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70th RJ Mitchell Lecture 2026:
The Spitfire, Mitchell's Finest: What made it great?
Wednesday 14th October 2026
Drinks 6pm - Lecture 7pm
Booking Required
Free and open to all
Venue:
Turner Sims
Southampton SO17 1TR
University of Southampton Maps
What3words: ///harp.began.ritual
On this 90th anniversary of the legendary Supermarine Spitfire's first flight at Eastleigh Airfield, we will explore the design of such an iconic aircraft from two perspectives:
- The insights modern test and evaluation tools provide into the Spitfire’s design, performance and handling characteristics.
- The context of the period: the people, places, and politics of the Spitfire.
Specifically focusing on R.J. Mitchell; the man behind the most illustrious fighter of all time.
Speaker Details
Dr Sergio Araujo-Estrada, MRAeS, and Paul Beaver, FRAeS
Dr Sergio Araujo-Estrada is Asst. Prof. in Control and Robotics at the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Southampton
Paul Beaver is a well-known, award winning aviation historian, broadcaster, and pilot of historic aeroplanes, including the Spitfire, Harvard, and Mustang.