Supermarine Type 224

The Supermarine Type 224 was a British gull-wing monoplane fighter designed by R. J. Mitchell at Supermarine in response to Air Ministry specification F.7/30, which asked for a new fighter to succeed the Gloster Gauntlet. The specification, issued in October 1931, called for an all-metal day and night fighter with four machine guns, a high speed and rate of climb, a landing speed below 60 miles per hour and good cockpit visibility. The Type 224 used a Rolls-Royce Goshawk engine with an experimental evaporative cooling system. It first flew on 19 February 1934, piloted by Mutt Summers. Problems with the cooling system and disappointing performance in trials led the Air Ministry to reject it, and the production contract eventually went to the Gloster Gladiator. It is nevertheless notable because Mitchell learned lessons from it that contributed to the Spitfire.