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89-586: It is also the site of a popular Belgium air show, which has been hosted periodically by the Belgian Air Force. The air show has many new and also historical aircraft on display for the public. An aviation museum for Klein Brogel with many historical items was established in 2010 in the area, featuring some of the historical aircraft that operated from the base. In December 1944, during WW2 work began on an air field Klein Brogel by Allied forces, with work being done by

178-464: A bigger radiator and oil cooler, although it kept the asymmetric under-wing radiator layout of the single stage Merlin marks. The new engine had a lower thrust-line than the Merlin and was set with 2 degrees of downthrust . The lower thrust line and larger capacity of the new engine meant that the contours of the engine cowling were completely changed, with more prominent blisters over the cylinder heads, plus

267-728: A flight directly to Journal de 13 heures of TF1 , a journey which took 30 minutes. His "renommée" (designation) generated much conversation about the French Air Force and reinforced the relation between the French Air Force and France. The pilots at the time were Commandant Velluz (leader), Lieutenant (☨)Bossert, Lieutenant Girbe, Captain Hendel, Captain Weber, Lieutenant Mougel, Captain Bonin, Lieutenant Manzo and Captain Bro. In 1990, Michel Drucker accepted to be

356-564: A great deal; it became one of our favourite aeroplanes. [REDACTED] Media related to Supermarine Spitfire Mark XII at Wikimedia Commons The Mk XII was the first Spitfire powered by a Griffon engine to go into service. The first of 100 Supermarine-built production aircraft started appearing in October 1942; two RAF squadrons in total were equipped with the XII. Mk XIIs were manufactured from Mk Vc and Mk VIII airframes: early production aircraft had

445-497: A more effective .50-inch Browning .50 cal M2/AN heavy machine gun with 250 rpg was added to the inner gun-bay replacing the outer Browning .303s. The first trial installation of the installation (modification 1029) was made in BS118 , a Mark XI in November 1943. This armament later became standard for all Spitfire Mk XIVs used by RAF 2nd Tactical Air Force as fighters. The improved armament

534-551: A new Griffon engine, the 61 series, with a two-stage supercharger. In the end it was a slightly modified engine, the 65 series, which was used in the Mk XIV. The resulting aircraft provided a substantial performance increase over the Mk IX. Although initially based on the Mk VIII airframe, common improvements made in aircraft produced later included the cut-back fuselage and tear-drop canopies , and

623-481: A result, F and FR Mk XIVes had a range that was increased to over 610 miles (980 km), or 960 miles (1,540 km) with a 90 gal drop tank. The first test of the aircraft was in intercepting V1 flying bombs and the Mk XIV was the most successful of all Spitfire marks in this role. When 150 octane fuel was introduced in mid-1944 the "boost" of the Griffon engine was able to be increased to +25 lbs (80.7"), allowing

712-432: A straight leading edge but for production a more elegant curved line was introduced. One prototype, JF321 , was fitted and tested with a Rotol six-bladed contra-rotating propeller unit; although this promised to eliminate the characteristic swing on take-off (caused by the propeller slipstream) the propeller unit was prone to failure. The pitch control mechanism controlled the pitch on the front propeller, ... and this

801-460: A third tear-drop shaped blister on the upper forward cowling to clear the magneto, and a deeper curve down to the spinner, which was much longer than previous types. The lower cowling lost its "pigeon-chested" appearance, with a shallower curve up to the spinner. A four blade Rotol propeller of 10 ft 5 in (3.1 m) was used. Apart from these differences the Mk IV airframe was closely related to that of

890-580: Is the "Diamant" (Diamond); however, the repertoire includes numerous other formations, and can be orchestrated into a series. The repertoire of the Patrouille de France consists of at least 20 different formations. Each aircraft is painted blue-white-red, with the gun placement replaced with a smoke generator. Search lights are installed on the aircraft nose, and the viewfinder has been removed to improve visibility. The Patrouille de France (PAF) has many encounters with notable figures, but few have been awarded

979-695: Is the historical Fouga Magister jet-powered jet training aircraft. Before June 2013, none of the five NATO member states whose air forces store nuclear bombs domestically (Belgium, Germany , Italy , the Netherlands and Turkey ), have provided an official confirmation of its existence. However, former Italian President Francesco Cossiga declared that the Aeronautica Militare hosted or shared US nuclear bombs just as other NATO member states do. In an interview he talked about French weapons. On 10 June 2013, former Dutch prime minister Ruud Lubbers confirmed

