Quote:
Originally Posted by 5./JG27.Farber
So there was only Spit I until July 1940 then they became the Spit Ia? The difference is the prop pitch isnt it? But you mention cannons.
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The designation had nothing to do with prop pitch - starting in July 1940 19 Squadron was equipped with several modified Spitfires armed with a single 20mm Hispano in each wing; to differentiate them from the standard 8 x .303 Spitfires they were called Spitfire Ib, while the standard model was redesignated Ia. The experiment was unsuccessful because the Hispanos kept on jamming, to the extent that 19 Sqn asked for and got some ex OTU Mk Ias - they were wrecks but the guns fired properly.
At about the same time all Spitfire and Hurricane de H 2 pitch propellers were modified to constant-speed units
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchi...0-%202888.html.