Did the Spitfire have a Pressurised cockpit?
Produced from 1942 it was designed for tactical reconnaissance but could climb high to avoid enemy fighters but did not have a pressurised cockpit. First production Spitfire with the Griffon engine and entered limited service with two squadrons from October 1942.
What was the best mark of Spitfire?
Johnnie Johnson, the top scoring RAF fighter pilot of WW2, thought that, the Spitfire Mk. IX was the best version. It retained the sweet handling of the earlier versions, while having performance to match contemporary Luftwaffe fighters. Although the later Griffon engined versions were faster (the Mk.
Why did some Spitfires have clipped wings?
Shortening the wings lowered the effective altitude of the Spitfire but increased the roll rate, making it more maneuverable at lower altitudes. Clipped wings were not the only alteration made to the Spitfire wing shape. Extended tips were also used for high-altitude performance.
How much fuel does a Spitfire use per hour?
At ‘cruising’ speed and greatly reduced boost a Spitfire nowadays will make-do with 40 gallons (181 litres) per hour of 100 octane fuel.
How many guns did Spitfires have?
The Spitfire was designed by Reginald Mitchell of Supermarine Ltd., in response to a 1934 Air Ministry specification calling for a high-performance fighter with an armament of eight wing-mounted 0.303-inch (7.7-mm) machine guns.
How many machine guns were on a Spitfire?
It was a “universal” wing that could take eight . 303in machine guns, four 20mm cannon or two 20mm cannon and four machine guns.
How many blades did a Spitfire propeller have?
The first Spitfires were delivered with a two-blade propeller, replaced as soon as possible by a three-bladed propeller. As more powerful engines were introduced they came with four and then five bladed propellers. Some of the last Griffon engined Spitfires had six bladed counter-rotating propellers.
How far can a Spitfire glide without fuel?
That means that a Spitfire at low altitude, ie, a km or three high, could glide for 10, 20, 30km before landing.
How much is a flying Spitfire worth?
A flying-condition Spitfire is worth up to £1-2m compared with £20-50,000 two decades ago.
What is the difference between a Spitfire IX and Mk XVI?
Virtually identical to the Spitfire LF Mk IX, aside from the clipped wings and bubble cockpit, the Mk XVI combines the low-altitude capabilities of the aforementioned fighter with the fantastic roll, dive, and speed capabilities of the German Focke-Wulfe 190 series .
What makes this Supermarine Spitfire so special?
The aircraft serving as our subject is Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vb BL628 YO-D, recently completed by Avspecs Ltd in Auckland, New Zealand. Due to the fantastic quality of the restoration work which took full 30 years, the cockpit of this Spitfire conforms almost entirely to wartime production standards.
How long did it take to restore a Spitfire Mk V?
Due to the fantastic quality of the restoration work which took full 30 years, the cockpit of this Spitfire conforms almost entirely to wartime production standards. For this reason, the following photographs can serve as reliable reference to the cockpit layout of the production Spitfire Mk. V.
How many photos of the Spitfire cockpit are there?
This article, now revised and updated, provides a complete photo reference to the layout and operation of the Spitfire cockpit. 80 photos are provided. By Martin Waligorski, with photos by Andy Hosking | Posted on 2010-07-05 | Category: Variants & Technology | Tags: Reference, Spitfire Mk.