I think it's May whose the happy git here because well, he's May Spaniel of Hammersmith who is an avid plane enthusiast and a licensed pilot with a Cessna 182.
never seen all 3 of them smile so much and all at same time but dont blame them. Also think it was unfair on others that all you got to hear was Clarkson speaking. . . . What did make me laugh was when they turned up at there destination and who was waiting for them then i know they had a challenge on there hands like Clarkson's cow driver in one challenges hand went for a walk around a steering wheel. . . . . I know a German who was alive during the war even he bought up the German /Brit disagreement told him that's in past not going down that road.
Spitifre also steals it from Typhoon and Tempest :'( Hurricane and Typhoon tried to gain it again with rockets n shit but still spitfre is better, silly spitfire :'(
Tim C I agree. As much as the spitfire is incredible and is one of the best fighters of the war, the tempest was the fastest propeller aircraft and handled like a dream too
Yes it's not fair. But Hurricane was like a normal horse and Spitfire was like a thoroughbred race horse in the Derby. Those elliptical wings and the streamlined fuselage. 40mph faster from the same engine.
+Michelangelo Boldri The Me 262 wasnt really "too late" ... Germany had a loonie at the helm who wanted them to be bombers and so the planes had to be modified (and made worse as a fighter). Its always nice if your Dictator interferes with the military because he thinks he is a genius.
From the very sincerest part of me I wish you that happens. To me R.J Mitchell was the man who saved Britain. Yes ok we had Churchill too but without this stunningly beautiful aircraft we couldn't have done what we did. This plane means so much to Britain and is an international treasure. You must be so proud. I know I am to be able to say it's a sign of hope and victory. And it's ours. But above all it's yours too. God bless him. He gave his life in the design hours perfecting it. So good even goering got told that in order to defeat us they'd need a squadron of spitfires. That's one hell of an appraisal. Lol. Lest we forget. 🇬🇧🇬🇧👍
+dean mckellar You realise you can watch videos of Spitfires that don't have Jeremy Clarkson in them, right? Why the fuck would you come to this video if you don't like the TG presenters ya dopey fuck?
ajnode yes there are other videos out there but you make a stupid post to showing how ignorant and stupid you are. You yourself wasn't expecting Jermey to be yelling while flying in the Spitfire.
I'm a Canadian and the Spitfire sends a tingle down my spine, knowing that our Granddads also flew with the RAF during the war. It's not only a British person should be proud of that plane. I think everybody who's from Canada and Australia have a special place for the Spitfire and the RAF as well. :)
There's something about that gutteral growl and scream that only a spitfire can do.... I'm from Canada and my great uncle who was from Nova Scotia was a spitfire pilot.... it makes me shiver every time I see a spitfire fly online... what these boys who instantly became Giants of humanity did back then so willingly and without hesitation to protect their countrymen should give every person pause for thought. My dream is to see a Spitfire and a Lancaster in all their glory, to watch them fly and if I could, touch them... in addition to my uncle who piloted the Spitfire i also had a great uncle who was the pilot of a Lancaster and was mainly involved in electronuc warfare (he sadly didnt make it home, but gave it his all in the European theatre to push forth to victory) I love everything aviation, but the Spitfire and Lancaster both hit close to home; I could ramble on and on forever about them but at the end of the day I tip my hat and give thanks for these planes and especially these young hero's that piloted these gorgeous beasts without reservstion. Bravo men, bravo and a deep warm thank you for giving so much.
I did my medic training in a Veteran's hospital....EVERYBODY who was in the RCAF '35-'55...was a spitfire pilot...and they all flew in the Battle of Britain As our NCO used to quip..."for The Few....there sure are a lot of them...."
Yes its an iconic sound. Just need to hear it and it brings emense pride and respect to all who fought. But to me its a noise that makes you feel safe and warm inside.
gmctech Nice comments.. the empire is reinforced, personal stories are reinforced. I had an uncle (uK) who served on merchant ships from uk to canada. Torpedoed, sunk and lived twice. family legend describes this was both times in novascotia. including that one of these occasions when talking to hospital staff (Nova Scotia) and discovered that there was Kin connection. uk back then and now relies on like minded countries. I live. In Australia.
