Spitfire Question for Bill Greenwood

[Enemy Ace]

Bill,
could you please share with us what is the height/ weight /watch size limit for rear seaters in the 2 hole spitfires? I have heard a number of figures, and I figure some people who claim to have flown from the back had to have been greased up and shrink-wrapped to fit. (not in your airplane, neccessarily).
And, what is the max height someone can comfortably fit in the front?
Thanks, Robert

[Obergrafeter]

Surely not a Mudge sized person! Or me for that matter. I helped Bill when Fairchild had him and a couple of P-51s giving rides to potential customers one year in San Marcos. Not much room back there. My guess 5'10", 175lbs?

[Jack Cook]

I think one time Bill said 170#. Which means when he takes me I'll be in the front

[Obergrafeter]

Just strap me and Mudge on the wings!

[Bill Greenwood]

Thanks for the question. At 190 lbs in the rear seat we would be at the aft limit of normal cg. What that means is that we would have normal handling, slow flight, stalls and recovery, landing flare, etc. Size in not much of a limit, Howard Pardue at about 6' 2",not counting cigar, has flown with me in the back. My Son Charles at 6' 1" and slim has flown to Oshkosh with me. Mine plane is the original factory set up, not the cut down mod that some UK or the NZ one has, so that my seats still have the full 5 position vertical adjustment.

[Jack Cook]

So there Bill.......about the me in the front thing.........................

[Bill Greenwood]

Ok Jack you want to fly in the front seat. Now that might be possible, but first remember that I hate snakes. Hey, I know a few Repulsicans that I like, but I don't know any snakes that I like.

Next, what have you got to trade? Is there a nice Bearcat or Zero or Hurricane sitting in your hangar that needs to be flown? We can work something out FOR SURE. If not those, how about a Hellcat or P-51?

Failing that, I would also consider a nice fresh set of prop blades. Cold hard cash is always good also.

[Jack Cook]

Bill are you trying to say you really want my avatar for yourself

[Enemy Ace]

Does anybody do checkouts with the "customer" in the front pit?

[N3Njeff]

Well maybe some day........................I have gone from 297lbs to 158!!!! I am 5' 11 so I can fit. The only thing I could offer bill is a ride in a N3N that has been owned by the same people for 40 yrs, I cant imagine life without her being around. Stick with it bill!!

[Bill Greenwood]

As for as some people saying they have flown in the back seat of a Spitifre. Well that could be true, even if they are larger than 190 lbs.

I can accept 195 lbs, by temporarily removing a remote nav unit behind the rear seat.
Also, I am pretty cautious about staying inside the cg limits that the factory data calls for. Now, this doesn't mean the plane is going to crash if you went SLIGHTLY over. In the war, when they needed extra range for combat or just for ferry they might fly with the aft fuselage tank full and/or a drop tank that put them at aft cg. The pilots were cautioned to not pull much g or get too slow until fuel was burned off and the cg was in the normal range.

Also, some of the other two seaters today are not as the factory built them. They may have the single stage engine with less supercharger, or the cut down rear instrument panel or lower rear canopy that might weigh less. I don't know for sure about each one. I do know the some guys over 210 lbs are said to have flown in the rear of the one that was in Florida. I didn't see how it could be within cg, and later I talked to a pilot who flew it and said it did not handle right. I told him what I thought, and later he said the plane had been weighed and was confirmed to not meet the limit with the heavier passenger. Still, they did fly it ok, but that pilot was not your average guy.

Last edited by Bill Greenwood on Tue Jan 05, 2010 1:11 am, edited 3 times in total.

[Bluedharma]

I have not looked it up ('Googled it'), but does anyone know how much the Camera's weighed in Reconnaissance Spitfires? Some of those camera's were rather large.
I imagine that they didn't exceed 60 lbs, but I was wondering if anyone here knew...

Regards,

[morss]

After i brought the florida spit to calif I removed some lead from the tail and gave simon brown (provenance fighter sales) a ride. simon must be 6ft 2in and prob around 230 at the time
flew great he didnt stop smiling for a week
dave