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1068-556: Is the oldest (active since 1931) and considered one of the best in the world. Comprising 9 pilots and 35 mechanics, the patrol ( La Patrouille ) splits its time between winter season ( saison hivernale ) training and summer season ( saison estivale ) aerial displays. The unit traditionally opens the Bastille Day military parade in Paris with 9 Alpha Jets , presenting a twenty-minute demonstration of formation changes and crossovers narrated by

1157-727: The Patrouille de France (PAF), is the precision aerobatics demonstration unit of the French Air and Space Force , officially commissioned in 1953. Using the French Aerial Aerobatics ( French : Voltige aérienne Française ) unit of the French Air and Space Force, the mission is to represent it and lead the ambassadorship role of French aeronautics overseas. Stationed at Aerial Base 701 Salon-de-Provence in Bouches-du-Rhône , it

1246-873: The 1968 Winter Olympics held in Grenoble. Killy was the co-organizer of the 1992 Winter Olympics held in Albertville , where the PAF performed. The pilots were Commandant Barou, Captain Reyre, Captain Manzo, Captain (☨)Bossert, Captain Girbe, Captain Lagrange, Captain Chantereau, Captain Pittie and Lieutenant Gourhan. In 1993, on the 40th anniversary of the formation of the PAF, Albert II, Prince of Monaco became

1335-451: The Chief of Staff of the French Air Force during the spring on an Aerial Base. The series for the year is divided in two parts, the "ruban" (8 Alphajet evolve in a tight quarter formation and change formation) and the "synchro" (the Patrouille is divided into two formations and conducts alternatively figures of 2, 4, or 6 aircraft). The chains of maneuvers must be perfectly synchronized between

1424-578: The Cold War created a tense defense environment. The basic idea was each side stockpiled nuclear weapons intimidate the other side and, thus prevent a war from occurring. KB was one of the bases on Quick Reaction Alert. At some points there was some discussion about the NATO nuclear weapons at times being stored in the facility by the United States Air Force (USAF) in conjunction with military as overseen by

1513-405: The Patrouille each year. The new entering patrollers are chosen amongst the hunter pilots ( French : Pilote de Chasse ) of the French Air Force, which come forth voluntarily. They have to retain the qualification of a patrol chief and totalize at least 1500 hours of flying on a reaction aircraft in order to apply. From the principle of cooperation, the pilots chose the three future pilots of

1602-441: The Patrouille . The 2009–2010 season was marked by the arrival, for a first time, of a female pilot : Commandant Virginie Guyot . The radio code of the Patrouille is Athos : The Patrouille de France is first a team. They are 32 mechanics to put in place, maintain and repair the 12 Alphajet assigned to the unit. Placed under the orders of technical services chief, the mechanics are also chosen by cooptation amongst

1691-588: The 20th anniversary of the Patrouille de France , the team appeared on the TV program Vivement Dimanche ( French : Vivement dimanche ) for a special program. The pilots were Commandant (☨)Festas, Lieutenant Chantereau, Captain (☨)Lenne, Captain Barou, Lieutenant Girbe, Lieutenant Lagrange, Captain (☨)Bossert, Captain Louis and Lieutenant Manzo. In 1991, the Patrouille de France chose Jean-Claude Killy , triple Olympic champion at

1780-580: The Belgian government. Like any possible nuclear facility the base has a high degree of attention paid to it, due to the seriousness of such devices. Under the NATO nuclear sharing arrangement , these nuclear bombs would require an actual dual key system , which would imply the simultaneous authorizations of Belgium and the United States, before any action is taken. Should that be the case, Kleine Brogel Air Base would be

1869-708: The British Royal Engineers near Kleine Brogel. The base supported allied operations in region after landings in Normandy, as they headed east. By 1 March the Royal Canadian air force flying late model Spitfire fighter aircraft arrived at the base. Aircraft included versions of the Spitfire like the Spitfire FR Mk XIV , and other late model versions. There was various patrols, eventually the fighters were moved east as

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1958-546: The E-Type wing with improved armament. The Mk XIV differed from the Mk XII in that the longer, two-stage supercharged Griffon 65, producing 2,050 hp (1,528 kW), was mounted 10 inches (25.4 cm) further forward. The top section of the engine bulkhead was angled forward, creating a distinctive change of angle to the upper cowling's rear edge. A new five bladed Rotol propeller of 10 ft 5 in (3.18 m) in diameter

2047-523: The FR Mk XIVe was essentially the same as the standard aircraft. These field-converted aircraft were allocated to 430 squadron RCAF. Later, purpose-built conversions, also known as the FR Mk XIVe, had the later cut-down rear fuselage with its tear drop–shaped canopy, port and/or starboard camera ports (without blisters), and an additional rear fuel tank of 34 gallons which extended the Spitfire's range to about 610 miles (980 km) on internal fuel. Because it

