Editing R. J. Mitchell

{{Short description|British aircraft designer (1895–1937)}}
{{good article}}
{{For-multi|the astronomer|R. J. Mitchell (astronomer)}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE|FRAeS}}
| image         = Reginald Mitchell Spitfire designer.jpg
| caption       = 
| birth_name    = Reginald Joseph Mitchell
| birth_date    = {{birth date|df=yes|1895|05|20}}
| birth_place   = [[Butt Lane]], Staffordshire, England<!-- Do not link the others; see MOS:GEOLINK-->
| death_date    = {{death date and age|df=yes|1937|06|11|1895|05|20}}
| death_place   = [[Southampton]], Hampshire, England<!-- Do not link the others; see MOS:GEOLINK-->
| monuments     = 
| nationality   = 
| education     = 
| occupation    = [[Aerospace engineering|Aircraft designer]]
| years_active  = 1916–1936
| employer      = [[Supermarine]]
| known_for     = Designer of the [[Supermarine S.6B]] and the [[Supermarine Spitfire]]
| spouse        =
| parents       =
| children      = 1
| awards        = {{MilAward Desc|CBE|23px}}
| signature     = R J Mitchell signature.png
}}

'''Reginald Joseph Mitchell''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CBE|FRAeS}} (20 May 1895 – 11 June 1937) was a British [[Aerospace engineering|aircraft designer]] who worked for the [[Southampton]] aviation company [[Supermarine]] from 1916 until 1936. He is best known for designing racing [[seaplane]]s such as the [[Supermarine S.6B]], and for leading the team that designed the [[Supermarine Spitfire]].

Born in [[Butt Lane]], Staffordshire, Mitchell attended [[Hanley High School, Stoke-on-Trent|Hanley High School]] and afterwards worked as an apprentice at a [[locomotive]] engineering works, whilst also studying engineering and mathematics at night. In 1916 he moved to Southampton to join Supermarine. He was appointed Chief Engineer in 1920 and Technical Director in 1927.  Between 1920 and 1936 he designed 24 aircraft, which included [[flying boat]]s and racing seaplanes,  [[light aircraft]], [[Fighter aircraft|fighters]], and [[bomber]]s. From 1925 to 1929 he worked on a series of racing seaplanes, built by Supermarine to compete in the [[Schneider Trophy]] competition, the final entry in the series being the Supermarine S.6B. The S.6B won the trophy in 1931. Mitchell was authorised by Supermarine to proceed with a new design, the Type 300, which went on to become the Spitfire.

In  1933, Mitchell underwent surgery to treat [[rectal cancer]]. He continued to work and earned his [[Pilot licensing and certification|pilot's licence]] in 1934, but in early 1937, he was forced by a recurrence of the cancer to give up work. After his death that year, he was succeeded as chief designer at Supermarine by [[Joseph Smith (aircraft designer)|Joseph Smith]].

==Family and education==
[[File:Hanley High School.jpg|thumb|[[Hanley High School, Stoke-on-Trent|Hanley High School]], {{circa}}1900]]
Reginald Joseph Mitchell was born on 20 May 1895 at 115 Congleton Road, [[Butt Lane]], in Staffordshire, England.{{sfn|Mitchell|2002|p=27}} He was the second eldest of five children, and the eldest of three brothers. His father Herbert Mitchell was a [[Yorkshireman]] who became headmaster of three Staffordshire schools in the [[Stoke-on-Trent]] area, before he retired from teaching. He then helped to establish a [[printing]] business, Wood, Mitchell and C. Ltd, in [[Hanley, Staffordshire|Hanley]].{{sfn|Mitchell|2002|p=21}} Herbert Mitchell's wife Eliza Jane Brain was the daughter of a [[Cooper (profession)|cooper]]. When Reginald was a child, the family lived in [[Normacot]], now a suburb of Stoke-on-Trent.{{sfn|Richie|2004}}

Reginald (known to his family as "Reg") attended Queensberry Road Higher Elementary School from the age of eight, before moving on to [[Hanley High School, Stoke-on-Trent|Hanley High School]].{{sfn|Mitchell|2002|p=21}} There he developed an interest in making and flying [[model aircraft]].{{sfn|Richie|2004}} In 1911, after leaving school at the age of 16, he worked as an [[apprenticeship|apprentice]] for [[Kerr Stuart & Co.]] of [[Fenton, Staffordshire|Fenton]], a [[railway engineering]] works.{{sfn|Price|2002|p=11}} After completing his [[Apprenticeships in the United Kingdom|apprenticeship]] he worked in the [[Design studio|drawing office]] at Kerr Stuart, whilst studying engineering and mathematics at a local technical college, where he displayed a talent for mathematics.{{sfn|Richie|2004}}

After leaving Kerr Stuart in 1916, Mitchell worked for a period as a part-time teacher. He applied to join the armed forces on two occasions, but was on each occasion rejected because of his training as an engineer.{{sfn|Mitchell|2002|p=26}}

==Career at Supermarine==
===Early career and promotion===
In 1916, Mitchell joined the [[Supermarine|Supermarine Aviation Works]] at [[Southampton]], possibly for a [[Probation (workplace)|probationary period]].{{sfn|Pegram|2016|pp=17–18}}  Since its formation in 1912, the company had specialised in building [[flying boats]],{{sfn|Richie|2004}} producing its first aircraft, the [[Pemberton-Billing P.B.1]], in 1914.{{sfn|Mitchell|2002|p=27}} During the First World War, Supermarine was taken over by the British Government, and during this period the company produced the first British single-seat flying boat [[Fighter aircraft|fighter]], the [[Supermarine Baby]].{{sfn|Mitchell|2002|p=29}}

