The Battle of Britain Five Months That Changed History, May—October 1940 by James Holland (z-lib.org).epub

The difference with this latest committee, however, was that
chairmanship was given not to the Air Secretary, Lord Londonderry, but to
the Colonial Secretary, Philip Cunliffe-Lister, a tough, decisive
Conservative who immediately injected the kind of clear-sighted drive that
had been absent from Government policy for so long. Quickly recognizing
that governmental support was needed for Supermarine and Hawker, he
urged the Cabinet to authorize production the moment the prototypes
proved their worth; there was no time to dally on this matter. The Cabinet
agreed.
When Baldwin took over as Prime Minister in June 1935, Londonderry
was booted out and Cunliffe-Lister made Air Secretary in his stead, gaining
the title Viscount Swinton soon after. The Air Ministry was infused with a
new urgency and vigour under his leadership. He was determined not to let
the development of new fighter planes lag or become mired in lengthy
decision-making. The Hawker Hurricane, also powered by the Merlin,
made its first successful test flight on 6 November 1935. The Supermarine
Spitfire, as it was now called much to Mitchell’s disgust, was delayed by a
few months but took to the air on 5 March the following year. Reaching 335
mph, after a few minor tweaks it then reached 348 mph in level flight, close
to the 350 mph Mitchell had hoped for. The Hurricane was slower, but still
reached in excess of 310 mph, as had been required.
The decision to put the Hurricane and Spitfire into production was made
by Swinton and Sir Wilfred Freeman, the new Air Member for Research
and Development. Like Swinton, Freeman had no interest in Whitehall red
tape. On 26 May, Humphrey Edwardes-Jones was the first RAF pilot to fly
the Spitfire. Nearly crashing on his first landing, he remembered to lower
the undercarriage only just in time, emerged unscathed and, as bidden,
immediately rang Sir Wilfred Freeman.
‘All I want to know,’ Freeman asked him, ‘is whether you think the
young pilot officers and others we are getting in the Air Force will be able
to cope with such an advanced aircraft.’
Edwardes-Jones took a deep breath and then gave his verdict. ‘Yes,’ he
replied, ‘provided they are given adequate instruction in the use of flaps and
retracting undercarriage.’
Within a week, Freeman had placed an order for 310 Spitfires. A short
time before, 600 Hurricanes had been ordered. Swinton had wanted to
double the Spitfire order, but although Supermarine was owned by the