Spitfire why so popular??

[Robotic Pope]

Originally Posted by Soviet Ace

Actually, the Mk IX replaced it and played more of a major roll in Europe for british pilots, than the Mk VIII. and the Mk IX was a much more successful plane than the Mk VIII which was actually more of a foreshadow plane, as the Mk IX was more enjoyed and thought of as better than the Mk VIII. But most of the Mk VIII's were issued in the Pacific, and fought against the Japanese in Australia and Burma etc. And also, the only Spitfire to outclass the Mk IX was the Mk XIV, because of its engine and handling etc.

Sorry but thats just not true.

The mk IX was produced well before the VII and VIII as a stop gap. The VII was ment to replace the IX in high altitude interception with it's presurised cabin, and the mkVIII was to replace the mkIX as a dogfighter. Both the VII and VIII took alot longer to bring into production than was expected because of the amount of redesign needed both to the airframe and to the production tools of the factory. By the time the VIII was ready for production the airwar over europe was more or less already won and most of the mkIX's were being used as fighter bombers at that time. THAT is why all the VIII's went out to the middle east, far east and pacific.

The Spitfire mkVIII is the definative Merlin engined Spitfire, fully able to handle the extra power granted by the 2 stage supercharger.

The Spitfire mkIX is basically a mkV with a much more powerful engine. Its like a car that has had its engine modified for extra power but the brakes and suspension have been left as standard. Yes it will be fast, but it wont handle as well as a car that was designed to manage that amount of power.

[Soviet Ace]

Originally Posted by Robotic Pope

Sorry but thats just not true.

The mk IX was produced well before the VII and VIII as a stop gap. The VII was ment to replace the IX in high altitude interception with it's presurised cabin, and the mkVIII was to replace the mkIX as a dogfighter. Both the VII and VIII took alot longer to bring into production than was expected because of the amount of redesign needed both to the airframe and to the production tools of the factory. By the time the VIII was ready for production the airwar over europe was more or less already won and most of the mkIX's were being used as fighter bombers at that time. THAT is why all the VIII's went out to the middle east, far east and pacific.

The Spitfire mkVIII is the definative Merlin engined Spitfire, fully able to handle the extra power granted by the 2 stage supercharger.

The Spitfire mkIX is basically a mkV with a much more powerful engine. Its like a car that has had its engine modified for extra power but the brakes and suspension have been left as standard. Yes it will be fast, but it wont handle as well as a car that was designed to manage that amount of power.

I believe the MkIX Spitfire had the same Merlin as in the P-51D, and yes, the MkIX is basically the MkV, but with an improved engine and armament (If it was attached with the "E" wing). But the thing is, the MkIX was meant not just as a high altitude fighter, like the MkVII which was designed for high altitude combat, the MkIX was just a version of what the Mk XIV would become (substituted with a Griffon Engine). The Mk VIII was a good gun platform, but it did suffer some problems, where in the MkIX, the only problem was the "E" wing which put vibrations in the controls. If the MkIX was equipped with a "C" wing, then there were no problems with the gun mounting, and the plane proved very effective against the Luftwaffe. And also, out of hall the varient Mk Spitfires, the MkIX was the most mass produced Spitfire, which later proved itself flying with other nations in the late 40s-50s.

[FOZ_1983]

Wasnt the IX rushed into production to counter the threat of the FW190?

just a stroke of luck and pure genius that the IX turned out to be an extrordinary spitfire, making it an all round excellent bird. The best of the "war spits"

[Soviet Ace]

Originally Posted by FOZ_1983

Wasnt the IX rushed into production to counter the threat of the FW190?

just a stroke of luck and pure genius that the IX turned out to be an extrordinary spitfire, making it an all round excellent bird. The best of the "war spits"

I wouldn't say "rushed" as that usually means they just said "Add this gun wing and engine, and hurry it out." More it was hastened into production to counter the FW threat, and the British were in need of a new Spitfire anyway

[David603]

Originally Posted by Soviet Ace

I wouldn't say "rushed" as that usually means they just said "Add this gun wing and engine, and hurry it out." More it was hastened into production to counter the FW threat, and the British were in need of a new Spitfire anyway

Replace gun wing and engine with just engine and you have the exact way the IX came into life.

