R. J. Mitchell
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the author, see R J Mitchell (author).
Reginald Joseph Mitchell CBE (20 May 1895-11 June 1937) was an aeronautical engineer, most notable for his design of the Supermarine Spitfire.
R. J. Mitchell was born in the village of Talke, Newcastle-under-Lyme, in England. After leaving Hanley High School at the age of 16 he gained an apprenticeship at Kerr Stuart & Co. of Fenton, a locomotive engineering works. At the end of his apprenticeship he worked in the drawing office at Kerr Stewart and studied engineering and mathematics at Night School. In 1917 he joined the Supermarine Aviation Works at Southampton and in 1918 was appointed Chief Designer at Supermarine. He was made Chief Engineer in 1920 and Technical Director in 1927. He was so highly regarded that when Vickers took over Supermarine in 1928, one of the conditions was that Mitchell stay as a designer for the next five years.
Between 1920 and 1936, Mitchell designed 24 aircraft including light aircraft, fighters, bombers, several sea-planes, and flying boats such as the Supermarine Walrus. However, he is best remembered for the Supermarine S.6B and the Spitfire.
The S6B won the Schneider Trophy in 1931 and later broke the world air speed record. Mitchell was awarded the CBE in 1932 for his contribution to high-speed flight. Mitchell's experience with high speed aircraft such as the S6B prompted the Air Ministry to issue specification F7/30 to Supermarine, primarily a sea-plane manufacturer, for the design of a new fighter aircraft. On 20 February 1932, Mitchell submitted his Type 224 design. Mitchell referred to the Type 224 as "The Shrew". It first flew on 19 February 1934, but was eventually rejected by the RAF because of its unsatisfactory performance. While the 224 was being built, Mitchell was authorised by Supermarine in 1933 to proceed with a new design, Type 300, an all-metal monoplane that would become the Supermarine Spitfire. This was originally a private venture by Supermarine, but the RAF quickly became interested and the Air Ministry financed a prototype.
Many of the technical advances in the Spitfire had been made by others: the thin ellipical wings by Beverley Shenstone, the under-wing radiators at RAE, while the monocoque construction had been first developed in the United States. Mitchell's genius was bringing it all together with his experience of high speed flight and the Type 224.
Late in 1933, Mitchell underwent a colostomy to treat rectal cancer. Despite this, he continued to work, not only on the Spitfire, but also on a four-engined bomber, the Type 317. Unusually for an aircraft designer in those days, he took flying lessons and got his pilot's licence in July 1934.
The first prototype Spitfire, K5054, (left) flew for the first time on 5 March 1936 at Eastleigh. In later tests, it reached 349 mph and so, before the prototype had completed its official trials, the RAF ordered 310 production Spitfires. Mitchell said that "Spitfire" was a "Bloody silly sort of a name".
In 1936, he was diagnosed with cancer again. Mitchell gave up work in early 1937, though he was often seen watching the Spitfire being tested. He went to the American Foundation in Vienna for a month, but died in June 1937. His life and the sacrifices he made to keep going despite pain and impending death were the subject of the 1942 Leslie Howard film The First of the Few. The film created some myths. In particular, Mitchell did not work himself to death; he led a full life, and was working mainly on the bomber project in his final years.
Mitchell was succeeded as Chief Designer at Supermarine by Joseph Smith, who was responsible for the further development of the Spitfire. Nevertheless, Mitchell's design was so sound that the Spitfire could be continually improved throughout the Second World War, whereas its contemporary, the Hawker Hurricane, quickly became obsolete. Over 22,000 Spitfires and derivatives were built.
In 1918, Mitchell married Florence Dayson. They had a son, Gordon.