2136-847: The French Air Force Virginie Guyot became leader of the Patrouille de France. During the France segment of the 2020 Summer Olympics closing ceremony , the Patrouille de France performed a flyby over Paris , passing the Eiffel Tower as Tokyo passed the Olympics on to the French capital for the 2024 Games . The Patroulle performed for their 70th anniversary and Kleine Brogel base in Belgium Air Force Days 2023. Three pilots integrate

2225-426: The French Air Force (the 12 Escadre of Aerial Base 103 Cambray-Épinoy, the 4 Escadres of Aerial Base 136 Bremgarten; the 2 Escadre of Aerial Base 102 Dijon-Longvic and the 4 Escadre of Aerial Base 133 Nancy-Ochey) perpetuated one after the other ( tour à tour ) the traditions of the Patrouille de France and contributed to patrol's international success. Nevertheless, in 1964, following budgetary restrictions,

2314-583: The Godfather/Patron of the Patrouille de France . A journalist with a passion for aeronautics, he came for the first time to the Salon-de-Provence Air Base on 26 March 1990, and took his first flight on 26 April. Two days later, the display team appeared on the TV program Champs-Élysées ( French : Champs-Élysées (émission de télévision) ). The appearance allowed the audience to observe French Air Force personnel behind-the-scenes. In 2010, at

2403-1275: The Godfather/Patron. The pilots were Commandant Connan, Captain Kurtz, Captain Manzo, Captain Laloix, Captain Gourhan, Captain Chicha, Captain Huillier and Lieutenant Perret. In 2001, the Judo champion David Douillet became Godfather/Patron. Douillet conducted a flight in front of the Patrouille de France on board the Transall transport aircraft with the door open. The pilots were Commandant Giraud, Commandant Girard, Captain Mateo, Captain Boillot, Captain Boulay, Captain Talichet, Captain Fricker, Captain Lespade and Captain Espinet. In 2010, Carla Bruni , wife of

2492-482: The Hispano barrels were shorter and there was usually a short rubber stub covering the outer cannon port. Redesigned upper wing gun bay doors incorporated "teardrop" shaped blisters to clear the cannon feed motors, and the lower wings no longer had the gun bay heating vents outboard of the gunbays. To provide room for the belt feed system of the cannon, the inner machine gun bays were moved outboard between ribs 13 and 14. As

2581-532: The Merlin-powered Mk III. One feature of the Griffon engine which was to catch a lot of pilots out was that the propeller rotated in the opposite direction to that of the Merlin; i.e.,: to the left, from the pilot's perspective, rather than to the right. This meant that the powerful slipstream swung the Spitfire to the right on the ground, requiring the rudder to be deflected to the left during takeoff. The Mark IV DP845 first flew on 27 November 1941. It had

2670-439: The Mk VIII used C, D and E wing types. Unless otherwise noted, all Griffon-engined Spitfire variants used the strengthened Dunlop AH10019 "four spoke" pattern mainwheels. With the increasing use of hard-surfaced runways in the post-war years, many Spitfires were either manufactured or re-fitted with, larger mainwheels which were of a "three spoke" pattern. These were used on modified undercarriage legs which had reduced "toe-in" for

2759-421: The Mk XIV was; ...a hairy beast to fly and took some getting used to. I personally preferred the old Mk Vs from a flying standpoint ... Even with full aileron, elevator and rudder, this brute of a fighter took off slightly sideways. In spite of the difficulties pilots appreciated the performance increases. Wing Commander Peter Brothers , O/C Culmhead Wing in 1944–1945 and a Battle of Britain veteran; It

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2848-640: The Mks I–XX and Arabic numerals for the Mks 21–24. Type numbers (such as "Type 361") are the drawing board design numbers allocated by Supermarine. On 4 December 1939, the Supermarine design staff produced a brochure which mooted the idea of converting the Spitfire to use the Rolls-Royce Griffon engine. A top speed of 423 mph (681 km/h) at 18,500 ft (5,639 m) was predicted. However, constant problems with

2937-468: The Patrouille d'Étampes and accordingly equipped with twelve Stampe SV-4 . In front of the ongoing ascending success of presentations, diverse formations were put in place at the corps of the French Air Force . In 1952, Commandant Pierre Delachenal, pilot of the 3 Escadre , stationed at Aerial Base 112 Reims-Champagne, formed an escadrille of four Republic F-84 G. During an aerial meeting on 17 May on

