The Schmittfire going out on patrol over berlin.







(desciption from aeroplane heaven)
The unusual hybrid aircraft that used a DB 605A-1 engine ( as found in the Messerchmitt BF 109 ) and the main airframe of a MK Vb Supermarine Spitfire. In late 1942 the MKV b aircraft crash landed in Jersey (Channel Islands ) and the aircraft was taken to a testing area within Germany. A suggestion was made that it should be fitted with a Daimler-Benz engine to more adequately gauge the performance against the BF-109. It is at this point that the Aircraft was transported to the Daimler Benz factory. It was found after trying a number of different front ends , that the BF 110 cowlong was a very good fit to the spitifre's corsssection and a new support was made up and the Damiler-Benz engine of the BF109 was fitted.

The addtion of the more powerful engine also added to the operating height of the aircraft as well as the manoueverability of the aircraft. With the strengths of the Spitfire married to the strengths of the BF109 this hybrid aircraft would have made a formidable foe. As it turns out the aircraft was destoryed along with a number of other aircraft during an American bombing raid during August 1944.

What might have been.

she can be found here...http://www.heavenlyhangars.com/ahmembers/specials_OLD2.htm

thanks for looking and enjoy
C&C welcome
Jason

Interesting story and shots!

Im sure i read somewhere the german pilots that flew the spit wernt too impressed with it at all!!

Likewise the Fw190 they got over in england after a german pilot landed here thinking he was somewhere else, thats quite a story - they were planning on 'stealing' a Fw190 from france or somewhere such was the alarming performance of the Fw190 when first encounterd! (or somthing!)

Harold wrote on May 28^th, 2008 at 4:40am:

Indeed interesting. British pilots that flew it felt exactly the same way about the 109. If you like reading about this sort of thing & have half an hour or so take a look at this article --> Spitfire Mk IX versus Me 109 G