Supermarine Spitfire FS Mk Vb

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: 2

Speed: 6

Maneuverability: 8

Firepower: 5

Climb Rate: 6

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	282	306	331	363	371@ 22638'	158 mph	1:20	3:29	6:20
mph WEP	290	314	337	369	374@ 22310'
kph	454	493	532	584	597@ 6900m	255 mph
kph WEP	466	505	543	594	602@ 6800m

Historical Statistics

Service Date: August 1941

Primary Guns: 4x Browning 0.303" (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 45 in-line rated for 1,470 hp at 9,250 ft (2,820 m) (1,545 hp with WEP)

Int Fuel Capacity: 612 lbs (278 kg)

Ext Fuel Capacity: 324 lbs (147 kg)

Maximum Speeds: 374 mph (602 kph) at 13,000 ft (3,962 m)

Ceiling: 37,000 ft (11,278 m)

Loaded Weight: 6,785 lbs (3,078 kg)

Wing Area: 242 sq ft (22.5 sq m)

Wing Loading: 28.0 lbs sq ft (136.8 kg/sq m)

Strengths

Maneuverability: The Spitfire continued to retain a maneuverability edge over the German fighters it faced.

Weaknesses

Durability: Though efforts had been made to improve armor plating, the small Spitfire cannot absorb as much damage as other contemporary planes.

History

After having engaged in combat against the German Bf-109E, several deficiencies became apparent and work began on improvements to the basic Spitfire Mk Ia. The Mk II version employed the more powerful Merlin XII engine and included several other improvements, such as increased protective armor plating for the pilot and engine.

The Mk II was also the first version to employ the use of alternate wings containing different armament options. The "A" wing standard, consisting of eight Browning .303 machine guns, was used to equip the first 750 Mk IIs, while the final 175 examples used the "B" wing, which consisted of four Browning .303s and a pair of Hispano 20mm cannon.

Development of the Mk III and Mk IV variants was undertaken in parallel and although neither version was produced, they provided valuable research that contributed toward the development of the Mk V. In addition to various wings as used on the Mk II, the Mk V was the first Spitfire model to employ a variety of different engines, each tuned to operate at different altitudes.

The "F" variant was intended to serve as a general purpose, all-altitude fighter-bomber, and as a result used an engine that was tuned for maximum performance at about 9000 feet altitude. As an all altitude fighter, the "F" model Mk V used the standard length Spitfire wings. The "S" designation refers to the installation of the Vokes tropical air filter, which kept sand out of the carburetor but which caused additional drag, thereby reducing performance slightly.

The wings on the Mk V were stressed to allow carriage of two 250 lb. bombs. Alternatively, a 500 lb. bomb or a "slipper" fuel tank could be mounted under the fuselage centerline. The "slipper" tank was designed to mount flush with the fuselage and looked like a bulge on the underside of the plane. Mk Vs were used extensively over France, in Egypt and over Malta.

Sources

Green, William; Famous Fighters of the Second World War; Hannover House, Garden City, NY; 1960.

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