First flight of K5054
Hi, All:
We have a copy of "Mutt" Summers log book at the Brooklands Museum... One of the Library staff wrote a resume of Summers Logbook, and the resume below comes from the "additional" information from J S's Logbook. Although It certainly appeared that Quill was a day out with the comments made in his book, the Summers entry was written some time later, ie after the 22nd of October 1936 by his Secretary! Maybe she was a day out. Also, if Summers had flown to Martlesham on the 5th of March, would he have then gone down to Eastleigh and flown the prototype of a new fighter later the same day??....
"First of these was the Supermarine Spitfire prototype (K5054),
which Summers took up for its first flight at Eastleigh in early
March. The precise date on which this momentous event occurred is still the subject of some debate, since surviving records are incomplete. "Mutt" Summers own log book, in which it should be noted that many of the entries were made by others on his behalf, merely states that between 5th March and 22nd October 1936 he completed twenty hours of experimental flying on the Spitfire at Southampton (i.e. Eastleigh). It also states that on 5th March1936, before going to Southampton, he flew theG4/31 prototype (K7556) from Brooklands to Martlesham".
Feel free to PM me, anyone...
Ttfn,IFPS man
Last edited by IFPS man; 11th Mar 2011 at 12:55.