[[File:The Sea Lion I moored at the start of the Schneider Trophy race (10 September 1919).jpg|thumb|The [[Supermarine Sea Lion I]] moored at the start of the 1919 [[Schneider Trophy]] race. The 25-year-old Mitchell is likely to have played a role in the development of the aircraft.]]
On joining the company, Mitchell was given the opportunity to develop skills in a number of roles, so as to gain experience of the aircraft industry.{{sfn|Pegram|2016|pp=17–18}} His basic engineering training would have helped him to become established, as he adjusted from working with locomotives to understanding aeroplanes.{{sfn|Mitchell|2002|p=37}} A competent mathematician, Mitchell's ability to think creatively and use his intuition when looking at a design was soon recognised.{{sfn|Mitchell|2002|p=39}} The earliest record of his work at Supermarine is as a [[Drafter|draughtsman]], and dates from 1916.{{sfn|Pegram|2016|pp=17–18}} By 1917, he had become assistant to the company's owner and designer, [[Hubert Scott-Paine]].{{sfn|Richie|2004}} He is likely to have played a role in the development of the Baby when in 1919 it was adapted for racing for the [[Schneider Trophy]], and was renamed the [[Supermarine Sea Lion I|Supermarine Sea Lion]].{{sfn|Pegram|2016|p=23}}

In 1918, Mitchell was promoted to become the works manager's assistant.{{sfn|Mitchell|2002|p=38}} When Supermarine's chief designer William Hargreaves left the company in the summer of 1919, he was replaced by Mitchell, who took up his new duties later that year, leading a team that had in 1918 consisted of six draughtsmen and a secretary.{{sfn|Pegram|2016|p=21}}{{sfn|Mitchell|2002|p=40}} Following his promotion, the 19-year-old returned to Staffordshire and married his fiancée Florence Dayson, an infant school headmistress, who was 11 years his senior.{{sfn|Pegram|2016|p=19}}{{sfn|Mitchell|2002|p=30}}{{refn|1=Reginald Mitchell and Florence Dayson were married at the church in [[Meir, Staffordshire]]. Their son Gordon was born in November 1920.{{sfn|Pegram|2016|p=27}} Florence Mitchell died in Southampton in 1946.{{sfn|Mitchell|2002|p=30}}<ref name="SDE">{{cite news |title=Widow of famous plane designer |url=http://sotonopedia.wdfiles.com/local--files/page-browse%3Amitchell-reginald-j/Bio%2BM%2B437%2BMitchell.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://sotonopedia.wdfiles.com/local--files/page-browse%3Amitchell-reginald-j/Bio%2BM%2B437%2BMitchell.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live |access-date=12 September 2022 |work=Southern Daily Echo |date=3 January 1946}}</ref>|group=note}} By 1921 he had become Supermarine's chief engineer.{{sfn|Glancey|2008|p=20}} Following the departure of Scott-Paine in November 1923, Mitchell was able to negotiate a new contract, which led to greater influence in the company.{{sfn|Pegram|2016|p=52}} The 10-year contract was a sign of his indispensability to Supermarine.{{sfn|Richie|2004}}

It is unclear how Mitchell came about to become so quickly promoted when he was still a young man, as few documents relating to his early career have survived. However, his early promotion was not unusual at that time; other men of Mitchell's age held similar positions in other aircraft companies. Decades after his death, when approached for information about him, those surviving Supermarine colleagues who had known Mitchell were reluctant to recall their personal memories.{{sfn|Pegram|2016|p=215}}

===1920s civilian and military aircraft designs===
[[File:Sea Lion II hull and Napier Lion engine on display.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|The [[Supermarine Sea Lion II]] hull and [[Napier Lion]] engine prior to be installed. Mitchell is standing second-to-left.{{sfn|Hillman|Higgs|2020|p=9}}]]
Between 1920 and 1936, Mitchell designed 24 aeroplanes.{{sfn|Glancey|2008|p=20}} His early projects often involved adapting Supermarine's earlier aircraft; in June 1920 the Air Ministry announced a civilian aircraft competition, and Supermarine's entry for the competition was the [[Supermarine Commercial Amphibian|Commercial Amphibian]], an adaptation by Mitchell of the company's [[Supermarine Channel]]. The Amphibian finished second, but was judged the best of the three entrants in terms of design and reliability. His redesigned Supermarine Baby, renamed the [[Supermarine Sea King]], was exhibited the [[Olympia London|Olympia]] International Aero Exhibition in 1920,{{sfn|Pegram|2016|pp=27–30}} the first international exhibition to be held in the UK since the end of World War I.<ref name="Flight1920">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Flight International|Flight]] |date=1 July 1920 |page=682 |title=Editorial Comment |url=https://archive.org/details/Flight_International_Magazine_1920-07-01-pdf/page/n3/mode/2up?q= |issn=0015-3710 }}</ref> In 1922, the Chilean government bought a Channel, modified by Mitchell.{{sfn|Pegram|2016|pp=28, 43}} That year he redesigned a version of the Commercial Amphibian, the [[Supermarine Sea Eagle]].{{sfn|Pegram|2016|p=39}}

Mitchell produced new designs for aircraft early in his career; he designed the [[Supermarine Seal II]] in 1920, and the [[triplane]] Flying Boat Torpedo Carrier the following year. The historian Ralph Pegram notes that the unbuilt Torpedo Carrier reveals the "first true indication of Mitchell's thoughts as a designer".{{sfn|Pegram|2016|pp=32–34}} In 1921 work began on the [[Supermarine Swan]], a commercial carrier, but only the prototype was built.{{sfn|Pegram|2016|pp=55–56}} The [[Supermarine Seagull (1921)|Supermarine Seagull II]]—later used as the basis for future designs—began to receive production orders in 1922. The Amphibian Service Bomber was designed by Mitchell in 1924. Renamed the [[Supermarine Sea Eagle#Variants|Supermarine Scarab]], 12 aircraft were bought by the [[Spanish Navy]]; they remained in service until 1928.{{sfn|Pegram|2016|pp=43–46}}

[[File:Supermarine Southampton.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Supermarine Southampton]], one of the most successful flying boats of the between-war period{{sfn|Hillman|Higgs|2020|p=1}}]]
Supermarine's first design for a land aircraft, the [[Supermarine Sparrow]], competed unsuccessfully during the Air Ministry's Light Air Competition of 1924, and subsequently failed to gain orders. A variant, the Supermarine Sparrow II, was used by Mitchell to test his different [[airfoil]] designs.{{sfn|Pegram|2016|pp=67–68}}

