Supermarine S.6B

Infobox Aircraft
name =Supermarine S.6B
type = Racing seaplane
manufacturer = Supermarine



caption = A Supermarine S.6B under construction, showing the Rolls-Royce R engine
designer = Reginald Mitchell
introduced = 1931
retired =
status =
primary user = RAF
more users =
produced =
number built = 2

The Supermarine S.6B was a racing seaplane developed by Reginald Mitchell for the Supermarine company in order to win the Schneider Trophy in 1931. It was the last in the line of racing seaplanes developed by Supermarine and followed the S.4, S.5 and the S.6.

Design and development

Despite previous British victories, in 1930, the Air Ministry stunned the Royal Aero Club, sponsors of the country's Schneider Trophy entries with the announcement that no further government funding was to be offered. A public subscription of several million pounds resulted and after pressure by Lucy, Lady Houston and several newspapers, the British Government belatedly agreed to support the Royal Air Force's entry to defend the trophy. Winchester 2005, p. 238.] There were only nine months to prepare and so Supermarine's designer, Reginald Mitchell, could only update the S.6 airframes that had won the trophy in 1929. Rolls-Royce increased the power of the R-Type engine by 400 hp to 2,300 hp.

Operational history

The improved aircraft was called Supermarine S.6B. The winning flight was piloted by Flt. Lt. John N. Boothman in aircraft serial number "S1595" at a speed of 340.08 mph (547.19 km/h), though the technical achievement is slightly tarnished by the fact no other teams competed; two S.6Bs and an S.6 were the only participants. Seventeen days later, Flt Lt. George Stainforth in S.6B serial "S1596" broke the world air speed record reaching 407.5 mph (655.67 km/h).

The S.6B is often hailed as giving the impetus to the development of the Supermarine Spitfire and the Rolls Royce Merlin engine.

urvivors

The Schneider Trophy winning S.6B (serial number "S1595") is on display at the Science Museum in London.

Operators

;UK
* Royal Air Force
** High Speed Flight

pecifications (S.6B)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=Supermarine Aircraft since 1914 Andrews and Morgan 1987, p. 192.]
crew=1
capacity=
length main= 28 ft 10 in
length alt= 8.79 m
length more= (overall - including floats)
span main= 30 ft 0 in
span alt= 9.14 m
height main= 12 ft 3 in
height alt= 3.73 m
area main= 145 ft²
area alt= 13.5 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 4,590 lb
empty weight alt= 2,082 kg
loaded weight main= 6,086 lb
loaded weight alt= 2,760 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= lb
max takeoff weight alt= kg
more general=
engine (prop)= Rolls-Royce R
type of prop=
number of props=1
power main= 2,350 hp
power alt= 1,753 kW
power original=
max speed main= 354 knots
max speed alt= 407.5 mph, 655.8 km/h
max speed more= (world speed record)
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt= ,
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt= ,
stall speed main=
stall speed alt= ,
range main=
range alt=
ceiling main=
ceiling alt=
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main= 4,2lb/ft²
loading alt= 205 kg/m²
thrust/weight=
power/mass main= 0.386 hp/lb
power/mass alt= 0.635 kW/kg
more performance=

ee also

Aircontent
related =*Supermarine S.4

* Supermarine S.5
* Supermarine S.6
similar aircraft =*Macchi M.C.72
lists =
see also =

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan. "Supermarine Aircraft since 1914, 2nd edition". London: Putnam, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-800-3.
* McKinstry, Leo. "Spitfire – Portrait of a Legend". London: John Murray, 2007. ISBN 0-71956-874-9.
* Price, Alfred. "The Spitfire Story". London: Silverdale Books, 1995. ISBN 1-85605-702-X.
* Robertson, Bruce. "Spitfire: Story of a Famous Fighter". London: Harleyford, 1962. ISBN 0-90043-511-9.
* Spick, Mike. "Supermarine Spitfire". New York: Gallery Books, 1990. ISBN 0-8317-14034.
* Winchester, Jim. "Supermarine S.6B". "Concept Aircraft: Prototypes, X-Planes and Experimental Aircraft". Kent, UK: Grange Books plc., 2005. ISBN 1-84013-309-2.

External links

* [http://www.airracinghistory.freeola.com/Schneider.htm Air racing history]
* [http://www.rjmitchell-spitfire.co.uk/schneidertrophy/1931.asp?sectionID=2 RJ Mitchell. A life in aviation: 1931 Schneider Trophy, Cowes]
* [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/11597?view=synopsis 16mm B&W Newsreel footage of 1931 Schneider Trophy]