The original Spitfire MkI was replaced by the very similar but slightly more powerful Spitfire MkII, and this was supposed to be replaced with the more refined and more powerful MkIII. The need for rapid improvement to match the threat posed by the Bf109F saw the MkIII's engine being put in a MkII airframe to produce the MkV instead (MkIV was the prototype Griffon Spitfire). The MkVI was a high altitude MkV, and the MkVII was another high altitude Spitfire, but incorporating the improvements meant for the MkIII and a two stage Merlin engine. The MkVIII was a low-medium level version of the MkVII, minus the pressurised cockpit and the extended wingtips. Like the MkIII, it was overtaken by the need for a big leap in performance to match the Fw190, so the another unplanned version came about, the MkIX, which was produced by sticking the two stage Merlin in a Spitfire MkV airframe. Luckily the MkIX proved a very good performer, but even so the MkVIII replaced it on the production lines eventually.

[Soviet Ace]

Originally Posted by David603

Replace gun wing and engine with just engine and you have the exact way the IX came into life.

The original Spitfire MkI was replaced by the very similar but slightly more powerful Spitfire MkII, and this was supposed to be replaced with the more refined and more powerful MkIII. The need for rapid improvement to match the threat posed by the Bf109F saw the MkIII's engine being put in a MkII airframe to produce the MkV instead (MkIV was the prototype Griffon Spitfire). The MkVI was a high altitude MkV, and the MkVII was another high altitude Spitfire, but incorporating the improvements meant for the MkIII and a two stage Merlin engine. The MkVIII was a low-medium level version of the MkVII, minus the pressurised cockpit and the extended wingtips. Like the MkIII, it was overtaken by the need for a big leap in performance to match the Fw190, so the another unplanned version came about, the MkIX, which was produced by sticking the two stage Merlin in a Spitfire MkV airframe. Luckily the MkIX proved a very good performer, but even so the MkVIII replaced it on the production lines eventually.

Well damn, I just can't be right today can I We should keep to Soviet Aircraft

[David603]

Originally Posted by Soviet Ace

Well damn, I just can't be right today can I We should keep to Soviet Aircraft

Maybe we should There are some interesting ones in Birds of Prey and I have this strange feeling they will all have cockpits

[Elguapo123]

Originally Posted by David603

Replace gun wing and engine with just engine and you have the exact way the IX came into life.

The original Spitfire MkI was replaced by the very similar but slightly more powerful Spitfire MkII, and this was supposed to be replaced with the more refined and more powerful MkIII. The need for rapid improvement to match the threat posed by the Bf109F saw the MkIII's engine being put in a MkII airframe to produce the MkV instead (MkIV was the prototype Griffon Spitfire). The MkVI was a high altitude MkV, and the MkVII was another high altitude Spitfire, but incorporating the improvements meant for the MkIII and a two stage Merlin engine. The MkVIII was a low-medium level version of the MkVII, minus the pressurised cockpit and the extended wingtips. Like the MkIII, it was overtaken by the need for a big leap in performance to match the Fw190, so the another unplanned version came about, the MkIX, which was produced by sticking the two stage Merlin in a Spitfire MkV airframe. Luckily the MkIX proved a very good performer, but even so the MkVIII replaced it on the production lines eventually.

So, it sounds like the Spitfire was always being improved in response to the German improvements. Were there any versions that made the Germans respond to the spit?

[David603]

Originally Posted by Elguapo123

So, it sounds like the Spitfire was always being improved in response to the German improvements. Were there any versions that made the Germans respond to the spit?

Directly in response to specific improvements of the Spitfire? Not 100% sure of this but I don't think so, though the Germans realised the Bf109E was struggling to cope with the Spitfire I and II, but the Bf109F was too big a step up from the E to be a direct response to any specific version of the Spitfire.