Work on the [[Supermarine Southampton]] started in March 1924. It flew for the first time the following March, and entered service in July 1925.{{sfn|Pegram|2016|pp=59–60}} By the end of 1925, Mitchell's team had designed the Southampton II—the Southampton but with a metal hull. The plane, more powerful, lighter, and more durable than its predecessor, flew for the first time in 1927.{{sfn|Pegram|2016|pp=79–80}} A [[Academic publishing#Scholarly paper|paper]] by Mitchell on the use of the Southampton appeared in the March 1926 edition of ''[[Flight International|Flight]]'' magazine.{{sfn|Pegram|2016|pp=62–63}} In 1928, a flight of Supermarine Southampton IIs left [[Felixstowe]] on 14 October for Australia, and returned to the UK on 11 December. The expedition provided Mitchell's design team with valuable information about operating aircraft in the [[tropics]].{{sfn|Pegram|2016|pp=81–82}} The Southampton was one of the most successful flying boats of the between-war period,{{sfn|Hillman|Higgs|2020|p=1}} and established Britain as a leading developer of maritime aircraft. It was used to equip six RAF [[Squadron (aviation)|squadrons]] up to 1936.{{sfn|Richie|2004}}

In 1926, the Air Ministry issued specification 21/26 as a way to address the need for new fighter aircraft, and Mitchell's design team, which he had re-organised that year into separate drawing and technical offices, responded with a number of designs, including the Single Seat Fighter.{{sfn|Pegram|2016|pp=83–84, 86}} By this time, Supermarine was moving away from wooden [[amphibious aircraft]]. The company concentrated instead on designing larger metal flying boats, such as the 3-Engined Biplane Flying Boat, designed in November 1927.{{sfn|Pegram|2016|pp=92, 94}} The [[Supermarine Air Yacht]], and a new design, the Southampton X (not related to other planes with the same name), was ordered in June 1928. Mitchell dispensed with the complicated curved surfaces for the wings and the hulls of the Air Yacht and the Southampton X, and as a result these aircraft appeared "boxy".{{sfn|Pegram|2016|pp=107–110}}

Specification R.6/28, issued in 1928, resulted in a series of designs by Supermarine for a six-engined flying boat, with one of designs being a radical departure for Mitchell—it had a newly-designed {{convert|140|ft}} [[Cantilever#Aircraft|cantilever wing]] with a large surface area and cross section. The aircraft was never built.{{sfn|Pegram|2016|pp=115–116}} From 1929 to 1931, he continued to design aircraft based on the Southampton and the Southampton X, such as the Supermarine Sea Hawk and its variant the Sea Hawk II, the [[Supermarine Type 179|Type 179]], the [[Supermarine Nanok|Nanok an]]d the [[Supermarine Seamew|Seamew]].{{sfn|Pegram|2016|pp= 63, 69–70, 118, 120}}

===New designs, production orders and patents (1929–1934)===
[[File:Patent GB 329411 A (Supermarine, UK).jpg|thumb|Mitchell's [[patent]] GB&nbsp;329411&nbsp;A]]
In February 1929, Mitchell submitted [[patent]] GB&nbsp;329411&nbsp;A, "Improvements in the Cooling System of Engines for Automotive Vehicles", a [[Condenser (heat transfer)|condenser]] to be placed within the wings of an aircraft. The [[Air Ministry]] rejected Supermarine's proposal for such a wing-cooled aircraft, but in May 1929 a new specification allowed Mitchell to use his ideas again. A similar patent was submitted in 1931.{{sfn|Pegram|2016|pp=116–118}} The condenser was used in the [[Type 232]], produced in April 1934, which was never put up for [[Procurement|tender]].{{sfn|Pegram|2016|p=176}}

During the early 1930s, many of Mitchell's ideas never went past the early design stages.<!-- He initiated the Type 223 project in 1931, which became the Seagull V Amphibian Flying Boat. -->{{sfn|Pegram|2016|p=139}} Attempts by the company to sell a 5-engined flying boat failed when a contract was cancelled in early 1932, leading to job losses and wage cuts at Supermarine.{{sfn|Pegram|2016|pp=119–120}} However in 1933 the company's fortunes were revived when it received an order for 12 Scarpas (previously the Southampton IV) under the specification R.19/33, the first contract for a new design by Mitchell since 1924.{{sfn|Pegram|2016|p=134}} This order was followed by orders for the [[Supermarine Stranraer]], which went into production in 1937.{{sfn|Pegram|2016|pp=135, 137}}

After the first Seagull V flew in June 1933, the [[Royal Australian Air Force]] showed an interest, and 24 planes were ordered. The same year the RAF made an initial order of 12 aircraft, now renamed the [[Supermarine Walrus]].{{sfn|Pegram|2016|pp=139, 141}} Following the issuance of Air Ministry specification 5/36, Mitchell worked on a redesigned version of the Walrus, which was given the name [[Supermarine Sea Otter|Sea Otter]]. Work on the Sea Otter was completed after Mitchell's death in 1937, and it first flew in September 1938.{{sfn|Pegram|2016|p=142}}

In October 1934, Mitchell published an article in the ''[[Daily Mirror]]'', 'What is happening now in Air Transport?', in which he predicted that air transport would prove to be the safest form of transport.{{sfn|Pegram|2016|p=180}}

===Schneider trophy races (1922–1931)===
Mitchell and his design team worked on a series of racing seaplanes, built to compete in the Schneider Trophy competition.{{sfn|Richie|2004}} His team included Alan Clifton (later head of the Technical Office), Arthur Shirvall, and [[Joseph Smith (aircraft designer)|Joseph Smith]]. These men were fundamental to Supermarine's success, as was the [[National Physical Laboratory (United Kingdom)|National Physical Laboratory]] (NPL), which provided invaluable support, guidance and scientific expertise in the form of detailed reports.{{sfn|Eves|Coombs|2001|p=237}} The competition helped to place Mitchell at the forefront of aviation design.{{sfn|Eves|Coombs|2001|p=245}}

