BENTLEY SPOTTING

It's the Rolls-Royce of Bentley websites.

Saturday, September 01, 2012

S.6B Phantom

"The Supermarine S.6B was a British racing seaplane developed by R.J. Mitchell for the Supermarine company to take part in the Schneider Trophy competition of 1931. The S.6B marked the culmination of Mitchell's quest to "perfect the design of the racing seaplane" and was the last in the line of racing seaplanes developed by Supermarine and followed the S.4, S.5 and the Supermarine S.6.

The S.6B represented the cutting edge of aerodynamic technology and Mitchell's experience in designing the Schneider Trophy floatplanes provided him and his design team with valuable experience in producing high-speed aircraft," greatly contributing to the development of the later Spitfire fighter." - to quote from Wikipedia.

"There were only seven months to prepare an entry, and as Mitchell did not have enough time to design a new aircraft, better performance had to be obtained by getting more power from the R-Type engine. Modifications to the airframe design were limited to minor improvements and some strengthening in order to cope with the increased weight of the aircraft. Additionally, the floats were extended forward by some three feet (0.9 m). Rolls-Royce had managed to increase the power of the engine by 400 hp (298 kW) to 2,300 hp (1,715 kW)."

This seaplane was also the start of development for the famous Rolls-Royce Merlin engine.

So where am I going to with this..? This should give you a clue:

 

The exclusive Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé Aviator Collection made its debut at this year's Pebble Beach Show. The special edition is inspired by Charles Rolls and the Schneider Trophy-winning Supermarine S6B, and celebrates the company's legendary achievement of holding the world speed records for land, air and water simultaneously. A run of just thirty five cars.

The Phantom interior utilises the design of the lines from the S.6B's fuselage throughout.

The cockpit no so similar:

 

Except maybe the clock, looking father like an altimeter.

The interior is gorgeous...

Inside, the usual Rolls-Royce quality remains with a cockpit-themed interior made from a combination of metal and wood. Contrasting matt-black dials complement the Thommen aviation-grade clock in the centre of the upper fascia. The lower fascia features a mahogany veneer; a colour that is also found on the seats and floor of the model. A chrome plaque is also found on the centre console featuring Charles Rolls' signature; describing him as a Pioneer Aviator as he was the second man in Britain to hold a pilot's license. The history of Rolls continues inside the glovebox, where a quote following his first flight with the Wright Brothers is embossed into the leather. Rolls-Royce has also installed highly polished aluminium cup holders, which the company claims to be a "combination of theatre and jewellery that is expected by each of our clients".

Externally, the limited edition is finished in Aviator Grey; each with a contrasting matt finish to the bonnet, window and grille surround. All other features on the car's imposing body remain the same; making the Aviator Collection a very discreet special model.

The F.H.C. Phantom - my favourite Goodwood Rolls-Royce.

The aviation theme brings to mind the dashboard of the Camargue which was designed to resemble an aircraft's instrumentation:

 

That could've worked in the new Phantom too.

(Posted by David Irvine)

 

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