Supermarine Spitfire

The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II.

Many variants of the Spitfire were built, using several wing configurations.

It was the only British fighter produced continuously throughout the war.

The Spitfire was designed as a short-range, high performance interceptor aircraft by R. J. Mitchell, chief designer at Supermarine Aviation Works, which operated as a subsidiary of Vickers-Armstrong from 1928.

Mitchell developed the Spitfire’s distinctive elliptical wing with innovative sunken rivets (designed by Beverley Shenstone) to have the thinnest possible cross-section, achieving a potential top speed greater than that of several contemporary fighter aircraft, including the Hawker Hurricane.

Mitchell continued to refine the design until his death in 1937, whereupon his colleague Joseph Smith took over as chief designer, overseeing the Spitfire’s development through many variants.

During the Battle of Britain (July–October 1940), the public perceived the Spitfire to be the main RAF fighter. In fact the more numerous Hurricane shouldered more of the burden of resisting the Luftwaffe.

The Spitfire was a better fighter aircraft than the Hurricane. Spitfire units had a lower attrition rate and a higher victory-to-loss ratio than those flying Hurricanes, probably because of the Spitfire’s higher performance.

During the battle, Spitfires were generally tasked with engaging Luftwaffe fighters, mainly Messerschmitt Bf 109E series aircraft, which were a close match for them.

After the Battle of Britain, the Spitfire superseded the Hurricane as the principal aircraft of RAF Fighter Command, and was used in the European, Mediterranean, Pacific, and South-East Asian theatres.

Much loved by its pilots, the Spitfire operated in several roles, including interceptor, photo-reconnaissance, fighter-bomber, and trainer, and it continued to do so until the 1950s.

The Seafire was an aircraft carrier based adapted version of the Spitfire, used in the Fleet Air Arm from 1942 until the mid 1950s.

The original airframe was designed to be powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine producing 1,030 hp (768 kW).

It was strong enough and adaptable enough to use increasingly powerful Merlins and in later marks, Rolls-Royce Griffon engines producing up to 2,340 hp (1,745 kW).

As a result, the Spitfire’s performance and capabilities improved over the course of its service life.

Variants

Merlin engine

Mk Ia

(K9793-early production, de Havilland two speed propeller)

Mk IIa

Mk Vb

LF Mk Vb

Mk VI

Late Merlin and Griffon engine

LF Mk IXe

Mk XII

Mk XIVe

F Mk 24

Seafire

Mk IIc

L Mk III

F Mk XV

F Mk 47

Specifications

(Spitfire Mk Vb)

Crew

1

Length

29 ft 11 in (9.12 m)

Wingspan

36 ft 10 in (11.23 m)

Height

11 ft 5 in (3.48 m)

Wing area

242.1 sq ft (22.49 m2)

Airfoil

Root 

NACA 2213

Tip

NACA 2209.4

Empty weight

5,065 lb (2,297 kg)

Gross weight

6,622 lb (3,004 kg)

Max take-off weight

6,700 lb (3,039 kg)

Powerplant

1 × Rolls-Royce Merlin 45, V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine,

1,470 hp (1,100 kW) 

Propellers

3 bladed Rotol constant speed propeller

Performance

Maximum speed

370 mph (600 km/h, 320 kn)

Range

479 mi (771 km, 416 nmi)

Combat range

248 mi (399 km, 216 nmi)

Ferry range

1,100 mi (1,800 km, 960 nmi) with fuel tank

Service ceiling

36,500 ft (11,100 m)

Rate of climb

2,600 ft/min (13 m/s)

Wing loading

27.35 lb/sq ft (133.5 kg/m2)

Power/mass

0.22 hp/lb (0.36 kW/kg)

Armament

Guns

A wing

8 × .303 in Browning Mk II* machine guns (350 rounds per gun)

B wing

2 × 20 mm Hispano Mk II (60 rounds per gun)

4 × .303 in Browning Mk II* machine guns (350 rounds per gun)

C wing

4 × 20 mm Hispano Mk II cannon (120 rounds per gun)

C wing (Alt.)

2 × 20 mm Hispano Mk II (120 rounds per gun)

4 × .303 in Browning Mk II machine guns (350 rounds per gun)

E wing

2 × 20 mm Hispano Mk II cannon (120 rounds per gun)

2 × .50 in M2 Browning machine guns (250 rounds per gun)

Rockets

2 RP-3 rockets (1 under each wing)

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