====Sea Lion series (early 1920s)====
{{multiple image | direction = horizontal |perrow=2| total_width= 440| header = | footer = Mitchell's [[Supermarine Sea Lion II]], which won the [[Schneider Trophy]] in 1922, and the [[Supermarine Sea Lion III|Sea Lion III]], the UK entry for the following year
| image1 = Supermarine Sea Lion II L'Aerophile October,1922.jpg | alt1 = aaa | caption1 =
| image2 = Supermarine Sea Lion III.jpg | alt2 = aaa | caption2 = 
}}
Mitchell developed the [[Supermarine Sea King#Sea King II|Supermarine Sea King II]] to become the [[Supermarine Sea Lion II|Sea Lion II]], which competed for the 1922 Schneider Trophy in [[Naples]].{{sfn|Pegram|2016|pp=34, 36}} The Sea Lion II won the race, flying at an average speed of {{convert|145.7|mph|km/h}}.{{sfn|Richie|2004}}{{sfn|Andrews|Morgan|2003|p=62}}

There was not enough time for Supermarine to design a new flying boat for the 1923 competition, so the Sea Lion II was borrowed back from the Air Ministry to allow Mitchell to adapt it. He increased its maximum speed by {{convert|10|knots}}, achieved with the assistance of [[D. Napier & Son]], who supplied the {{convert|525|hp}} [[Napier Lion|Lion III]] engine. To reduce the effects of [[Drag (physics)|drag forces]], Mitchell reduced the [[wingspan]] from {{convert|32|to|28|ft}}, modified the [[strut]]s, [[Float (nautical)|float]]s and hull, and changed the way the engines were fitted.{{sfn|Eves|Coombs|2001|p=104}}

For the 1923 contest, two of the three British entrants were irreparably damaged before the race, leaving the Sea Lion III to compete alone.{{sfn|Andrews|Morgan|2003|pp=64–66}} The United States team, flying [[Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company|Curtiss]] seaplanes, dominated the competition,{{sfn|Richie|2004}} with the winning pilot, [[David Rittenhouse (pilot)|David Rittenhouse]], managing to reach a top speed of {{convert|177.27|mph}}.{{sfn|Eves|Coombs|2001|p=101}}

====Supermarine S.4 (1925)====
[[File:Supermarine S.4 monoplane.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Supermarine S.4]], which crashed and sank during navigation trials in 1925]]
Even whilst the Sea Lion II was being modified at the [[Woolston, Southampton|Woolston]] works, Mitchell was working on a new plane, as Supermarine knew the American monoplane was the best design then available.{{sfn|Eves|Coombs|2001|p=96}} The [[Supermarine S.4]]—the name was designated by Mitchell, with "S" standing for ''Schneider''—was a joint Napier/Supermarine venture. The Supermarine team was backed by the Air Ministry, and had greater freedom than was given by the US government to their designers.{{sfn|Eves|Coombs|2001|p=115}} The S.4 was described after Mitchell's death as "his first outstanding success".<ref name="Nat" /> He used the practical experience gained when he designed its successor, the [[Supermarine S.5]].{{sfn|Richie|2004}}

Mitchell was fully aware of the need to reduce drag to increase speed. His new design for was a mid-wing, cantilever floatplane. It was comparable to a French monoplane, the [[Bernard SIMB V.2]], which broken the [[flight airspeed record]] in December 1924.{{sfn|Eves|Coombs|2001|p=115}}<ref name="Fli">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Flight International|Flight]] |date=18 December 1924 |page=796 |url=https://archive.org/details/Flight_International_Magazine_1924-12-18-pdf/page/n15/mode/1up |title=The World's Speed Record |issn=0015-3710}}</ref> The S.4 lacked the newly-designed surface radiators, at that time still unavailable, but it was aerodynamic and [[Aesthetics|aesthetically pleasing]]. Trial speeds reached {{convert|226.742|mph}} and created a sensation in the [[News media|press]].{{sfn|Eves|Coombs|2001|p=115}}

The S.4 crashed before the 1925 race, for reasons that were never clearly established.{{sfn|Glancey|2008|p=27}} On the day of the navigation trials it stalled before falling flat into the sea from {{convert|100|ft}}. When the pilot Henri Biard was rescued by a [[Launch (boat)|launch]], Mitchell, who was on board the rescue launch, jokingly asked the injured man: "Is the water warm?"{{sfn|Eves|Coombs|2001|p=119}}

====1926 and 1927 competitions====
[[File:Schneider Trophy at Venice-1927.jpg|thumb|The [[Supermarine S.5]], winner of the [[Schneider Trophy]] at [[Venice]] in 1927]]
The Air Ministry, the [[Society of British Aerospace Companies|Society of British Aircraft Constructors]] and the [[Royal Aeronautical Society]] (RAeS) decided against challenging for the Schneider Trophy in 1926, but Mitchell was able to confirm that Supermarine would be ready for the race. His work at the NPL started in November that year. From wind tunnel tests at the NPL he learned that the S.4's [[Radiator (engine cooling)|radiator]]s had created a third of the aircraft's total drag, and without this it would have been the most streamlined aircraft in the world.{{sfn|Eves|Coombs|2001|pp=166–167}} British aircraft companies intended to produce entries for the 1926 race, but the nature of the specifications issued by the Air Ministry meant that no aircraft could be completed and tested in time to be entered.{{sfn|Andrews|Morgan|2003|pp=181–182}}

Two Supermarine S.5 seaplanes were entered for the 1927 contest, which was held in [[Venice]].{{sfn|Andrews|Morgan|2003|p=185}} Mitchell understood that a monoplane on twin floats produced lower drag than any other aircraft type of its day, and was convinced by [[wind tunnel]] tests at the NPL that the cantilever wing design was too heavy and should be abandoned.{{sfn|Eves|Coombs|2001|pp=139, 148}} The NPL had demonstrated that flat-surfaced skin radiators reduced drag better than the corrugated variety preferred by American designers, so Mitchell used them to improve the S.5. He reduced the fuselage cross section area so that it was 35 per cent less than the area of the S.4—and complained about the RAF's pilots being too large to fit into the resulting S.5's cockpit. The fuselage skin thickness was decreased by using [[duralumin]].{{sfn|Eves|Coombs|2001|pp=166–167}}

Witnessed by the Italian dictator [[Benito Mussolini]], along with a huge crowd gathered on the [[Venice Lido]], the two Supermarine S.5s were the only seaplanes to finish the race, coming first and second. The third British entrant, a [[Gloster IV]], along with the three Italian competitors flying [[Macchi M.52]]s, were forced to drop out of the race.{{sfn|Andrews|Morgan|2003|p=186}}