We Brits tip our hats and give thanks to the Canadians, Aussies & Kiwis- who provided stalwart, unflinching support to Britain during both world wars. RESPECT.
philip s Just cooler I think. Much sexier. I just prefer planes I guess, not much into super cars I reckon they're tacky and try-hard. I just drive a Golf.
@Johannes Liechtenauer Please stick your stupid insults up your stinky wide ass. Before calling anyone what YOU are, read some history and learn about all the British manoeuvring to concoct the next war. Germany was intended as a British-built missile to destroy the USSR -a manoeuvre which proved successful in the long run.
The Spitfire. Designed by a Legend. Built by craftsmen. And flown by Heroes. The most beautiful aeroplane ever to grace the skies. I never get tied of watching this magnificent machine. And listening to the growling of it's Merlin engine. 👌
First time I've seen this clip in a while... To those who say they'd love a trip in a Spitfire- you really would! I was lucky enough to do what the Top Gear Trio did a couple of years ago, and I'm still smiling about it...that moment when the chap in the front says "You have control..." and you find yourself flying a Spitfire. Absolute magic. :-)
I'm Italian...3 members of my family died during WW2 when the allies attacked an ammunition factory for the Germans and on the way, they destroyed the village they were living here in Italy, people say those planes were Spitfires...but that's part of the history now...i don't have bad feelings about it, on the contrary, i think the Spitfire along with the BF-109 are the most beautiful warplanes ever made.
Thing is though, Spitfires never bombed anything. All they carried were .303 machine guns, and later on 20mm cannons as well. I think the even later ones, like the Mk. XVI's, could be modified to become a dive bomber, but it would be very ineffective for carpet bombing... Though they may have escorted any Allied bombers who were passing through. To be fair, the Germans bombed the shit out of everything they came across. For example, here in Norway there wasn't a single city that wasn't flattened by the end of 1940.
Ze Rubenator Well, i never said they bombed the village...i said they destroyed it on the way to the factory which was 1 km away... and yeah my grandpa told me they were Spitfires attacking the village with the machine guns they had, he says he never understood why they attacked them tho.
Ze Rubenator Spitfires made pretty handy improvised dive-bombers, it was not uncommon for them to carry bombs or rockets on offensive sweeps over Europe (especially after D-Day). Over Italy and the Balkans from 1943 onwards, Mk.Vs, VIIIs, and IXs all operated in that role frequently.
tommy p calling the soliders scum is just not fair. Sure, they were a part of the Nazi regime, but they were only doing their jobs, just like everybody else. Für Vaterland und Ehre. The Axis bombed the shit out of everything, and so did the Allies.
Ze Rubenator this is true, a lot of people can easily hate the Germans, simply because of the Nazi creed. The Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe were not exactly the Waffen SS. This is true even higher up in the commanding ranks, Rommel being the best example, war without hate. He was by no means racist or even nationalistic. They fought for their country, by the foolsih decree of Hitler to almost never retreat, they fought gallantly and heroically as well. Their courage cannot be denied. The same is said for the Japanese ( whose political leaders have never extended sorrow or compensation for what they did. Unlike Germany, which is troublesome for me being part Japanese)
There is something quite special about the Merlin engine; a symbol of kindred blood between the British Bulldog and the American Eagle. Very proud of my brothers across the pond who gave Jerry an hellish and unrelenting fight. Thank you for your service, mighty Spitfire.
Could not have done it alone. All the allies did their part. Just amazes me that you guys could hold on so long. With the 109 having the altitude advantage and out numbering you guys the hurricane and spitfire pilots did a damn good job. The spitfire helped turn the war due to its modifications during the battle of Britain. You guys learned quick and were able to get rid of the 109's advantage. Spitfires are beautiful birds.
At least of the three, only James May can say that he "flew" a Spitfire as he took the controls from the back of Carolyn Grace's Spit in his "Toy Stories" series. And he genuinely had the time of his life doing it.