3026-1481: The President of France Nicolas Sarkozy , became the first Patron/Godmother. The pilots were Commandant Guyot , Commandant Tranchon, Captain Guy, Captaine Hauser, Captain Castaing, Captain Wallaert, Captain Pillet, Captain Courtot, Captain Monhée and Captain Bourgeon. In 2012, the rugby player Thierry Dusautoir became the Patron/Godfather for the running year. The pilots were Commandant Gauthier Dewas, Captain Vincent Plantier, Captain William Leroy, Commandant Raphaël Nal, Captain Jean-Noël Guy, Captain Guillaume Smets, Captain Antoine Hauser, Captain Philippe Castagnet, Captain Sylvain Pillet. In 2014,

3115-404: The Spitfire F Mk 21 and its successors was designed to help alleviate this problem; the wing's stiffness was increased by 47 percent and a new design of aileron using piano hinges and geared trim tabs meant the theoretical aileron-reversal speed was increased to 825 mph (1,328 km/h). This wing entered service on the Spitfire XXI. The standard armament was now four 20mm Hispano IIs or

3204-422: The Spitfire was no longer to be used as a night fighter , the retractable landing lights were no longer fitted. These were specifically made for the Photo-Reconnaissance Spitfires, including the PR XIX; no armament was fitted and the D-shaped leading edges of the wings ahead of the main spar, were converted into integral fuel tanks , each carrying 66 gallons. To avoid the expansion of fuel in hot weather damaging

3293-446: The Spitfire". The first of the Griffon-engined Spitfires flew on 27 November 1941. Although the Griffon-engined Spitfires were never produced in the large numbers of the Merlin-engined variants they were an important part of the Spitfire family, and in their later versions kept the Spitfire at the forefront of piston-engined fighter development. This article describes the Griffon-powered Spitfire variants. The majority of Spitfires from

3382-547: The airborne equivalent of a very powerful sports car and was great fun to fly. Changes of trim with changes of power were much more in evidence, both directionally and longitudinally, and the aeroplane sheared about a bit during tight manoeuvres and simulated dog-fights. I realised at once that we should have to correct its directional characteristics and probably its longitudinal stability also, both of which in due time we achieved. Indeed, DP845 eventually went through many phases of development throughout and I, and others, flew in it

3471-464: The aircraft were restricted to those essential to enable it to accept the new engine ... I found that it had a spectacular performance doing 445 mph at 25,000 ft, with a sea-level rate of climb of over 5,000 ft per minute. I remember being greatly delighted with it; it seemed to me that from this relatively simple conversion, carried out with a minimum of fuss and bother, had come up with something quite outstanding ... The MK VIIIG, with virtually

3560-443: The axles, which reduced tyre scrub. Also known as the "Universal wing" the new design was standard on the majority of Spitfires built from mid-1942. This wing was structurally modified to reduce labour and manufacturing time, and was designed to allow mixed armament options: A type, B type, or four 20 mm Hispano cannon . The undercarriage mountings were redesigned and the undercarriage doors were bowed in cross section allowing

3649-401: The base's back-up support, or when the Patrouille returns from meeting. Based on the tradition, the field mechanic chooses the pilot. The mechanic accompanies the pilot during the appropriate season on all "meetings", and navigates in the rear for all transit flights. In a particular uniform, the latter ensures the effect placement of each flight departure and return. The confidence between

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3738-452: The cat among the pigeons and among the VIPs. However pilots found it difficult to exploit this advantage in combat as German pilots were reluctant to be drawn into dogfights with Spitfires of any type below 20,000 feet (6,100 m). When the Mk XII was able to engage in combat it was a formidable fighter and several Fw 190s and Messerschmitt Bf 109Gs fell victim to it. The Mk XII's speed advantage at lower altitudes again became useful near

3827-400: The development of the Griffon meant that the decision to proceed with building a Spitfire with this engine didn't come to fruition until 1942, with the successful flight trials of the Mk IV. The Griffon IIB which powered the Mk IV was a single-stage supercharged engine of 1,735 hp (1,293 kW). Stronger main longerons were needed to cope with the weight of the Griffon and it required

3916-476: The director of the French Air Force presentation team, also a jet pilot as well as the public relations officer. Each maneuver is filmed by a photo and video specialist, as a pilot is also usually present (often the replacement pilot), supervising the communications between the PAF and the controller for flight safety. In 1931, the first aerial demonstration ( démonstration aérienne ) in patrol ( En Patrouille ) took place at Étampes-Mondésir Airport. The demonstration

