Supermarine Seafire F Mk IIIb

From The Air Combat Wiki

Contents 1 Fighter Ace Screenshots 2 Fighter Ace Ratings 3 Fighter Ace Performance 4 Historical Statistics 5 Strengths 6 Weaknesses 7 History 8 Sources 9 See Also

Fighter Ace Screenshots

Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ
Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ

Fighter Ace Ratings

Durability: 3

Speed: 6

Maneuverability: 8

Firepower: 5

Climb Rate: 5

Ground Attack: 2

Fighter Ace Performance

Top Speeds						Climb Rates
	Sea Level	4921' 1500m	9843' 3000m	19685' 6000m	Best Speed	Best IAS	to 1000m	to 3000m	to 6000m
mph	319	332	339	336	346@ 12139'	162 mph	1:15	3:27	7:32
mph WEP	328	336	346	342	352@ 12139'
kph	514	534	546	541	557@ 3700m	260 mph
kph WEP	527	541	556	551	567@ 3700m

Historical Statistics

Service Date: August 1942

Primary Guns: 4x Browning 0.3" (7.7mm) machine guns with 350 rpg in wings

Secondary Guns: 2x Hispano Mk.II 20mm cannon with 120 rpg in wings

Ordnance: 1x 535 lb (242 kg) bomb or 1x 324 lb (147 kg) drop tank under fuselage or 2x 250 lb (113 kg) bombs under wings

Engine(s): 1x Rolls-Royce Merlin 55 in-line rated for 1,470 hp at sea level (1,545 hp with WEP)

Int Fuel Capacity: 612 lbs (278 kg)

Ext Fuel Capacity: 324 lbs (147 kg)

Maximum Speeds: 352 mph (566 kph) at 12,250 ft (3,734 m)

Ceiling: 33,800 ft (10,302 m)

Loaded Weight: 7,100 lbs (3,221 kg)

Wing Area: 242 sq ft (22.5 sq m)

Wing Loading: 29.3 lbs/sq ft (143.2 kg/sq m)

Strengths

Maneuverability: Despite the additional weight of the folding wing and arrestor hook, the Seafire retains a maneuverability edge over contemporary fighters.

Weaknesses

Durability: Not a strong plane to begin with, the addition of the folding wing reduces the Seafire's strength even further.

History

At the start of the war the Fleet Air Arm was mainly equipped with Gladiator and Swordfish biplanes, which were hardly capable of meeting the Luftwaffe or any other modern air force on an equal basis. Lacking any purpose-built planes that could fill the air defense role, they elected to try converting the RAFís two stablemates to shipboard duty.

Because of its greater structural strength, the Hurricane was the first to be converted. It proved to be successful, so the Spitfire was next in line for conversion. Tests made by installing an A-frame arrestor hook to a standard Spitfire Mk.Vb proved that the Spitfire airframe could withstand the stress and another 166 were ordered to be converted. Initially dubbed the "hooked Spitfire", they were subsequently officially named the Type 340 Seafire.

While all Seafire Mk.IBs were conversions, 372 Seafire Mk.IICs were built at the factory using the "C" wing with its variable armament loads. The Mk.IIC saw combat during the landings at Sicily, however their lack of folding wings meant that they couldn't be deployed below decks on Royal Navy carriers.

The solution to this problem arrived in the form of a new folding wing, which increased weight by only 125 lbs. while only suffering a 10% reduction in structural strength. This new wing was the centerpiece of the new Type 358 Seafire Mk.III and quantity production commenced, resulting in a total of about 1,220 machine being delivered.

Sources

Green, William; War Planes of the Second World War: Fighters Volume Two; MacDonald & Company, London; 1961.

Scutts, Jerry; Spitfire In Action; Squadron/Signal Publications; Carrollton, TX; 1980.

See Also

Supermarine Spitfire

Fighter Ace Planes Inventory

Supermarine Aviation Works, Ltd.

Aircraft Manufacturers During World War II