Spitfire why so popular??

[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.