+ClarksonHammond&May Hahahaha yea my thoughts exactly, he was speechless the entire time. May didn't have much to say either! Maybe they were scared but hiding it from the camera?
Interesting logic Jeremy. It's like using a garden hose on a house fire before the fire department arrives, then taking full credit for whatever bits of the structure are left.
dogstar234 Is that a U.K. thing? Cause rotary wing licenses in the States are completely separate things from fixed wing. Then there are multiple classes of both, turbine, multi-engine, light sport, and such. Instrument ratings and FAA medical certifications can carry over between types though.
This is what is so amazing. 80 years ago this was the most advanced plane and the one everyone was excited to fly. Then 80 years later its still the plane that creates the exciement and the one that makes people cry and the one everyone wants to fly. What a plane and what an experience.
It's one thing to be in one, but to have two others right beside you so you could share the experience with your friends must have been absolutely breathtaking!!
I've never seen Jeremy Clarkson this excited and he had every right to be. I also agree it was the combination of the Hurricane and Spitfire that won the Battle of Britain. God save the Queen!
+TheCrimson Please can you give me the address and the phone number of this flight center Spitfire. I would like also very much to live this wonderful adventure of Flying on romantic Spitfire. Thank you. Riccardo from Italy. info@fiban.co.uk
That sound of an old prop plane flying by low may just be the best sound in the history of mankind. Spitfire, Mustang, Thunderbolt, Lancaster, doesn't matter, it's awesome.
we had the AVRO Anson From old warden in at RAF Waddington.. we have the Battle of Britain memorial flight 6 spitfires 2 hurricanes 2 chipmunks C47 Dakota ( Sky train ) and PA474 the uk airworthy avro Lancaster just down the road at RAF CONINGSBY. so we're used to the sound of an old prop and the Anson sounded great
surprisingly, or perhaps not.. I think this might be the most beautiful moment in the entire show. such pure joy on the deepest level. Like they've reached nirvana.
+navnig - Yup. Both aircraft (and the guys that flew them) played a big part, but the reality was far more complex. On the British side, Dowding's organisation of a brilliant communications network around the Chain Home radar and Observer Corps was a masterstroke, almost always putting the fighters in the right place at the right time. There was definitely a degree of luck involved too, as Goering's tactical naivete and tendency to be easily provoked meant that he made several blunders just as he could have had the RAF on the ropes. And on the political side, there's a strong case to be made that Hitler was always relatively ambivalent about invading the UK - he just wanted us as far out of the fight as possible so he could focus on his perceived nemesis in the USSR. The UK invasion (Sea Lion) was "postponed indefinitely" due to the unfavourable weather conditions in winter, and when he pulled the trigger on the USSR (Barbarossa) in June '41, it seemed that the U-Boats had the Royal Navy contained and RAF Bomber Command was suffering terrible losses bombing Germany - it's likely that Hitler thought (erroneously) that it would only be a matter of time before the UK negotiated for peace.
turricaned The Luftwaffe themselves didn't help their own cause at all either. While the RAF rotated their pilots, even against the pilots own wishes at times, the Luftwaffe didn't give their pilots anything like as much proper R&R, compared with the amount of time off the RAF.gave their pilots.
I can understand Clarkson saying that it brings a tear to his eyes flying in a spitfire, it did to me when I had the lifetime privilege to fly in one. What an experience it was and an honour to fly in a machine that our heroes did in WW2. God bless them all.
Yes we all know the Hurricane was the unsung hero etc and it shot down more planes etc but if the Spitfire hadn't shot down the ME 109 fighter escorts to enable the Hurricanes to deal with the bombers it would of been over anyway. So the Spitfire was the catylist to success.
Yeah, it was incredible! Really stirred the emotions... And this was at Old Warden, in Cambridgeshire. A 1930's era airfield, surrounded by 30's and 40's aircraft (and earlier!)...very evocative!
I love the Spitfire it's beautiful but I hate how it over shadows the Hawker, The Hawker was a magnificent aircraft and during the the battle of Britain there was about 3 hawkers for every 1 spitfire maybe 4 for every one. The spitfire slowly became the primary fighter built but it was the Hawker mainly. A turn around and rearm/refuel for a hawker was about 10 mins and the spitfire was about 25-30 making the Hawker more effective. As I said I love the Spitfire but I just hate how the Hawker is over shadowed always even more so for the Pilots that flew them and did not make it back it's a little disrespectful to forget these things.