Mitchell had been elected to the RAeS in 1918. In 1927 he was awarded the society's Silver Medal.<ref name="Nat" />{{refn|1=In January 1929, Mitchell was made a Fellow of the RAeS.{{sfn|Mitchell|2002|p=102}}|group=note}} At the end of the year, he became the Technical Director at Supermarine.{{sfn|Pegram|2016|p=96}} When the company was taken over by [[Vickers-Armstrongs|Vickers Ltd]] in 1928, he remained as Supermarine's chief designer{{sfn|Mitchell|2002|p=30}}—one of the conditions of the takeover was that he stay as a designer for the next five years.{{sfn|Richie|2004}}

====Supermarine S.6 (1929)====
[[File:Schneider Trophy race 1929.jpg|thumb|Spectators at [[Southsea]] on the day of the 1929 race watch as the winning [[Supermarine S.6]] passes over]]
Interest in the competition waned after the 1927 race. There was no competition the following year, as the {{Lang|fr|[[Fédération Aéronautique Internationale]]|italic=no}} was persuaded by the [[Royal Aero Club]] to hold races every two years in the future.{{sfn|Andrews|Morgan|2003|p=186}}

Mitchell was among those who could see a more powerful engine than the Napier Lion was required for any aircraft that competed in future contests. The Air Ministry invited [[Rolls-Royce Ltd]] to design a new engine specifically for Supermarine's new seaplane, now designated the [[Supermarine S.6|S.6]]. Rolls-Royce, under pressure to produce an engine in time and that matched S.6's streamlined shape, adopted the partially-developed {{convert|825|hp}} [[Rolls-Royce Buzzard|Buzzard]]. Mitchell in turn had to amend some of his design to accommodate the increase in total weight caused by introducing a larger engine, for instance by repositioning the forward float struts, and redesigning the engine [[cowling]].{{sfn|Andrews|Morgan|2003|pp=187–189}} The Air Ministry ordered two S.6 seaplanes, both of which were built by August 1929. Modifications to the seaplanes were made by Mitchell so the engines could be used at maximum power, as issues were discovered: the radiators were found to be inadequate; high engine [[torque]] made the S.6 move in a circle; and the [[centre of gravity]] was incorrectly positioned.{{sfn|Andrews|Morgan|2003|p=191}}

The 1929 race at [[Calshot]] was won by Supermarine with the S.6 attaining an average speed of {{convert|528.89|km/h|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Eves|Coombs|2001|p=244}} Three of the four new aircraft were entered by the UK. The older Italian [[Macchi M.52R]] came second and Supermarine's backup, an S.5, took third place.<ref name="Fli2">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Flight International|Flight]] |date=13 September 1929 |page=xv|url=https://archive.org/details/Flight_International_Magazine_1929-09-13-pdf/page/n13/mode/1up?view=theater |title=Scheider Trophy Contest |issn=0015-3710}}</ref>

====Supermarine S.6B (1931)====
[[File:Supermarine S.6B ExCC.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Supermarine S.6B]]]]
Britain's final entry in the series, the [[Supermarine S.6B]], marked the culmination of Mitchell's quest to "perfect the design of the racing seaplane".{{sfn|Price|1977|p=11}} It was sponsored by a wealthy [[philanthropist]], [[Lucy, Lady Houston|Lady Houston]], who donated {{GBPConvert|100000|year=1929|convert=no |r=-1|showdate=no ||lk=on}} after the British Government decided not to enter an [[High Speed Flight RAF|RAF team]] for the 1931 contest.{{sfn|Andrews|Morgan|2003|pp=195–196}}

Mitchell opted to design an improved version of the S.6, whilst making as few changes as possible. The improvements that were made included a more powerful engine, and provision was made for such effects as the increase in engine-produced heat and extra torque, and the greater quantities of cooling oil and fuel required. The S.6B was a larger seaplane than the S.6, and had to be given a more efficient cooling system, and a stronger frame.{{sfn|Andrews|Morgan|2003|p=196}}

The S.6B competed the course successfully, and won the 1931 race.{{sfn|Andrews|Morgan|2003|p=8}} As the Schneider Trophy rules included the stipulation that the contest would end when any one country managed to win the trophy three times in five years,{{sfn|Eves|Coombs|2001|p=11}} the S.6B's victory won the contest outright for Britain. The aircraft went on to break the world air speed record when it reached a speed of {{convert|407.5|mph|km/h}} that year.{{sfn|Andrews|Morgan|2003|p=8}} Mitchell was awarded the [[Order of the British Empire|Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE)]] on 29 December 1931 for services in connection with the Schneider Trophy contest.<ref>{{cite news |title=To be commanders of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/33785/supplement/8 |access-date=4 October 2020 |work=The London Gazette |issue=Supplement: 33785 |date=29 December 1931 |page=8}}</ref>

===Type 224===
[[File:Supermarine Type 224.jpg|thumb|[[Supermarine Type 224]]]]
In 1930, [[List of Air Ministry Specifications|specification F7/30]] was issued for a fighter aircraft able to be used by both day and night squadrons.{{sfn|Mason|1964|pp=3–4}}{{sfn|Glancey|2008|p=36}} Mitchell's proposed design, the [[Supermarine Type 224|Type 224]], was one of three monoplane designs made into prototypes for the Air Ministry.{{sfn|Price|2002|p=12}} The final design incorporated an open cockpit, four [[Vickers machine gun]]s, and a {{convert|660|hp}} [[Rolls-Royce Goshawk]] engine, along with a fixed undercarriage. Also included was an inverted gull wing, needed due to the demands of the engine's cooling system. The wing lacked flaps, a requirement for the aircraft to land at safe speeds.{{sfn|Glancey|2008|pp=36–37}}

Unofficially named the Spitfire,{{sfn|Quill|2011|p=119}} the Type 224 first flew in February 1934.{{sfn|Glancey|2008|p=37}} The aircraft looked clumsy, and was inefficient, in part because the cooling system failed to prevent the engine from overheating.{{sfn|Glancey|2008|p=36}} The RAF decided that the Type 224's performance was unsatisfactory, and selected the [[Gloster Gladiator]] in preference.{{sfn|Mason|1964|pp=3–4}}{{sfn|Glancey|2008|p=37}}

