Pilot’s Notes for Spitfire I Aeroplane: The Spitfire Manual 1940

Summer 1940, the Battle of Britain has just begun, you’ve just gained your RAF ‘wings’ and been selected to fly fighters – and the most advanced fighter aircraft in the world at that, the Supermarine Spitfire mark I. A slim booklet, PILOT’S NOTES FOR SPITFIRE I is pressed into your hands by your squadron commander and you are told to study it before your first flight. The Air Ministry published PILOT’S NOTES on every type of aircraft the RAF flew. They were designed so the pilot could familiarise themselves with the aircraft’s individual controls, flying characteristics and operational limits, rather like an owner’s manual. PILOT’S NOTES FOR SPITFIRE I was first issued just before the war and reprinted in April 1940 and was the manual used by Battle of Britain pilots. Due to its extreme rarity, the PILOT’S NOTES to the mark I Spitfire has never before been re-published (later marks are readily available) so, for the first time since 1940 discover: Where is the safety catch on your gun button? How long can you use the emergency boost on your Rolls-Royce Merlin engine? How do you set the range on your gun sight? How do you know if the undercarriage of your Spitfire I has successfully deployed?ABOUT THE AUTHORThe Air Ministry was a department of the British government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the RAF. PILOT’S NOTES were in fact exact copies of sections from a far larger publication issued by the Air Ministry covering every aspect of the aeroplane including basic electrical system, details of the airframe, engine installation etc. The maintenance sections were used by the RAF ground crew ‘erks’ to help familiarise those whose job it was to keep such systems working. PILOT’S NOTES FOR SPITFIRE I AEROPLANE: MERLIN II OR III ENGINE AP1565A was first published in June 1938 but the edition used most widely by Battle of Britain pilots is the edition re-published here, the April 1940 reprint together with a handful of updates made during that summer of 1940. The updates were needed as the Spitfire was at the cutting edge of fighter aircraft design and small but significant upgrades were constantly being made to improve the Spitfire. These amendments were recorded at the front of the NOTES in the ‘amendment certificate’ grid, in this particular copy ‘AL 1’ (Amendment List 1) was made in June 1940 (a minor change to the introduction), ‘AL 2’ was also in June and to section 1 and so on. In 1964 the Air Ministry was merged with the Admiralty and the War Office to form the Ministry of Defence. — ISBN13: 9781073493302