A Smashing Victory

Much to my own surprise, I don't have that many British premium aircraft in World of Warplanes.

After a quick review and remembrance, I bought one (the Miles M.20) and earned the other four (Gloster Meteor F.I., Vickers Venom, Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Type 224). With the possibility of picking up another Supermarine offering, I decided to take a trip to the lower tiers with the first aircraft to unofficially carry the name Spitfire.

Built to meet the October 1931 Air Ministry specification F.7/30, the Type 224 first flew on February 1934. Originally built to replace the Gloster Gauntlet, the aircraft faced some pretty stiff design competition from Westland, Blackburn and Gloster themselves. 


Although the 224's fuselage design was based on the Schneider Trophy Supermarine S.6/6B floatplanes, the inverted gullwings proved to be unstable and the light weight evaporative cooling system for the Rolls-Royce Goshawk II engine failed to produce spectacular results. Because of these setbacks, the Gloster Gladiator would win the lucrative contract and became a legend in it's own right. The Type 224 would be seen for the last time by the public at Royal Air Force Display at Hendon in June 1934, then placed into storage at RAE Farnborough. In May 1937, this all all-metal monoplane would be taken away to Aircraft and Armament Experimental Establishment at Martlesham Heath, to be reduced to scrap, since it's new role as a gunnery target would have made quick work of the aluminum skin and airframe.

However, lessons learned form this sole prototype would become instrumental in the creation of the Supermarine Type 300, known the world over as the Spitfire.