Sources and References

Source Material and References.

The excellent Putnam book on Supermarine is still the main reference source but its scope was not concerned directly with Mitchell’s development during his two decades as Chief Designer – which must be inferred from its survey of the company’s aircraft. The Spitfire Story by Alfred Price is very informative about the genesis and development of Mitchell’s fighter but, of course, it is not concerned with his whole career. One thus turns to the work of his son, Gordon Mitchell, which does give considerable biographical information and a chronological survey of his father’s whole design output. Whilst Dr. Mitchell performed an important service by raising the profile of his father, some of the material approaches that of hagiography and quite a few aircraft are only briefly dealt with. There are no three-view drawings of the machines and no comprehensive set of photographs.

The reminiscences of such test pilots as Biard, Orlebar, Schofield, D’Arcy Grieg, Waghorn, Quill and Henshaw, and of the two navy pilots, Livock and Nichol, supply much information about that essential factor in any designer’s output – what it was like to fly the machines. They also give revealing insights into the character of the designer, as do several Supermarine employees whose accounts also make it possible to discover much about the complex nature of the man behind the machines.
   My own book (see below) was written to collect together such biographical material and to give an overall survey of all Mitchell's main designs, in chronological order and related to their historical period, supported by photographs and drawings, whilst drawing attention to the Schneider Trophy contests as these were crucial to Mitchell's ability to produce the Spitfire when he did.

1/.

Supermarine Aircraft since 1914 – C.F. Andrews and E.B. Morgan. Putnam,          1981. 
Schneider Trophy to Spitfire: the Design Career of R.J. Mitchell – J.K. Shelton. Haynes, 2008.

Forty Years of the Spitfire – Proceedings of the R.J. Mitchell Memorial Symposium, 6th March,  1976. Royal Aeronautical Society, Southampton Branch.

Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft – 1921 to 1937. Sampson Low.

2/.

“Schneider Trophy Machine Design, 1927 ” – R.J. Mitchell.   Proceedings of       the Third Meeting, 63rd Session of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

“Racing Seaplanes and their Influence on Design” – R.J. Mitchell. Aeronautical Engineering Supplement to The Aeroplane, 25th December, 1929.

“The Schneider Trophy Seaplane – Some Notes on the Special Features of the S.6B” – prepared by the design staff of Supermarine under R.J. Mitchell. Aircraft Engineering, October, 1932.

“Seaplane Development” – R.E. Penny. Journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society, September 1927. (Contribution by R.J. Mitchell.)

3/.

“R.J. Mitchell, Aircraft Designer” – Joe Smith. The Aeroplane, 29th January, 1954.

“The First Mitchell Memorial Lecture” – Joe Smith. Journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society, 58, 1954.

“R.J. Mitchell – Designer of Aircraft” – A. Black in The Reginald Mitchell County Primary School Commemorative Brochure, 1959.

R.J. Mitchell - Schooldays to Spitfire – edited and in part written by Dr. Gordon Mitchell. Nelson and Saunders, 1986; reprinted by Tempus Publishing, 2006.
Schneider Trophy to Spitfire: the Design Career of R.J. Mitchell – J.K. Shelton. Haynes, 2008. 

4/.

Never a Dull Moment at Supermarine: a personal history – Denis Le P. Webb. J and KH Publishing. n.d.

Testing Times; Memoirs of a Spitfire Boffin – Griff (Harry Griffiths) United Writers, Cornwall, 1992.

Spitfire Odyssey – C.R. Russell. Kingfisher Railway Productions, 1985.

“Concerning the Aircraft Industry in South Hampshire” – G.A. Cozens. Unpublished MS., Solent Sky Museum.

5/.

“The Schneider Cup Race, 1925” – Maj. J.S. Buchanan. Proceedings of the Tenth Meeting , 61st Session of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

 “The Schneider Trophy, 1929” – Flt. Lieut. R.D.H. Waghorn. Royal Aeronautical Society, May, 1930, Yeovil Branch.

The Schneider Trophy – Wing Commander A.H. Orlebar, A.F.C. Seeley Service and Co. , 1933.

 “Memories of the Last Schneider Trophy Contests” – F.R. Banks. Journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society, January, 1966.

The Schneider Trophy Races – R. Barker. Chatto and Windus, 1971.

“Technical Aspects of the Schneider Trophy and the World Speed Record for Seaplanes” – Dr. E. Bazzocchi. Journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society, February, 1972.

The Schneider Trophy – D. Mondey. R. Hale, 1975.

Schneider Trophy Aircraft, 1913 - 1931 – D.N. James. Putnam, 1981.

Schneider Trophy Racers – R. Hirsch. Motorbooks International, 1993.

