While iconic aircraft such as the Spitfire are practically household words, far lessor known, in fact practically forgotten, are their progenitors.
One mis-step along the way to creating the Spitfire was the Supermarine Type 303.
Designed in 1934, the Supermarine Type 303 so impressed the Air Ministry that they ordered a test squadron right off the drawing board.
The new monoplane was armed with 8 machine guns, an astonishing amount of fire-power for the time and was powered by the new Rolls-Royce Irwin inline engine.
Unfortunately, the new Rolls-Royce Irwin engine was so beset with gremlins that mechanics took to calling the Supermarine Type 303 the "Stupidmarine Misfire", a phrase which would be inevitably followed by even more colorful phrases not to be repeated in front of mixed company.
Even when the Type 303 could get off the ground, its Rolls-Royce Irwin engine often cut out or failed to deliver the power needed. One embarrassing example of this was when Misfires failed to intercept the off-course French Polar airship Nordique as it over-flew the British coast.
The Air Ministry sent Supermarine back to the drawing board after this scandal and the "Stupidmarine Misfire" was withdrawn from service, much to the relief of mechanics and pilots alike.
While forgotten today, the "Stupidmarine Misfire" nonetheless played an important (and impotent) role in the development of the famous Spitfire.
The basis for this project is the 1/72 Airfix Spitfire Mk. 1a from 1980 or so, but with a twist. While going through my spares box, I noticed that an engine left over from a DH-4 was a pretty good fit. After a little sawing, shimming and gluing, here's the result:
I'd originally intended to use a Spitfire prop, but that made the whole thing look nose-heavy to me:
So instead, I added the prop and spinner from a CR-42.
I hope you enjoyed this tale of a Supermarine mis-step along the road to the Spitfire.
Brian da Basher
