The Spitfire Trainer TR Mk9

A background view

Airfix models have recently released a completely new kit of the perennially favoured Supermarine Spitfire. As a two seater training variant it adds a new product to the plethora of Spitfire kits available from various manufacturers and I have taken the opportunity to buy one, review it and subsequently I will build it. My review can be seen below:

The history of the trainer variant of the Spitfire is quite interesting in itself, but I intend to start by looking at the arrangements made to train pilots for combat at the start of the Second World War. It is helpful to understand the methods used, many of which in some form or another are still used to this day.

Induction into an armed service involves, as you will no doubt be aware, an inculcation into the habits and ways of that service. It is a disciplined environment and basic training is often termed as “square bashing” for the periods of time spent by recruits marching together and undergoing regular inspections of their uniform and boots amongst other items. The underlying idea of this is to instil into new entrants a sense of order and hierarchy. For pilots, the basic training also included teaching on elementary aerodynamics, weather and air navigation, aircraft recognition, signals, engines and other hardware as well as a variety of other matters related to the job they were going to be doing. This element was called “Initial Training Wing,” and typically lasted eight weeks in the early to mid part of the war.

Basic flying training (called “Elementary Flying School) was undertaken in either a Dehavilland Tiger Moth or a Miles Magister. The Tiger Moth was an open cockpit biplane whilst the Magister was a single wing aircraft also with an open cockpit. Both had a gentle disposition and allowed new flyers to become accustomed to the use of the controls and aircraft handling both on the ground and aloft, instrument flying and also formation flying all under the tutelage of an experienced pilot. Flyers would learn what could be expected when flying and how to avoid the common pitfalls like stalling. Repeated practice and “circuits and bumps” led towards the first solo- always a nerve racking experience for both pilot and instructor. Typically new flyers spent around 80- 90 hours flying, both with an instructor and solo.

The next step for those considered ready was to move on to what was known as Elementary Flying School. The aircraft they encountered here tended to be either the Miles Master, or the North American Harvard. These are more powerful and capable in flight and the move to a higher performance aircraft allowed the development of further flying skills including formation flying and aerobatics both of which were in preparation for combat training. This particular phase would take around 10 weeks although delays were experienced as access to training aircraft was difficult owing to the major focus by aircraft manufacturers on the production of front line fighters.

The last step of the process essentially was the transition to the Operational Training Units where the trainees were introduced to either the Spitfire or Hurricane. This process was more tricky because there were no two seat training variants of either Spitfire or Hurricane during the war, and the difference in performance between the trainer and the front line aircraft was very significant.

However the training staff were innovative and devised methods of training new pilots on the ground. Sometimes this involved placing an aircraft onto trestles in order to allow trainees to use the flaps and undercarriage in a safe and supervised way and also become familiar with the processes as well as drilling on the emergency procedures. It is often the case that training involves constant repetition of simple tasks in order to ensure that they are more or less automatic. In this way, when there are other interruptions, (like someone shooting at you for example), then the simple steps are much easier and require much less in the way of conscious cognitive power.

Also available on the ground were rudimentary simulators that allowed trainee performance to be closely monitored when undertaking tasks like communicating and basic aircraft operations. They were known as “hawarden trainers” and also served to plug the gap between the Master and Harvard training and the Spitfire. Once again drilling in standard and emergency procedures were important.

The large performance gap between trainers and fighters was therefore bridged through ground based training routines and practices and this meant that the problematic part of conversion to a high performance fighter aircraft was simpler. Undoubtedly there were mishaps, but that is the case when one learns. Finally, after starting to fly the Spitfire, a pilot now comes to work on aerobatic and other high energy manoeuvres as well as learning to “fight” an aircraft. A degree of anticipation is required as well as the ability to operate “outside the cockpit.” This means that pilots have to develop the ability to keep their eyes on the instruments that help them fly and also to be alive to the possibilities of enemy attack as well using methods of outflying an enemy. The workload is high and the concentration required is intense.

It was necessary to train pilots rapidly during the early parts of the war, so training times were shorter in 1941 than they were in 1944. It was recognised that there was an absolute necessity to pick up the skills required at a rapid pace. To paraphrase William Waterton, (a Canadian fighter ace of World War Two and at one point the chief test pilot for Gloster Aircraft), “there are only two kinds of fighter pilot- the quick and the dead.” He was talking about test piloting, but I think the analogy holds.

The unofficial motto of the Operational Training Units was apparently “we fear no pupil.” That being said OTU reviewed and improved its techniques throughout the war and was effective in doing so. It also turned out the pilots who became “the few” whom we revere and respect to this day.

There are limited numbers of two seat Spitfires in the UK and it is hard to establish those exact numbers. As far as can be divined, there appear to around 12 airworthy units and in total there appear to be a further 8 units worldwide, making a total of 20 flying aircraft. The total number of Spitfires flying at this point seem to number between 60 and 70, so the two seaters perhaps represent perhaps around one third of the total numbers.

So, how did the Spitfire get its conversion? It is a fairly complex task as the original aircraft was balanced for one occupant, so adding an additional punter, (so to speak) involves some alterations. The front seat is moved around 12 inches forwards along with the instrument panel (frame 10) and the fuel tanks are removed to accommodate this change. Then the rear seat is mounted above and behind the front seat with an abbreviated instrument panel containing little more that the “blind flying” controls attached to the rear of frame 11. The rest of the controls are matched between the front and rear seat so that the trainee can assume full control with one exception which is that the engine cannot be started from the rear seat. The completed conversion then retains nearly the same flying qualities that one would expect from a single seat variant.

Most of the aircraft currently flying were converted by private owners, often following single seater crashes or refurbishments and predominantly those are Mk9 conversions. Some Mk9 Vickers Armstrong conversions also still fly and remarkably the original TR Mk8 prototype still survives to this day and flies from Biggin Hill. Some notable keepers of fleets of two seater Spitfires are Boultby, Aerial Collective and Aero Legends amongst others. It is fairly costly to fly in one of these aircraft- IWM Duxford for example will charge the princely sum of just under £3,000 for a 30 minute flight, so one should be prepared for a hefty wallet hoovering should one want to flit around in a Spitfire for a short while.

Two seater aircraft like this have become exceedingly popular for what might be called “tourist flights” and such excursions can often be viewed in various parts of the world. They can, for example, be seen over the coast of Dawlish quite often (when they fly from Exeter airport), and the familiar burble of the Merlin engine will often bring people running from their houses to take a look as they pass overhead. The skies over Sussex and around the Biggin Hill area are also parts of the world where the trainer variant can be seen flying. It is invariably the case that these aircraft are finished in the 1945 camouflage colours and often they will be over painted with the familiar “Invasion Stripes.” They are stirring both to look at and to listen to as well as, I would imagine, as they are to travel in.

The new Spitfire TR Mk9 from Airfix is another release from this company which I think should have a long life and adds considerably to the value in their 1/48 scale aircraft range. I recommend it!