The Spitfire is probably the more iconic for its name and looks. You can't argue that it just doesn't scream "iconic" with a name like "Spitfire" and the shape of the craft. Hell if you're starwars inclined I think it's almost like World War 2's X-wing. It just has the certain "I don't know what". But the Hurricane is a bad ass through and through.
WELL BROUGHT UP POINT HEEROYUY911 THE HAWKER HURRICANE WAS THE BACK BONE OF THE AIR WAR IN BRITAIN WITH BUILDS AND KILLS OUTNUMBERING THE SPIT WITH A MULTITUDE OF NATIONS EQUIPT MAINLY THE POLISH SQUADRONS OF THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN THE HURRICANE WAS ABLE TO TAKE ON ALOT OF DAMAGE DUE TO ITS WOOD AND LININ STRUCTURE AND STILL RETURN TO FLY ANOTHER SORTIE BUT THE SPITFIRE IS THE MORE PRETTY WITH THE EARLY MODEL 1A THROUGH VB ELIPTICAL WING WHICH WAS ACTUALY DEVELOPED AFTER RJ MITCHELL INSPECTED A HEINKEL HE 70 IN A WIND TUNNEL AT RAF BOSCOOMBE DOWN UK
The Hurricane claimed more air kills than the Spitfire and it was a better dog fighter. I understand your point. Both are outstanding aircraft but you have to admit, the Spitfire looks so much better! Proud to be British! :)
xfatsx1991 Are you sure about the better dog fighter bit? I saw an interview with one of the Hurricane pilots, and he said that when they intercepted German bombers the Hurricanes would concentrate on the bombers, while the Spitfires would take down the 109's that escorted them. This due to the fact that the Hurricanes just couldn't cope with the 109's. And - while there were three times as many Hurricanes as there were Spitfires - the fact that the Hurricanes were the ones mainly taking down bombers might also contribute to their higher number of air kills. Also, the Spitfire is a fucking gorgeous plane.
Yes, knowledgeable Canadians and many others will know that the RCAF roundel near the cockpit of the Spitfire was taken from RAF Wing Leader Johnnie Johnson's Spitfire that he flew with the Canadian RCAF Spitfire squadrons he led during WW2. The RCAF roundel did not appear on RCAF aircraft until after WW2 however. Johnson was the top scoring Allied ace in the European Theatre with 38 kills.
First flying lesson the other day, and I pretty much had the same energy as Richard. The instructor was asking me if I was enjoying it and if I was alright and all I could do was stay speechless and smile like a kid. I can't wait to go back up there!
Why do people feel the need to bicker over who is the best and who saved who? Think before you type. You are doing nothing except disrespecting the war dead and the few that remain. Be thankful and respectful to the many who died to give us our freedom from such evil.
what a marvelous clip, and with the music from The Battle of Britain from Ron Goodwin, its an absolute joy to watch. Clarkson's reaction is just so genuine, he is laughing like a drain, it almost makes me remember how i was, as a young boy on Christmas eve nights, many decades ago. I would love to fly in one of these, nothing like the roar of a Rolls Royce engine to stir the blood. fucking marvelous.
Some body give him a chill pill. But hey, who can blame him. What an experience and a thrill it must be. Enjoy it guys, this stuff is priceless and so are the gents who flew them in battle.
Well... not that specific Spitfire, because those are two-seater training aircraft... but similar Spitfires(specifically the Mk1 and Mk2) did save the world from Hitler in a way.
they did they were the first one to inflict a defeat on the luftwaffe, which lead to Nazi Germany to attack Russia, imgaine if Germany did win the Battle of Britain, the gate to the rest of the world would have been open to them if Britain fell
paul morrison Please read my comment again... I didn't say spitfires didn't save the world. I said THAT specific spitfire didn't save the world, because it's an unarmed two seater training aircraft.
we don't forget but the battle of britain was our war with no help at the time,trust me i have a few russian mates who i play battlefield 4 with and i tell them all the time the amount of respect i have for there parents/grandparents
Did the British really saved the D-day? From my point of view they Russians did far more work. When the Allies invaded France, most of the war-battered German units they met were undermanned, short of armor, trucks, heavy artillery, almost immobile, and reduced to less that 40% combat effectiveness by previous hard fighting on the Eastern Front.