===Supermarine Spitfire===
[[File:Prototype Spitfire K5054.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Supermarine Spitfire prototype K5054]] in 1936]]
Whilst the Type 224 was still being built in 1933, Mitchell was proceeding with the design of the Type 300. This was to become his masterpiece, the [[Supermarine Spitfire]].{{sfn|Glancey|2008|p=41}}{{sfn|Price|2002|pp=15–18, 223}}{{refn|1=Mitchell had no say in the name suggested for the new fighter. He is reported to have said: "It's the sort of bloody silly name they would choose."{{sfn|Price|2002|p=23}}|group=note}} He cleaned up the design of the Type 224, using the same engine but incorporating a shorter wing and a retractable undercarriage. The Air Ministry rejected Mitchell's design, but he modified it, for instance by making the wing thinner and shorter, by including the newly-designed [[Rolls-Royce Merlin]] engine, and by making use of an innovative new cooling system—the latter being an example of his willingness to accept ideas from other people.{{sfn|Price|2002|pp=16, 24}}

For a short period, design work continued using private funding, but in December 1934 the Air Ministry contracted Supermarine to construct a prototype that was based on Mitchell's design.{{sfn|Price|2002|p=16}} Mitchell objected to the Air Ministry's insistence that the Spitfire be modified to have a [[Conventional landing gear|tail wheel]]. At the time he was not told that, in preparation for a future war, the government had decided to build [[Runway#Surface|hard surface runways]] for the RAF, a decision that meant the modification to the Spitfire was necessary.{{sfn|Price|2002|p=49}}

{{Quote box
 |quote  = "I don't give a bugger whether [the wing shape] is [[Elliptical wing|elliptical]] or not, so long as it covers the guns!"
 |author = R.J. Mitchell
 |source = quoted in Alfred Price, ''The Spitfire Story''{{sfn|Price|2002|p=18}}
 |width  = 30% 
}}

The prototype, given the [[United Kingdom military aircraft serials|serial]] ''K5054'', first flew on 6 March 1936, at [[Eastleigh]], [[Hampshire]]. Mitchell witnessed the flight. Despite being ill, he travelled to Eastleigh during the flight tests for ''K5054''.{{sfn|Price|2002|p=37}}{{refn|1=The aviation historian Alfred Price asserts that the date of ''K5054''s maiden flight often given—5 March—is incorrect.{{sfn|Price|2002|p=37}}|group=note}} In June 1936, before the prototype had completed being trialled, the Air Ministry placed an order for 310 Spitfires.<ref name="Roy">{{cite web |title=The first flight of the Spitfire |url=https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/blog/the-first-flight-of-the-spitfire/ |website=Royal Air Force Museum |date=5 March 2021 |access-date=1 October 2022}}</ref>

Many of the technical advances in the Spitfire were made by people other than Mitchell: the thin elliptical wings were designed by the Canadian [[Aerodynamics|aerodynamicist]] [[Beverley Shenstone]], and the Spitfire shared similarities with the [[Heinkel He 70 Blitz]]. The under-wing radiators had been designed by the [[Royal Aircraft Establishment]], and [[monocoque]] construction had been first developed in the United States. Mitchell's achievement lay in the merger of these different influences into a single design, originating from his "unparalleled expertise in high-speed flight... and a brilliant practical engineering ability, exemplified in this instance by the incorporation of vital lessons learned from Supermarine's unsuccessful type 224 fighter".{{sfn|Richie|2004}} The quality of the design enabled the Spitfire to be continually improved throughout World War II.{{sfn|Richie|2004}}

==Illness and final years==
[[File:A portrait of R. J. Mitchell taken in 1933.jpg|thumb|Mitchell in a portrait from 1933]]
In <!-- August{{citation required}} -->1933, Mitchell underwent a permanent [[colostomy]] to treat [[Colorectal cancer|rectal cancer]], which left him permanently disabled.{{sfn|Richie|2004}} Despite this, he continued to work on the Spitfire and a four-engine [[bomber]], the [[Supermarine B.12/36|Type 317]]. Unusually for an aircraft designer in those days, he took flying lessons. He obtained his [[Pilot licensing and certification|pilot's licence]] and made his first solo flight in July 1934.{{sfn|Glancey|2008|p=44}}<ref name="Fli3">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Flight International|Flight]] |date=12 July 1934 |page=711|url=https://archive.org/details/Flight_International_Magazine_1934-07-12-pdf/page/n11/mode/1up?q= |title="R.J." Goes Solo |issn=0015-3710}}</ref>

In 1936 Mitchell was diagnosed again with cancer, and early the following year was forced by his illness to give up work. In his absence, his assistant Harold {{Not a typo|Payn}} led the design team at Supermarine.{{sfn|Price|2002|p=51}} Mitchell flew to [[Vienna]] for specialist treatment, and remained there for a month, but returned home after the treatment proved to be ineffective.{{sfn|Mitchell|2002|p=191}} He died at home in [[Highfield, Southampton|Highfield]], Southampton,{{sfn|Richie|2004}} on 11 June 1937 at the age of 42.<ref name="Tim">{{cite news |title=Mr. R.J Mitchell |work=[[The Times#Online presence|The Times Digital Archive]] |issue=47709 |date=12 June 1937 |location=London |page=16}}</ref> He was cremated and his ashes were buried at [[South Stoneham Cemetery]], Southampton.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rjmitchell-spitfire.co.uk/aboutrjmitchell/biography.asp?sectionID=1 |title= RJ Mitchell. A life in aviation.|author=Gordon Mitchell |year=2009 |access-date=16 November 2009}}</ref>

