Distance travelled:
22,138 NM
The Silver Spitfire
Click the markers to
explore the MK9 Spitfire
Principal Sponsor
IWC Schaffhausen are our Principal Sponsor for the Silver Spitfire – The Longest Flight expedition
SILVER SPITFIRE.
THE LONGEST FLIGHT
The expedition logo which will appear on each side of the aircraft, celebrating the first time a Spitfire has circumnavigated the globe.
VERTICAL STABILISER
Whilst the majority of a Spitfire’s skin is clad in aluminium panels, both control surfaces on the tail (the elevator and rudder), are covered in fabric. They’re painted silver to match the polished bare metal skin of the aircraft.
THE ROLLS-ROYCE MERLIN ENGINE
The Silver Spitfire is powered by a 27-litre V12 Rolls-Royce Merlin engine putting out around 1,350 BHP. There are 6 exhaust stacks on each side of the aircraft, each one costing in the region of £1,000!
WOODEN PROPELLER BLADES
The propeller blades on a Spitfire are made of layers of wood sandwiched together, in contrast with the metal or composite materials you’ll find on more modern aircraft. It is a four-bladed design with a diameter of 10’9″ / 3.27m.
AIR INTAKE
The internal combustion engine of the Spitfire needs to be fed with air, and this intake scoop at the front of the aircraft is where this is fed into the engine, through a Vokes air filter.
KEEPING COOL
The Silver Spitfire has a radiator (or ‘rad’) boat slung under each wing, containing two radiator cores in each to keep things cool in the Spitfire. On the starboard side are rads for both the Merlin engine’s intercooler and glycol-based coolant system, and on the port side for engine oil and another one for the coolant system.
THE TAILWHEEL
Most modern aircraft sit on a nosewheel for good visibility and steering when manoeuvring on the ground. Older aircraft like the Spitfire sit on a tailwheel which means a pilot has to employ a zig-zag technique when taxiing. Such aircraft are affectionately known as ‘tail-draggers’.
REGISTRATION G-IRTY
Every civilian aircraft must carry a unique registration mark. UK-registered aircraft all have a ‘G’ followed by four letters. The Silver Spitfire carries the registration ‘G-IRTY’ to complement her sister ship in the Boultbee Flight Academy fleet, their two-seat TR9 ‘G-ILDA’.
OUR CREW & PILOTS
Our Partners
