's most poignant, I feel, that this 'old bird' is finally at rest in Hanley but it needs some serious TLC. After all, those iconic aircraft were only built with a lifetime expectancy of a few hundred hours.
They literally gave their flying lives to save a nation and to secure a tribute in our history books.
A sobering thought, indeed.
And yet our RW388 has outlived this rather doomed prophecy, and will soon celebrate its 70 birthday (2015) in the Spitfire Gallery, one of two homes to showcase the aeroplane since it was gifted by the RAF to the City of Stoke-on-Trent in 1969. Surely, I reflected, we have a duty of care to ensure this birthday is celebrated in style? Hence 'Operation Spitfire' was born.
Operation Spitfire is a group of local enthusiasts, committed to raising funds to help with the Spitfire restoration, engage and involve the local community in the process, whilst also working alongside the museum in order to bring the Spitfire Gallery itself 'to life'.
The Spitfire restoration project is to be an innovative 'open plan'. Much of the critical work to the aircraft will be carried out in situ, in front of museum visitors, thereby creating a truly interactive experience.
Most exciting of all is our unique cockpit simulator with the potential for full AV and sensory functionality. We want visitors to have some concept of what it's like to fly a Spitfire and experience the sounds and the smells.
It will be created through a partnership of local education and business.
A mobile unit, with a home in the Spitfire Gallery, but equally transportable to any location, will allow us to show off this cockpit and let visitors take the controls and enjoy an authentic flight experience.
Thanks to a most generous donation from Stoke City and bet 365's chairman, Peter Coates, the construction has already begun.
The cockpit is being made from Duralium, the original material used in Spitfires and will be populated by parts made by local students from copies of original drawings.
Students and apprentices of all levels can be tasked with real projects to demonstrate their skills.
By collaborating closely for example with the JCB Academy – a true Centre of Excellence – we can offer a fresh platform for new talent to springboard from.
Finally, we want to help the museum upgrade the Spitfire Gallery. 'Inspiration through restoration' is our mission.
A little while ago, our group penned the words, "Our Past, Their Future" to encapsulate what Operation Spitfire is looking to achieve.
The Operation Spitfire Group welcomes any form of support from individuals, enthusiasts, businesses or educational institutions. If you would like to get involved, please visit our website at: www.operationspitfire.org.uk for details.
A fund-raising dinner for Operation Spitfire will take place at the Britannia Stadium on Friday, March 22. To buy tickets or secure one of the few remaining tables contact Neil Gilson on: 07902 156860.