Was R.J. Mitchell truly a genius? Delving into the projects that remained stuck on the drawing board Reginald Mitchell’s death at just 42, soon followed by the defence of Britain by pilots flying his finest creation, the Spitfire, elevated him to legendary status. He spent his whole career as a designer with Supermarine, whose products came from his pen or those that worked under him. Histories focus on the successful aircraft; those that failed to make the grade tend to be glossed over. But beyond this is a large body of concepts, early designs and projects that have never seen the light of day, the ideas generated by Mitchell and his team that never left the drawing board; stepping- stones on the way to later aircraft, sketched out concepts that withered on the vine, and projects that failed to attract orders. This book attempts to look at the entirety of Mitchell’s portfolio in perspective. Was Mitchell truly a genius? Hopefully this book will allow the reader to draw their own conclusions. AUTHOR: Ralph Pegram is recently retired after a long career in the oil industry. He is now avidly indulging a life-long interest in aviation history and am translating my many years of research and collecting into books and articles. To date he has published ‘Schneider Trophy Seaplanes and Flying Boats: Victors’, ‘Vanquished and Visions’ and a three- part study into Folland’s Forgotten Monoplanes for The Aviation Historian. He is also a volunteer archivist with the Royal Aero Club Trust Collection and helps run a number of aviation websites.
SELLING POINTS: . Investigating Mitchell’s entire portfolio, including the designs that never saw the light of day . With 3-view B&W layout drawings for the many projects and aircraft, and full-colour CGI rendering of selected projects . Also including photographs and adverts . A fresh approach to an ever-fascinating aspect of aviation history 150 b/w 15 colour
