Spitfire Versus MX2

To celebrate the return of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship to London on 2 & 3 August this year, current World Championship leader Paul Bonhomme today took the controls of a 1940's Spitfire to try his hand at 'air racing' of a different kind. Bonhomme's aim was to test the speed and agility of the Spitfire, against a modern day plane designed specifically for the Red Bull Air Race, the MX2, piloted by his World Championship opponent Nigel Lamb.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the first production line Spitfire and the 85th anniversary of the first Schneider Trophy race in the UK which was a speed race over 200km contested by the Spitfire's predecessor, the Supermarine S.6b.

In a nod to the UK Schneider Trophy course which was situated around the Solent over Calshot and Cowes, Bonhomme and Lamb flew their planes on a lap around the Isle of Wight, using the stunning Needles as a natural start and finish gate.

More on http://www.redbullairrace.com

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• spitfire
• warbird

[LordGeorgeRodney]

Rolls Royce Merlin engine:

The sound of freedom!

[MrWLangers]

To quote Jeremy Clarkson, "Possibly, just possibly, the Spitfire is the greatest machine ever made."

[Sirdiggar]

Greatest machine ever made, and probably the greatest name for a machine ever, the Spitfire, and the engine it had, another name Merlin, both those words make you think, yes, this thing is an animal.

[fooksake69]

It's a Lucky lucky man that gets to fly the greatest plane ever made.

[PolishWingedHussar10]

@TheShiphoo Yeah cause the heart of the mustang came from Spitfire, it uses the same Rolls-Royce engine

[DornDaniel]

haha, i thought of cliffs of dover at first when i looked into the thumbnail

[TheShiphoo]

@LordGeorgeRodney it was the success of the p-51 mustang too!

[01yorki]

@WinterMate81186 P51 MUSTANGS TOTAL LOAD OF NUTS WITH ALISON ENGINES TILL MERLINS FITTED NO THE FACTS WHEN WHEN RJ DIED (GOD BLESS) ALL DRAWINGS AND DATA SENT TO STATES FROM SUPERMARINE HENCE U HAD A MUSTANG BECAUSE WE HAD NO FINANCE TO ADVANCE THE SPEC OF RJ"S BELOVED SPITxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx­xxxxRJ

[DressedWings]

all those many years ago

[tomaj73111]

It may just be me, but I will forever think of the yellow and orange pony when I hear the name "Spitfire".

[topgun2016]

@MrWLangers Possibly, just possibly, Jeremy Clarkson is the greatest man ever to walk this earth. LOL