The quality of the flying boats designed by Mitchell for the RAF established him as the foremost aircraft designer in Britain.{{sfn|Richie|2004}} His [[obituary]] published in ''The Journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society'' in 1937 described him as "brilliant" and "one of the leading designers in the world".<ref name="Nat"/> The Society paid tribute to their colleague, describing him as being "a quiet, subtle, not obvious genius" who had "an intuitive capacity for grasping the essentials, getting to the point and staying there".<ref name="Nat" /> Smith, who became Chief Designer at Supermarine after Mitchell's death,{{sfn|Price|2002|p=51}} said of him that "He was an inveterate drawer on drawings, particularly general arrangements,... [which were] usually accepted when the thing was redrawn."{{sfn|Price|2002|p=16}}

==Posthumous recognition==
Mitchell's career was dramatised in the British 1942 film ''[[The First of the Few]]''. He was portrayed by [[Leslie Howard]], who also produced and directed the film.<ref name="BFI">{{cite web |title=The First of the Few |url=http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b6aa3296a |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120712002558/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b6aa3296a |access-date=22 November 2020|archive-date=12 July 2012 }}</ref>{{refn|1=''[[The First of the Few]]'' was released in the United States as ''Spitfire''.<ref name="BFI" />|group=note}}

The Mitchell Memorial Youth Theatre, now known as [[Mitchell Arts Centre]], was opened in Stoke-on-Trent in 1957 after {{GBPConvert|50000|year=1957|convert=no|r=3|showdate=no}} was raised by [[public subscription]].{{sfn|Mitchell|2002|p=250}} Butt Lane Junior School, was renamed as the Reginald Mitchell County Primary School in 1959,{{sfn|Mitchell|2002|p=251}} and Hanley High School was renamed [[Mitchell High School (Stoke-on-Trent)|Mitchell High School]] in 1989.{{sfn|Mitchell|2002|p=253}} The R J Mitchell Primary School at [[Hornchurch]], originally named the Mitchell Junior School when it opened on 2 December 1968, is also named in his honour.{{sfn|Mitchell|2002|p=252}} Supermarine Spitfires piloted by Commonwealth and European airmen flew from [[RAF Hornchurch]].{{sfn|Smith|2008|loc=Introduction}}

In 1986, Mitchell was inducted into the [[International Air & Space Hall of Fame]] at the [[San Diego Air & Space Museum]].<ref name="San">{{cite web |title=Reginald Mitchell |url=https://sandiegoairandspace.org/hall-of-fame/honoree/reginald-mitchell |publisher=[[International Air & Space Hall of Fame|San Diego Air & Space Museum]] |access-date=12 December 2022}}</ref> The American philanthropist [[Sidney Frank]] unveiled a statue of Mitchell at the [[Science Museum, London]], in 2005.<ref>{{cite news |date=16 September 2005 |title=Fitting tribute to the man who created the Spitfire |newspaper=[[Birmingham Post]] |url=http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/local-news/fitting-tribute-man-who-created-3991508 |access-date=16 December 2015}}</ref> The [[slate]] drawing board's surface depicts the drawing of the prototype Spitfire from June 1936. The stone sculpture was created by [[Stephen Kettle]] and given to the museum by the Sidney E. Frank Foundation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects/models/Stone%20sculpture%20of%20R%20J%20Mitchell.aspx|title=Stone sculpture of R. J. Mitchell|publisher=[[Science Museum, London|Science Museum]]|access-date=17 December 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222103152/http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects/models/Stone%20sculpture%20of%20R%20J%20Mitchell.aspx|archive-date=22 December 2015}}</ref>

There are plaques dedicated to Mitchell at his Southampton home,<ref name="Pla">{{cite news |title=Plaque for Spitfire man's city home |url=https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/5637365.plaque-for-spitfire-mans-city-home/ |access-date=4 October 2020 |work=[[Southern Daily Echo]] |date=8 September 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221212173029/https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/5637365.plaque-for-spitfire-mans-city-home/ |archive-date=12 December 2022}}</ref> and his birthplace in Butt Lane.{{sfn|Mitchell|2002|pp=253–254}} Papers relating to his work at Supermarine are preserved at the archives of the [[Royal Air Force Museum London]].<ref name="Nat">{{cite web |title=Papers of RJ Mitchell |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/N14522072 |publisher=[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]] |access-date=15 September 2022 |format=Catalogue description}}</ref>
[[File:Reginald Mitchell Statue, Hanley - geograph.org.uk - 344578.jpg|alt=A bronze statue of the Spitfire designer Reginal Mitchell, which stands in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent.|thumb|The bronze statue of Reginald Mitchell, by Colin Melbourne, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, unveiled in 1995.]]
A bronze statue of Mitchell was unveiled in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, on 21 May 1995.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Reginald Mitchell (1895–1937) {{!}} Art UK |url=https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/reginald-mitchell-18951937-303257 |access-date=19 January 2023 |website=artuk.org |language=en}}</ref> The statue, by [[Colin Melbourne]], was commissioned by [[Stoke-on-Trent City Council]], and stands outside [[Potteries Museum & Art Gallery|The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery]]. The statue depicts Mitchell wearing a suit, holding a pen in his right hand and a book in his left.<ref>{{Cite web |title=R. J. Mitchell - Visit Stoke |url=https://www.visitstoke.co.uk/see-and-do/r-j-mitchell-p776581 |access-date=19 January 2023 |website=www.visitstoke.co.uk}}</ref> 

The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, is home to a Mark XVI  Spitfire (RW388), which was donated to Stoke-on-Trent in 1972 by the [[Royal Air Force|RAF]], to honour the city's connection to Reginald Mitchell.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Spitfire RW388, The City's Spitfire |url=https://www.stokemuseums.org.uk/pmag/exhibitions/spitfire-rw388/}}</ref>

[[Southampton City Art Gallery]] holds an oil painting of Mitchell, painted in 1942 by [[Frank Beresford|Frank Ernest Beresford]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Reginald Joseph Mitchell (1895–1937), CBE, Aeronautical Engineer {{!}} Art UK |url=https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/reginald-joseph-mitchell-18951937-cbe-aeronautical-engineer-16604 |access-date=19 January 2023 |website=artuk.org |language=en}}</ref>

==Personality==
Mitchell was by nature a reserved and modest man.{{sfn|Richie|2004}} He was a reticent public speaker who disliked presenting papers.{{sfn|Pegram|2016|p=99}} According to one member of his department, "he said nothing unless there was something worth saying".<ref name="Nat" /> He avoided publicity, and was not widely known to the general public until after his death.{{sfn|Richie|2004}}

