Honouring the past, inspiring our future

Text by Joanne McIntyre, Stainless Steel World & Images courtesy of the Nick Hancock Design Studio

The Supermarine Spitfire is a British icon, widely acknowledged as not only an engineering and aesthetic triumph, but also an inspiration to the millions who united during the Second World War in pursuit of peace. On the eve of its 80th birthday, this is the perfect time to erect a national monument to commemorate the Spitfire’s role in that great endeavour, the hope and courage that it represents, and its ongoing legacy. From the engineering prowess of its designer, RJ Mitchell, to the hard work of men and women building the aircraft, and on to those who flew, operated, and maintained the aircraft around the world – the National Spitfire Monument will stand as a fitting tribute to this great British icon. With a silhouette that inspired hope and a sound that prompted awe, the Supermarine Spitfire embodied engineering excellence, innovation, and the collaborative efforts of men and women from over 30 Allied nations. As well as commemorating the heroic efforts of all those involved, the National Spitfire Monument will educate and inform, attract tourism, and become a key focal point for local regeneration.

“A nation that forgets its past has no future”

– Winston Churchill

Visitor engagement

The monument will engage visitors in four ways:

The Spitfire – A stainless steel Spitfire, one and a half times the size of the original aircraft, will appear to be rising up from its birthplace, taking flight over Southampton water. The monument will be 40m tall – on a par with the scale of the Statue of Liberty and Nelson’s Column – and make a breath-taking sight for the millions of people who visit the UK’s busiest cruise port each year. Cantilevering 30m from its base, the mast and plane sculpture will be constructed from duplex stainless steel grade 1.4462. The plane sculpture is a 1.5x scale replica of a Mk Vc Spitfire measuring 16.8m wingspan and 14.04m in length. The plane sculpture will be formed using 3mm sheet formed over ribs and internal framing (also in duplex) to form a semi-monocoque structure similar to the original aircraft. (Monocoque means an aircraft structure in which the chassis is integral to the body).

The vapour trail – Glinting in the sun, the stainless steel mast will curve skyward, lifting the gaze of visitors near and far. The word ‘Spitfire’ will be embossed on the vapour trail, appearing in the same stylised typography used in the original marketing brochure for the Vickers Supermarine Spitfire.

The vapour trail is a stressed skin structure (monocoque) formed using duplex plate welded together with internal stiffening ribs. To create the dynamic form the vapour trail develops from a 5-sided form to a 3 sided form as it enters the rear of the plane sculpture. The thickness of the plates decreases incrementally from the top down to the base of the mast approximately every 2m. From 50mm thick at the rear of the plane, 40, 30, 25, 15 down to 12.5mm at its base connection.

The plinth – Reaching out over Southampton waterfront, the circular plinth will take design cues from Allied Airforce roundels and insignia. At the centre of the Roundel base is the beating heart of the monument “The reflection pool or sky mirror” that provides a highly dynamic and interactive space for its viewers. Measuring 10m in diameter and 25mm deep it has been designed to reflect light and colour from the sky and its surroundings providing moments of joy and theatre for the viewer as the move around the site. Its reflective qualities make the experience interactive and changeable for its users whilst providing the central gravity for how people enjoy and experience the monuments power and playful serenity.

The roundels – Men and women from over 30 Allied air forces flew the Spitfire during its service career, and these iconic aircraft were constructed in more than one location. The outer ring of the plinth will reflect this unity by displaying interactive roundels and insignia of air forces, and emblems to represent cities and towns involved in construction, delivery, and maintenance too.

The iconic Spitfire

Superior air power is pivotal in modern warfare, and British aircraft design and engineering helped change the course of the Second World War. Most aircraft in the 1930s still had fabric stretched over a traditional, fixed wing and fuselage, but the British designer, RJ Mitchell, was obsessed with aerodynamics and construction techniques that would deliver more speed and greater manoeuvrability. He designed an icon – the Supermarine Spitfire.

From its new, elliptical wings and aluminium body to the wing spars made of concentric square tubing that made each boom progressively stronger from wing tip to root; thinner wings; sunken rivets; covers on the landing gear housing that reduced drag – these are just some of the engineering innovations that created a legend.

Another design first came in the form of the Merlin engine, developed by Rolls-Royce. Exhaust ports angled away from the fuselage used to be the norm, but Spitfire exhausts ran parallel to the body of the plane, enabling more thrust and control. This gave Mitchell’s aircraft better turns of speed, better aerobatic abilities and an impressive turning circle, all needed to help outmanoeuvre enemy aircraft.

With a range of Merlin to Griffon engines and wing configurations, there were 24 marks in all with many sub-variants for specialist purposes – photographic reconnaissance, for example – and Mitchell designed an aircraft to serve in every theatre. Top speeds of over 440 miles (710 km) per hour and ceilings of 40,000 feet (12,200 metres) meant the Spitfire instilled confidence in its pilots, and brought new hope to the nation.

Challenging fabrication

Due to the double curvature of the forms, cutting and manipulating plate with cold pressing procedures is extremely difficult, especially with plates over 20mm in thickness. As such , for the top 12m of the mast where the plates are at their thickest, the fabricators are looking to shell sand cast the duplex in sections and weld them together to provide the top section of the mast where the forces are the greatest and the form is at its thinnest.

The mast and plane sculpture will be prefabricated into transportable sections and assembled onsite.

The plane will come in 4 pieces – 2 wings, fuselage and tail that will bolt together then be welded into place. The mast will be divided into prefabricated sections, and bolted internally and welded into position on site. This sculpture will then be lifted into position and fixed into place in a concrete plinth concealed within the base of the mast. The skin at the very base of the mast is formed using 6mm duplex on ribs, which is a lot easier to shape allowing the transition of the mast to the roundel base to be created using double curved forms. The result is a seamless, elegant yet dynamic structure that captivates and inspires.

The approximate weight of the total sculpture is 50 tonnes: plane sculpture 10 tonnes and vapour trail 40 tonnes. The Spitfire monument sculpture will be fabricated and delivered by specialist architectural metalwork fabricators – m-tec.uk.com – part of the WEC Group.

Fundraising for monument

The ‘Spitfire Fund’, launched in 1940s wartime Britain, inspired thousands of people, schools, businesses, and clubs to raise the funds that created over 2,500 Spitfires for the war effort. Today the National Spitfire Project are calling on the national and indeed international community to once again come together and collectively raise the remaining £3m needed to build the ultimate tribute to this iconic aircraft. HM’s Government will generously match fund every donation made to make the monument a reality. For information on how to become involved please contact sarah.gray@nationalspitfireproject.org

About this Tech Article

Appearing in the September 2024 issue of Stainless Steel World Magazine, this technical article is just one of many insightful articles we publish. Subscribe today to receive 10 issues a year, available monthly in print and digital formats. – SUBSCRIPTIONS TO OUR DIGITAL VERSION ARE NOW FREE.

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