4005-438: The end of its front line service in summer 1944, when its pilots were credited with 82.5 V-1 Flying Bomb kills. The Mk XII variant was retired in September 1944. [REDACTED] Media related to Supermarine Spitfire Mark XIV at Wikimedia Commons The first Griffon-powered Spitfires suffered from poor high altitude performance due to having only a single stage supercharged engine. By 1943, Rolls-Royce engineers had developed

4094-733: The existence of 22 shared nuclear bombs at Volkel Air Base . Kleine Brogel Air Base is also the home of the United States Air Force's 701st Munitions Support Squadron which is the unit in charge of looking after the nuclear bombs. As of 2023, Kleine Brogel is one of six active air bases in five European countries with B61 nuclear bombs in underground WS3 Weapon Storage and Security System inside aircraft shelters. AFN Benelux broadcasts from Kleine Brogel Air Base at an FM frequency of 106.2 MHz. In September 2023, Kleine Brogel hosted its Belgian Air Force Days, with many new and historical aircraft on display. Air Forces from around Europe came and showed off many aircraft of different types. One of

4183-439: The field of Maison-Blanche (White House) in Algeria , the pilot show commentator of the escadrille and journalist Jacques Nœtinger, overwhelmingly shocked with the spectacle which he had just witnessed, baptised France's Patrol officially as Patrouille de France. The general staff headquarters of the French Air Force accordingly confirmed this appellation on 14 September 1953. During the ten following years, four Escadres of

4272-436: The first Mk IXs were originally Mk Vcs. Up until the end of 1942, the RAF always used Roman numerals for mark numbers. From 1943–1948, new aircraft entering service were given Arabic numerals for mark numbers but older aircraft retained their Roman numerals. From 1948, Arabic numerals were used exclusively. Thus, the Spitfire PR Mk XIX became the PR 19 after 1948. This article adopts the convention of using Roman numerals for

4361-407: The fixed tail wheels, Dunlop AH2061 pattern "five spoke" mainwheels and small elevator balances. They had a single 85 gal main fuel tank, giving a short range of little over 380 miles (610 km) on internal fuel. All were fitted with the larger, pointed tip rudder. The last 45 or so Mk XIIs, were based on Mk VIIIs with two wing fuel tanks, each containing a maximum fuel load of 14 gal, and featured

4450-428: The front of the leg; this also led to small changes in the shape of the undercarriage bay and leg fairings. Several versions of the Spitfire, including Mk XIV and Mk XVIII had extra 13 gallon integral fuel tanks in the wing leading edges, between the wing-root and the inboard cannon bay. The Hispano Mk.II cannons were now belt fed from box magazines allowing for 120 rpg (the Châtellerault system). The fairings over

4539-442: The full-span C wing combined with a small tail unit and retractable tailwheel, and also had external bracket hinges under the wings, denoting the installation of braking flaps. These were soon removed and a mock-up of a proposed six-cannon armament was fitted, three in each wing. The aircraft was soon renamed Mk XX , to avoid confusion with a renamed PR type, then it became the Mk XII. Jeffrey Quill , Supermarine's chief test pilot,

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4628-426: The fuselage spine. Because of the longer nose and the increased slipstream of the big five-bladed propeller, a new tail unit with a taller, broader fin and a rudder of increased area was adopted. The first batch of aircraft to fly with the Griffon 60 series engines were six converted Mk VIIIs JF316 to JF321 which were called Mk VIIIG. The first one of these was flown by Jeffrey Quill on 20 January 1943, Changes to

4717-552: The general scheme became clear. The Spitfire was to be a sort of datum pacemaker – 'Mr Average Contemporary Fighter' – and its job would be to come in last, the real excitement of the proceedings being by how much it would be beaten by the Fw 190 and the Typhoon, and which of these two bright stars would beat the other and by how much. Outside on the tarmac at Worthy Down stood the inoffensive-looking but highly potent DP485 ... All went according to plan until, when we were about halfway between Odiham and Farnborough and going flat out, I

4806-580: The highlights was the 70th anniversary show of the Patrouille de France . The previous Air Force Day show was in 2018, five years earlier. The base has also hosted Tiger Meets, in which aircraft from all over adorned with colorful tiger themes; KB hosted for example the 45th anniversary. Units based at Kleine Brogel. 10th Tactical Wing US Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) Air bases with US nuclear weapon vaults in Europe: Supermarine Spitfire (Griffon-powered variants)#FR Mk XIV The Rolls-Royce Griffon engine

