Supermarine Type 224
Supermarine · United Kingdom · first flew 1934 · fighter
The Supermarine Type 224 was a 1934 British fighter prototype that lost the RAF's F.7/30 competition, but it is historically significant as the direct predecessor design from which R.J. Mitchell developed the Spitfire. Its poor performance relative to expectations spurred Mitchell to produce the far superior Type 300.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, elliptical |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8.97 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Failed Spitfire ancestor with inverted gull wing and fixed undercarriage
- Cranked gull-type fixed trousered undercarriage legs
- Evaporative engine cooling requiring large wing surface area
A low-wing monoplane with a distinctive inverted gull or cranked wing to accommodate the fixed undercarriage, an open cockpit, and an unusually large wing area required by the evaporative cooling system; the overall appearance is ungainly compared to the elegant Spitfire that followed.
Specifications
- The Supermarine Type 224 has a length of 8.97 m (29 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 13.97 m (46 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 367 km/h (228 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Designed by Reginald Mitchell to meet the Air Ministry's F.7/30 specification, the Type 224 featured an evaporative cooling system that required large surface condensers built into the wings, and a fixed gull-wing undercarriage. It proved underpowered and inferior to expectations, losing the competition to the Gloster Gladiator. Mitchell immediately began work on a private-venture replacement that became the Spitfire.
Variants
A single prototype was built; lessons from its failure directly influenced every aspect of the Spitfire's superior design.
Where you'll see it
Never entered operational service; the single prototype was used for testing and subsequently scrapped.
Related aircraft
- Supermarine Spitfire
- Supermarine S.6B
- Supermarine Sea Otter
- Supermarine Spitfire Mk I
- Aero A.102
- ANF Les Mureaux 115
- Arado Ar 68
- Arado Ar 76
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