The Schneider Trophy Story – E. Eves. Airlife Publishing, 2001.
Schneider Trophy to Spitfire: the Design Career of R.J. Mitchell – J.K. Shelton. Haynes, 2008. 

The Schneider Trophy Seaplanes and Flying Boats; Victors, Vanquished and Visions – Ralph Pegram.  Fonthill Media, 2012.

6/.

The Spitfire Story – A. Price. Jane's, 1982.

Spitfire: the History – E.B. Morgan and E. Shacklady. Kay Publishing, 1987.

Spitfire: Portrait of a Legend – L. McKinstry. Murray, 2007.
How the Spitfire Won the Battle of Britain – D. Sarkar. Amberley, 2010.

“Spitfire 70 “ – A FlyPast Special. Key Publishing, 2006.
Schneider Trophy to Spitfire: the Design Career of R.J. Mitchell – J.K. Shelton. Haynes, 2008.  
Beyond the Spitfire; the Unseen Designs of R.J. Mitchell – Ralph Pegram. The History Press,2016.  

7/.

The Supermarine Walrus; the Story of a Unique Aircraft – G.W.R. Nicholl. G.T. Foulis and Co., 1966.

From Sea-Eagle to Flamingo – N. Doyle. The Self Publishing Association Ltd., Upton-upon-Severn, 1991.
"Twentyfirst Profile", Vol.1 No.6 (the B.12/36 Bomber); Vol.1 No.9 (the Air Yacht) – 21st Profile Ltd. ISSN 0961-8120

8/.

Wings – H.C. Biard. Hurst and Blackett, 1935.

Racing Ace; the Fights and Flights of“Kink” Kinkead – Julian Lewis. Pen and Sword, 2011

The High Speed and Other Flights – Flt. Lt. H.M Schofield. John Hamilton Ltd., 1932.

A Pride of Unicorns: Richard and David Atcherley of the RAF – J. Pudney. Oldbourne Book Co. Ltd., 1960.

“Schneider Trophy Flying” – Grp. Capt. L.C. Snaith – 1968 Lecture to the Royal Aeronautical Society Historical Group.

To the Ends of the Air – G.E. Livock. H.M.S.O. 1973.

Sigh for a Merlin – A. Henshaw. Blackett, 1977; reprinted by Crecy Publishing, Ltd., 2007.

9/.

Early Aeronautics in Staffordshire – J. Godwin. Staffordshire Libraries, Arts and Archives, 1986.

British Aviation: the Great War and Armistice: 1915-1919 – H. Penrose. Putnam, 1969.

British Aviation: the Adventuring Years: 1920-1929 – H. Penrose. Putnam. 1973.

British Aviation: Widening Horizons: 1930-1934 – H. Penrose. Putnam,1979.

Empire of the Air: the Advent of the Air Age, 1922-1929 – Viscount Templewood [Sir Samuel Hoare]. Collins, 1957.

Annals of British and Commonwealth Air Transport 1919-1960 – J. Stroud. Putnam, 1962.

10/.

The Centenary Journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society, 1866 -1966.

Aviation: Its Technical Development – J.L. Nayler and E. Ower. Owen, 1965.

Biplane to Monoplane Aircraft Development, 1919 - 1933 – ed. P. Jarrett. Putnam, 1997.

A History of Aerodynamics and its Impact on Flying Machines – J.D. Anderson. Cambridge University Press, 1997.

The Royal Air Force and Aircraft Design, 1923 - 1939 – C. Sinnot. Frank Cass, 2001.

The British Aircraft Specifications File, 1920-1949 – K.J. Meekoms, and E.B. Morgan, Air Britain, 1994.

The Cinderella Service: RAF Coastal Command, 1939-1945 – Andrew Hendrie. Pen and Sword, 2006.

“Transport Flying-Boats: Life and Death” – B.S. Shenstone. Journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society, December, 1969.

Sea Flyers – C.G. Grey. Faber and Faber, 1942.

11/.

Saunders Aircraft since 1920 – F.K. Mason. Putnam, 1961.

Bristol Aircraft since 1910 – C.H. Barnes. Putnam, 1964.

Shorts Aircraft since 1900 – C.H. Barnes. Putnam, 1967.

Blackburn Aircraft since 1909 – A.J. Jackson. Putnam, 1968.

Vickers Aircraft since 1908 – C.F. Andrews and E.B. Morgan. Putnam, 1974.

Gloster Aircraft since 1917 – D.N. James. Putnam, 1971.

Fairey Aircraft since 1915 – H.A. Taylor. Putnam, 1974.

Hawker and Saro Aircraft since 1917 – P. London. Putnam, 1974.

* * * * *

An extended bibliography is included in my R.J.Mitchell at Supermarine; Schneider Trophy to Spitfire which also provides material for wider reading, grouped according to specific areas of interest.