4895-413: The larger horn balances, retractable tailwheel and undercarriage legs with torque-links, "dished" leg fairings and the stronger Dunlop AH10019 four spoke wheels. The wheels were occasionally fitted with disc-style covers. A later model IFF was fitted, replacing the aerials from the tailplane tip to fuselage with a rod aerial under the starboard wing. Another important feature of the Griffon-engine Spitfires

4984-412: The leader and the leader solo in order to avoid dead time for the public, and avoid equally the superposition of two figures. The emblematic figure of the Patrouille is the heart (balance in Y at 6 cut by an arrow realized by the two solos). The pilots fly at speeds between 300 and 800 km/h, while being only spaced from each other by 2 or 3 meters. The base formation of the Patrouille de France

5073-451: The legs to sit lower in the wells, eliminating the upper-wing blisters over the wheel wells and landing gear pivot points. Stronger undercarriage legs were raked 2 inches (5.08 cm) forward, making the Spitfire more stable on the ground and reducing the likelihood of the aircraft tipping onto its nose. During production of the Mk VIII and Mk IX, a new undercarriage leg was introduced which had external v-shaped "scissor-links" fitted to

5162-426: The lower cowling location of the Merlin engine variants to forward of the fuselage fuel tanks) was increased in capacity from 6 to 10 gal. To help balance the new engine, the radio equipment was moved further back in the rear fuselage and the access hatch was moved from the left fuselage side to the right. Better VHF radio equipment allowed for the aerial mast to be removed and replaced by a "whip" aerial further aft on

5251-410: The mechanic and pilot is absolute/total. A Transall C-160 accompanies the Patrouille de France to each displacement. The accompaniment revolves around ensuring the necessary logistics support, in transporting a dozen tons of materials, in addition to the required personnel in concern for the mission. The accompaniment is capable of conducting rotations to main base from any lieu in case the situation

5340-430: The mechanics of the French Air and Space Force. They are all volunteers and worker often late at night to assure the mission of the following day. They are mainly two teams. Charged with troubleshooting the necessary immobilization of an aircraft, or the utilization of specific tools, the troubleshooting team guarantees equally the consistency of programmed operations. This team is stationary on an Aerial Base, and ensures

5429-405: The number was nine, was held on 16 September 1980 at Salon-de-Provence. The Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet became the steel spear of the Patrouille de France in 1981 with 7 aircraft. This number was increased to 8 as of 1982. A historical display took place in 1986 above New York City . On 25 November 2009, for the first time in the world, an aerobatic team was commanded by a woman, when Commandant of

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5518-471: The official title of "Patron/Godfather or Godmother" ( French : parrain - marraine ) (Patron can designate a Godfather "parrain" or Godmother "marraine"). For example, Nicolas Hulot , victim of a "voile noir" on board of a Patrouille de France aircraft, was never awarded the title. The first Patron/Godfather of the Patrouille de France was Alain Delon , in 1988. He came for the first time to Salon-de-Provence Air Base, with Yves Mourousi , then flew on

5607-446: The only location in Belgium with nuclear weapons. According to the press, Eastern European Member States of NATO resisted the withdrawal of the "shared" nuclear bombs in Europe, fearing that it would show a weakening of the US commitment to defend the European Union against Russian aggression. In 2010 after many years of work, the Kleine Brogel aircraft museum was established, featuring history and aviation exhibits. One aircraft there

5696-462: The patrol of Dassault Mystère IV was dissolved. Anxious not to have the designation of Patrouille de France disappear, the Minister of the Armies decided accordingly a couple of months later to adopt the Patrouille de l'École de l'Air. The six Fouga Magister of the Aerial Base of Salon-de-Provence became the torch of French Aerial Aerobatics ( French : Voltige Aérienne Française ) during sixteen years. The last presentation of Fouga Magister, which

5785-402: The same tail surfaces both vertical and horizontal as the Merlin MK VIII, was very much over-powered and the handling in the air was unacceptable for an operational type ... I soon realised that a new throttle box would be needed giving a much greater angular travel for the hand lever ... The next essential ... was an improvement in the directional stability and control and a new fin

5874-418: The shorter, lighter Hispano V cannons, each with 150 rounds per gun. The Mark numbers used in the aircraft designations did not necessarily indicate a chronological order; for example, the Mk IX was a stopgap measure brought into production before the Mks VII and VIII. Some Spitfires of one mark or variant may have been modified to another; for example, several of the first Mk Vbs were converted from Mk Ibs;

5963-402: The top speed to be increased by about 30 mph (26 kn; 48 km/h) to 400 mph (350 kn; 640 km/h) at 2,000 ft (610 m). The Mk XIV was used by the 2nd Tactical Air Force as their main high-altitude air superiority fighter in northern Europe with six squadrons operational by December 1944. One problem which did arise in service was localised skin wrinkling on