According to his son Gordon, Mitchell was resentful of authority being imposed on him or of the routines of the workplace, and was short-tempered and "a difficult man to live with sometimes". Often given full scope at Supermarine, he was a strict taskmaster who nevertheless struggled with the level of organisation needed for a company such as Supermarine.{{sfn|McKinstry|2007|pp=20–25}} When the engineer [[Barnes Wallis]] was employed to improve the efficiency of Mitchell's department in 1930, Wallis had to be recalled after their personalities clashed.{{sfn|Pegram|2016|p=99}} The ''ODNB'' describes Mitchell as being highly gifted and intelligent, but someone who was "often stern and irascible towards those less gifted than himself". He was devoted to his staff at Supermarine, to whom he showed kindness and humanity, and they in turn repaid him with loyalty and affection.{{sfn|Richie|2004}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite book |last1=Andrews |first1=Charles F. |title=Supermarine Aircraft Since 1914 |year=2003 |publisher=Putnam Aeronautical |location=London |edition=2nd revised |last2=Morgan |first2=Eric B. |pages=|url=}}
* {{cite book |last1=Eves |first1=Edward |last2=Coombs |first2=L. F. E |title=The Schneider Trophy Story |date=2001 |publisher=MBI |location=St. Paul, Minnesota |isbn=978-07603-1-118-9 |page=|url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780760311189/page/n5/mode/2up?q=}}
* {{cite book |last1=Glancey |first1=Jonathan |title=Spitfire: The Illustrated Biography |date=2008 |publisher=Atlantic Books |location=London |isbn=978-18435-4-799-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/spitfireillustra0000glan/page/n7/mode/2up?q= |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |last1=Hillman |first1=Jo |last2=Higgs |first2=Colin |title=Supermarine Southampton: The Flying Boat That Made R.J. Mitchell |date=2020 |publisher=Pen & Sword Books Limited |location=Barnsley, UK |isbn=978-15267-8-497-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HjsTEAAAQBAJ}}
* {{cite book |last1=McKinstry |first1=Leo | author-link = Leo McKinstry |title=Spitfire: Portrait of a Legend |date=2007 |publisher=John Murray |location=London |isbn=978-0-7195-6874-9 |url=https://archive.org/details/spitfireportrait0000mcki/page/n3/mode/2up }} {{registration required}}
* {{cite book |last1=Mason |first1=Francis K. |title=The Gloster Gladiator |date=1964 |publisher=Profile Publications |location=London |isbn=|oclc=752719524}}
* {{cite book |last1=Mitchell |first1=Gordon |title=R.J. Mitchell: Schooldays to Spitfire |url=https://archive.org/details/rjmitchellschool0000mitc |url-access=registration |date=2002 |publisher=Tempus Publishing |location=London |isbn=978-0-7524-3727-9}}
* {{cite book | last =  Pegram | first =  Ralph  | title = Beyond the Spitfire: The Unseen Designs of R.J. Mitchell | publisher = The History Press | year = 2016 | location = Brimscombe Port | isbn = 978-0-7509-6515-6 }}
* {{cite book |last1=Price |first1=Alfred |title=Spitfire: A Documentary History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JL4MAQAAIAAJ |date=1977 |publisher=Macdonald and Jane's |location=New York |isbn=978-0-684-16060-3}}
* {{cite book |last1=Price |first1=Alfred |title=The Spitfire Story |url=https://archive.org/details/spitfirestory0000pric |url-access=registration |date=2002 |publisher=Silverdale Books |location=London |isbn=978-1-85605-702-8}}
* {{cite book |last1=Quill |first1=Jeffrey |author-link1=Jeffrey Quill |title=Spitfire: A Test Pilot's Story |date=2011 |publisher=Isis |location=Oxford |isbn=978-07531-9-548-2 |edition=}}
* {{cite ODNB |last= Richie |first= Sebastian |date= 2004 |url= https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/35046 |title=Mitchell, Reginald Joseph |doi= 10.1093/ref:odnb/35046 |access-date= 15 December 2020 |oclc=56568095 }} {{Subscription or libraries|uk}}
* {{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=Richard C. |title=Hornchurch Offensive: The Definitive Account of the RAF Fighter Airfield, its Pilots, Groundcrew and Staff, 1941 to the Airfield's Final Closure |date=2008 |publisher=Grub Street Publishing |isbn=978-19091-6-673-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=09EcEAAAQBAJ}}

===Further reading===

* {{cite book | last= Shelton |first=John |title = Schneider Trophy to Spitfire: The Design Career of R.J. Mitchell | location = Sparkford | publisher = Hayes Publishing | year = 2008 | type = Hardback | isbn = 978-1-84425-530-6 |ref=none}}
* {{cite book |last1=Shelton |first1=John |title=From Nighthawk to Spitfire: The Aircraft of R.J. Mitchell |date=2015 |publisher=History Press |isbn=978-07509-6-550-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oNDvCQAAQBAJ |ref=none}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|R J Mitchell}}
* [http://www.rjmitchell-spitfire.co.uk/ RJ Mitchell. A life in aviation.] from [[Solent Sky]]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/content/articles/2006/04/06/local_heroes_reginald_rj_mitchell_feature.shtml Local Heroes: Reginald (RJ) Mitchell] from the [[BBC]]
* [https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/5551233.spitfire-legend/ Spitfire legend], a 2005 interview with Gordon Mitchell about his father in the ''[[Southern Daily Echo]]''
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfiGXKIOULM A short clip of Mitchell] in the ''[[Equinox (TV programme)|Equinox]]'' episode 'Spitfire', shown in the United Kingdom on [[Channel 4]] on 9 September 1990 (the clip is at 17' 52")

{{Supermarine aircraft}}
{{Supermarine Spitfire}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchell, R. J.}}
[[Category:1895 births]]
[[Category:1937 deaths]]
[[Category:Aircraft designers]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:English aerospace engineers]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Aeronautical Society]]
[[Category:People from Butt Lane]]
[[Category:Engineers from Southampton]]
[[Category:Supermarine Spitfire]]