Classic British Flight Sim

Apologies if this has already been mentioned, but Jens has sneaked out another little star, the original Lockheed Orion. It is hidden in the FSX download section, but loads up in fs9 without a hitch.



Now, who knows the link between this cracker and the Spitfire?

Super repaint from Jeff Farrer ay Avsim...

That's a very tight looking paint Roger.. tks for posting

ATB

DaveB :tab:

Note the reg on that repaint

Garry

AllanL wrote: Now, who knows the link between this cracker and the Spitfire?

There is probably a link of sorts, but not a direct one. Lockheed made a prototype 2-seat fighter based on the Altair/Orion as the YP-24 in 1931. Lockheed had financial troubles, so the project was taken over by Consolidated, who put it into production as the P-30 in 1934, the first US fighter monoplane with a retractable undercarriage. So the Lockheed monoplanes definitely had an influence on 1930's fighter design.

Best regards,

Jens

Apologies, but I've been away since last Thursday, first sploshing round Westhampnett - then nipping over to Northern Ireland for a 15 minute talk -including the evils of Climate Change. Of course I flew over and back...

Obscure links are always the best!

The primary clue lies in the Swissair scheme.

Now I'll see if I can dig out some Red and Silver Arrows shots from Westhampnett for the gallery. Then I'll complete the link(s).

Lovely sim of the Orion by the way. I had just been wondering what could be coming next!

Now I'll see if I can dig out some Red and Silver Arrows shots from Westhampnett for the gallery

It took me a second (and I have lived there most of my life), but he means Goodwood, as in Festival of Speed weekend. Had reports from my dear old Mum that it was a trifle wet!!!

Wet - what makes you think that? Just as well that the Chapparal never raced in the wet in period.



Of course some chose a more traditionally British means of handling the weather.



Anyhow, back on topic the link from the Orion to the Spitfire:

The Orion was the first commercial transport with retractable u/c, which made it faster than many military aircraft of the era. So when Swissair started operating them, it put the nose of the German aircraft industry out of joint. One of the aircraft they responded with was the Heinkel 70.

Beverley Shenstone, Mitchell's aerodynamicist saw the Heinkel at the Paris Airshow and was greatly impressed by the surface finish of the wings.

Henceforth the Heinkel became the criterion for aerodynamic smoothness to be met for the Spitfire design. The Heinkel team achieved the finish by filling the countersunk rivets and then smoothing with several layers of paint, too heavy a method to copy directly.

So woosh, bonk, Bob's your Auntie : Lockheed Orion annoyed Heinkel into producing the HE70, which gave the Supermarine team an aerodynamic smoothness to aim for.

Would all Americans now wishing to claim that this proves they won the Battle of Britain form an orderly queue somewhere in Antartica. Don't worry, your contribution to Global Warming will soon clear up the glaciers and make it quite habitable.