6052-485: The war progressed. With VE Day in May 1945, wartime operations ended Allied forces left the base by September 1945. In March 1945 Kleine Brogel airbase was established and the next months the first fighter squadrons arrived. As the decades progressed newer fighters arrived, F-104 fighters in the 1960s and F-16 fighter aircraft in the 1980s. It was one of the many important air bases in Western Europe, that helped establish air defense in Belgium. From around 1950 to 1990,

6141-450: The war. Late in 1944 a number of high-back full-span Mk XIVes were converted by the Forward Repair Unit (FRU) to have a single camera fitted, facing to port or starboard; a conversion identical to that used on the FRU-converted FR Mk IXc. To achieve this a new hatch, similar to the radio hatch on the port side, was installed on the starboard side, and both hatches were fitted with camera ports in streamlined blisters. Otherwise this version of

6230-467: The wing's skin; again the LF prefix was not applied to these aircraft. As the Spitfire gained more power and was able to fly at greater speeds the risk of aileron reversal was increasing so the Supermarine design team set about redesigning the wings to counter this possibility. The original wing design had a theoretical aileron-reversal speed of 580 mph (930 km/h), which was somewhat lower than that of some contemporary fighters. The new wing of

6319-449: The wing, pressure relief valves, incorporating small external vent pipes, were fitted near the wing tips. Structurally unchanged from the C wing, the outer machine gun ports were eliminated, although the outer machine gun bays were retained and their access doors were devoid of empty cartridge case ports and cartridge case deflectors. The inner gun bays allowed for two weapon fits; or The 20 mm Hispano cannon were moved outboard and

6408-790: The wings and fuselage at load attachment points; although Supermarine advised that the Mk XIVs had not been seriously weakened, nor were they on the point of failure, the RAF issued instructions in early 1945 that all F and FR Mk XIVs were to be refitted with clipped wings. Spitfire XIVs began to arrive in the South-East Asian Theatre in June 1945, too late to operate against the Japanese. Several Mk XIVs were rumoured to have been buried at an airfield in Burma after

6497-518: Was a leap forward in the evolution of the Spitfire. Jeffrey Quill flew the first production aircraft, RB140 in October 1943: So the Mk XIV was in business, and a very fine fighter it was. It fully justified the faith of those who, from the early days in 1939, had been convinced that the Griffon engine would eventually see the Spitfire into a new lease of life ... It was a splendid aeroplane in every respect. We still had some work to do to improve its longitudinal and directional characteristics, but it

6586-508: Was beginning to overhaul the Fw 190 and the Typhoon. Suddenly I saw sparks and black smoke coming from the Fw 190's exhaust ... and I shot past him and never saw him again. I was also easily leaving the Typhoon behind and the eventual finishing order was, first the Spitfire, second the Typhoon, third the Fw 190. This was precisely the opposite result to that expected, or indeed intended. It certainly put

6675-544: Was considered to be better than previous Spitfire marks, and the clipped wings conferred excellent manoeuvrability through enhanced aileron response. At low altitude it was one of the fastest aircraft in the world; in one speed trial, held at Farnborough in July 1942 DP485 (now referred to as the Mk XII) piloted by Jeffrey Quill raced ahead of a Hawker Typhoon and a captured Focke-Wulf Fw 190 , contrary to expectations. On reflection

6764-460: Was converted on MS.225 and developed capability to pass to five equipment (1936). In 1937, the unit joined Salon-de-Provence ; it was designated Patrouille de l' École de l'Air . The Second World War interrupted different activities. In 1947, the Minister of Air created an escadrille of representation for the French Air Force. The presentation unit was directed by Capitaine Pierre, former pilot of

6853-450: Was designed in answer to Royal Navy specifications for an engine capable of generating good power at low altitudes. Concepts for adapting the Spitfire to take the new engine had begun as far back as October 1939; Joseph Smith felt that "The good big 'un will eventually beat the good little 'un." and Ernest Hives of Rolls-Royce thought that the Griffon would be "a second power string for

6942-430: Was drawn out with a substantial increase in area (7.42 sq. ft) and a much larger rudder and fitted to the second aircraft JF317 . This, though not ideal, produced a very marked improvement in directional characteristics and we were able to introduce minor changes thereafter and by various degrees of trimmer tab and balance tab to reach an acceptable degree of directional stability and control. The enlarged fin of JF317 had

