RAF grass runways

[Pathfinder]

During the BoB, did many RAF fighter squadrons take off and fly and land from grass strips?

I'm pretty sure some fighters did. I'm particulalry interested in 603 sq during the BoB and would like to find out what their field conditions were like during the battle.

Cheers

[Jim Oxley]

Almost all the satellite airfields in the southeast of England were grass strips. Only Sector stations had concrete landing strips - and even there the grass sections were used by both Hurricane and Spitfire Squadrons.

I've read somewhere (can't remember what book though ) that both the Hurricane and Spitfire were better suited to grass strips, especially for landing. Something to do with landing on grass not being as hard on the aircraft, the turf being more cushioned.

Interestingly at Temora Aviation Museum they have two flyable Spitfires - a Mk.VIII and a Mk. XVI (along with a whole host of other classic aircraft http://www.aviationmuseum.com.au/aircraft/ ). And they always land them on the grass strips, never the Tarmac. Whereas most other aircraft use the Tarmac.

[Graham Boak]

One of the perennial modelling questions is about the bumps on the uppersurface of the Spitfire's wing, over the wheelwell. This was normal on the early aircraft (a/b wing) but redesigned out on the universal c wing, necessitating a bulge on the leg door. However, this bulge reappeared on later Mk IXs (and onward) because the axles and tyres were altered to improve operation off hard runways. Fair evidence that grass was considered the normal for fighter operations until about 1944.

[timothy]

It also meant that 2 squadrons could take off - or land, for that matter - at the same time in different directions!!

[Graham Boak]

Not really - aircraft will land and take-off into wind, normally.

Yes, there are cases of it happening on airfields with a rise in the middle so that one unit can't see what the other is doing.

[Pathfinder]

Excellent, thanks for the replies guys.

[Ex Shack]

Get a look at the many B-O-B documentary films that are still shown on TV and note the times where a/c took off 4 or 5 abreast across grass fields and not line astern as they would along a paved runway.
Regards
Dick

[Pathfinder]

Thanks Dick, will have a look right now