***** Of course, if they fell in the Battle of Britain. Without a launching platform, D-day never would've happened, a major component of the allies would've been down to whatever was left in Africa, which wouldn't have lasted much longer as Operation Torch never would have never been executed. Russia would not been able to fight Germany alone without the opening of a 2nd and 3rd front. They also depended greatly on U.S. supplies from the Lend-Lease act, and without a strong ally in Western Europe, I doubt American supplies would've even made it to western Russia. Each of the big 3 allies had a very important role to play in the liberation of Europe.
Andre Jitta Founded by a Scotsman in Hong Kong which was a British Colonial outpost at the time to take advantage of British trade between Britain and China. HSBC now actually stands for HSBC and not Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation since it bought the British Midland Bank and transferred it's HQ to London before the UK handed back sovereignty of Hong Kong back to China in 1997. HSBC roots are very much British, Saying it isn't British because of the name It's just like saying the East India Trading Company wasn't British..
Both airplanes did. As did what few AA guns on the ground. But what really saved Britain was Radar. The Spitfires and Hurricane's didn't have a chance if they could not be coordinated and directed to the incoming bombers and fighters as quickly as possible without burning up excess fuel and still manage up to FIVE sorties - PER DAY. Jerry wasn't dumb either. The Luftwaffe didn't send up everything at once and drew down both the Hurricane's and Spitfires to strength levels that bordered on defeat numerous times during the early stages of the Battle. The Hurricane was just as difficult to keep flying as the Spitfire. Parts were impossible to keep in stock. The Hurricane was an effective tactical defense fighter. But it was not a match for anything else other than the Me-109 series and the bombers. The Spitfire's production soon ramped up and could fly more missions to reduce the Luftwaffe tactical advantage as more and more Bf / Me -109's had to fly escort and go after the Spitfires while the Hurricane's could then take potshots at the Bombers. It was an effective tactic. A Spitfire often drew two or more Bf-109's away from escorting the bombers leaving many vulnerable. This is where things almost began to unravel as Air Vice Marshal Leigh-Mallory wanted big wings (mainly with Spitfires) while his counterpart Vice Air Marshal Keith Park (biased and loved the Hurricane) fought with hit and run tactics in smaller fighter sweep formations. From a post mortem tactical perspective, both were correctly using the right tactics given the number of RAF assets available and airfield serviceability. Both aircraft served honorably during the Battle of Britain. The Spitfire in the hands of an experienced combat pilot did have a better survival rate than those flying the Hurricane. The Hurricane bleed off energy at greater rates than the Spitfire, resulting in poor climb rate. The Hurricane could not outdive a BF-109 while the Spitfire did. And lets be honest, the separation of total Luftwaffe victories between the two is not all that much 55/42 (percentage) in favor of the Hurricane between July and October of 1940. And if we dissect it further, the Spitfire shot down far more Bf-109's than the Hurricane did, while the opposite is true for number of destroyed Bf/Me-110's and He-111's and Ju-87's.
+Quasar _33b Not true... The Spits would attack the BF109s at high altitude where they had the advantage. BF109 pilots would typically dive away from the Spitfires to evade them, exploiting the Merlin engines weakness for negative G. The Hurricane's thick wing was very effective at low altitude and could easily out turn a Messerschmitt in the denser air. So there were often packs of Hurricanes circling a few thousand feet below to pick off the 109s that escaped the Spitfires.
Few Bf 109`s could escape the spitfires, the so called weakness was not that much and the Spitfire being well able to gain in a dive, could soon catch up, the Spitfire was effective at low or high altitude. The Hurricanes at lower altitude were more concerned with attacking bombers.