7031-589: Was executed by instructors of the Piloting Perfection School, on Morane-Saulnier MS.230 . The formation was composed of three aircraft. Between 1932 and 1939, under the command of Captain Pierre Fleurquin, the Patrouille d'Étampes received an encouraging success and entered in posterity. Accordingly, the Patrol was chosen to represent France during international meetings. In 1935, the Patrouille d'Étampes

7120-426: Was just a little over 460 miles (740 km) on internal fuel, since the new Griffon engine consumed much more fuel per hour than the original Merlin engine of earlier variants. By late 1944, Spitfire XIVs were fitted with an extra 33 gal in a rear fuselage fuel tank, extending the fighter's range to about 850 miles (1,370 km) on internal fuel and a 90 gal drop tank. Mk XIVs with "tear-drop" canopies had 64 gal. As

7209-636: Was more effective for both air-to-air engagements and air-to-ground attacks. The Mk XII flew operationally with their rounded wingtips replaced by shorter, squared off fairings; the single-stage supercharger of the Griffon II or IV used in the Mk XIIs meant that it was rated and used as a low altitude fighter and the LF prefix used by Merlin-powered Spitfires was never applied. Starting in early 1945 most Spitfire Mk XIVs also used clipped wing tips, mainly to reduce wrinkling of

7298-485: Was of a requirement. The Transall and crew which participate to the mission of the Patrouille , hail from the transport squadrons of the French Air and Space Force . The program of the Patrouille de France is renewed each year. Each program, designated a "series", is determined by the leader in accordance with all members of the team. This program is proposed to be validated by security flight commission, before being validated, similarly to all demonstration pilots, by

7387-563: Was powerful and performed magnificently. The only respect in which the XIV fell short was in its range. The Mk XIV could climb to 20,000 ft (6,100 m) in just over five minutes and its top speed, which was achieved at 25,400 ft (7,700 m), was 446 mph (718 km/h). In operational service many pilots initially found that the new fighter could be difficult to handle, particularly if they were used to earlier Spitfire marks. Don Healy of 17 Squadron , based at Madura recalled that

7476-490: Was the entirely flush-riveted finish which was progressively introduced on all Spitfires. The single-stage Griffon engine (II or IV) gave the aircraft superb low and medium level performance, although the Mk XII's performance declined at higher altitudes: because of this all production aircraft had "clipped" wings. In comparative tests with a Mk IX it was 14 mph (23 km/h) faster at sea level, but above 20,000 ft (6,100 m) it had become slower. Handling, however,

7565-490: Was the first to fly the Mk IV/Mk XII prototype DP845 , ... there was somewhat less ground clearance, resulting in a slight reduction in propeller diameter; the power available for take-off was much greater; and the engine RPM were lower than in the Merlin. All this meant that the throttle needed to be handled judiciously on take-off but, once in the air, the aeroplane had a great feeling of power about it; it seemed to be

7654-481: Was transmitted to the rear propeller (which was rotating in the opposite direction) through the transitional bearing mechanism. If this failed the pitch of the rear propeller was no longer under control and might do anything which was potentially dangerous. A similar contra-rotating propeller unit was later used on production Seafire 46 and 47s . When the new fighter entered service with 610 Squadron in December 1943 it

7743-518: Was truly an impressive machine, being able to climb almost vertically – it gave many Luftwaffe pilots the shock of their lives when, having thought they had bounced you from a superior height, they were astonished to find the Mk XIV climbing up to tackle them head-on, throttle wide open! F Mk XIVs had a total of 109.5 gal of fuel consisting of 84 gal in two main tanks and a 12.5 imp gal fuel tank in each leading edge wing tank; other 30, 45, 50 or 90 gal drop tanks could be carried. The fighter's maximum range

7832-773: Was used mainly at low altitudes the "production" FR Mk XIVe had clipped wingtips. In total, 957 Mk XIVs were built, over 430 of which were FR Mk XIVs. After the war, second hand Mk XIVs were exported to a number of foreign air forces; 132 went to the Royal Belgian Air Force , 70 went to the Royal Indian Air Force and 30 of its reconnaissance variant went to the Royal Thai Air Force . Patrouille de France The Patrouille acrobatique de France ( French pronunciation: [patʁuj akʁɔbatik də fʁɑ̃s] , "French Acrobatic Patrol"), also known as

7921-469: Was used, although one prototype JF321 was fitted with a six bladed contra rotating unit. The "fishtail" design of ejector exhaust stub gave way to ones of circular section. The increased cooling requirements of the Griffon engine meant that all radiators were much bigger and the underwing housings were deeper than previous versions. The cowling fasteners were new, flush fitting "Amal" type and there were more of them. The oil tank (which had been moved from

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