![]() 8 x 7.7 mm Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (350 rpg = 2,800 total).Above this altitude, engine power and manoeuvrability suffer. ![]() In general, the Spitfire performs best at low and medium altitudes: below 4,500 m. Roll rate is good at low speeds, but suffers about ~300 km/h. It also possesses a very quick turning ability, although in some situations this can mean that manoeuvring energy retention is worse than one might expect. The plane has a decently high wing-rip speed, which should not come into play in controlled dives. The Spitfire Mk Ia has an excellent climb rate and a high top speed of 460 km/h when flying in a straight line. The red, white, blue fin flap exists on the tail vertical stabilizer. On the wings, the Type B roundels are painted with a simple blue outer ring and a red centre. The Spitfire Mk Ia possess the Royal Air Force Type A.1 roundel on the fuselage with a yellow outer ring, followed by blue, white, and then a red centre. Its default paint coat consists of a green and tan two-tone colouring, with a white undercoat. ![]() 303 machine guns per wing for a total of eight machine guns. The wing on the Spitfire is a Type A, which contained four. The Spitfire is distinctive with its sleek and thin elliptical wing design, a characteristic seen in most future Spitfire variants. The Spitfire Mk Ia is one of the first monoplane fighter designs in the British tree, alongside the Hurricanes. It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27. With a battle rating of 2.7 (AB), 3.0 (RB), and 2.3 (SB). Introduction of the Mk IXE (with 0.5in guns) and the installation of gyro gun sights increased the effectiveness of the aircraft in 1944.Īs the Spitfire XVI began to appear on the production lines in September 1944, most Mk IX’s that followed went to foreign Air Forces, particularly to Russia – 1,188 being shipped in the short period remaining up to the end of WW2.Īs the war ended the Spitfire IX was phased out of RAF service and became available for the many foreign air forces requiring new equipment, so as the Belgian, French, Israeli and Egyptian Air Forces.The Spitfire Mk Ia is a rank II British fighter Many were fighter- bomber versions, carrying one 500 lb (ca. The invasion of Italy followed, some units initially using a combination of Mk VC, VIII, and IX.įor operations in 1943 from Great Britain, preparatory to the invasion, the Spitfire VB has supplemented the Mk IX, but by D-Day nearly all the first-line Spitfire squadrons had the Mk IX. With the German and Italian defeat in North Africa, the Allies landed on Sicily in July and the Mk VIII began to arrive to supplement the increasing numbers of Spitfire IX. In the Mediterranean, 81 RAF squadron obtained the first, much-needed, Spitfire IX’s at the end of January 1943. Going into service with 64 squadron in July 1942 it averted the crisis in Fighter Command, but its introduction was rather slow until larger numbers became available in 1943. Therefore, the Spitfire IX was hurriedly introduced as ‘stop-gap’, using the Mk VC airframe with initially, the Merlin 61 and 63 engines. However, early in the year it was obvious that the threat of the German Focke-Wulf Fw 190 for the Spitfire V could not wait for the Mk VIII. Incorporating many refinements, it had the best handling characteristics of all the Spitfires and also the highest speed, at altitude, of all the Merlin-engined fighter variants. This version was followed by the Supermarine Spitfire VIII (essentially a Mk VII without pressurization) which first flew towards the end of the year. However, the Mk VII overcame this problem with the new supercharged Merlin 60/70 series engine, and a few went into service in the autumn of this year. The high-altitude Spitfire VI entered service in April 1942 with 616 squadron, but it was never to be really successful, as the weight of its cockpit-pressurization equipment reduced its effective ceiling. The year 1942 saw the tide of battle begin to turn in favor of the Allies, and a contributing factor was the increased adaptability of the Spitfire. Specifications for Supermarine Spitfire Mk IXĪ Spitfire formation during a operation for preparing D-day.
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