Simviation Forum - Favorite Spitfire?

Reply #15 - Oct 31^st, 2003 at 6:22am

HawkerTempest5 Offline
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The oddest looking Spit was the high-altitude interceptor MkVII with its pointed rather than eliptical wings.

Mark

I never liked that high altitude wing. After D-DAy most UK based MkVII's got repainted in standard camo and took on a medium altitude roll. Some had those wingtips changed.
As for oddest looking, what about that Floatplane?

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Reply #16 - Oct 31^st, 2003 at 6:41am

Hagar Offline
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Quote:

I never liked that high altitude wing. After D-DAy most UK based MkVII's got repainted in standard camo and took on a medium altitude roll. Some had those wingtips changed.

This & other common variations like different wing setups could be changed "in the field" & often was. I believe this makes it extremely difficult to track down the exact designation of some Spitfires.

Quote:

As for oddest looking, what about that Floatplane?

The one variant Alex Henshaw never flew. He was too busy at the time to take up the offer & lost his opportunity to try it out.

As for oddest looking, how about the slip-wing version Felix mentioned? I've seen it on a Hurricane but never on a Spit.

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Reply #17 - Dec 10^th, 2003 at 3:57am

Professor Brensec Offline
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I've just seen this and thought I'd get it up and running again.
I don't get into this forum much as I'm not that knowledgable on any specific plane to be of much use, but I am getting there on some.

I have just seen this at a site that I've visited many times for it's RAAF content.

Quote:

Spitfires began arriving in Australia from August 1942, the first of over 650 to be dismantled, crated and shipped over 12,000 miles from the UK to the 'other side of the world'. Only two Spitfire Marks were operated by the RAAF, the Mk V and VIII. Almost 250 Spitfires Mk Vc's, were delivered up until October 1943 when the first of the Mk VIII's arrived, considered by many to be the most aesthetically pleasing of all the Spitfire variants. RAAF Spitfires saw action with the RAAF in the Northern Territory, New Guinea, Moluccas Islands and Borneo.

The part about the MkVIII being "considered by many to be the most aesthetically pleasing of all the Spitfire variants" is particularly pertinent to this topic. I don't see the Mk VIII mentioned here (I may have missed it), but it was the most common (400 out of 650) used by the RAAF (I just found this out thanks to Felix, in another topic). Wink

I especially like this 'vintage' of Spit (form the Mk1 to the IX) as I don't like the bubble canopy either. I'm led to beleive that the RAAF Spits also had two .50 cal guns on each wing as opposed to the standard .30's on most British planes. This I think would have made a substantial difference to the 'hitting power' of the RAAF MkVIII.

Grin

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Reply #18 - Dec 10^th, 2003 at 6:06am

HawkerTempest5 Offline
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I've just seen this and thought I'd get it up and running again.
I don't get into this forum much as I'm not that knowledgable on any specific plane to be of much use, but I am getting there on some.

The part about the MkVIII being "considered by many to be the most aesthetically pleasing of all the Spitfire variants" is particularly pertinent to this topic. I don't see the Mk VIII mentioned here (I may have missed it), but it was the most common (400 out of 650) used by the RAAF (I just found this out thanks to Felix, in another topic). Wink

I especially like this 'vintage' of Spit (form the Mk1 to the IX) as I don't like the bubble canopy either. I'm led to beleive that the RAAF Spits also had two .50 cal guns on each wing as opposed to the standard .30's on most British planes. This I think would have made a substantial difference to the 'hitting power' of the RAAF MkVIII.

Grin

Some pilots considered the MkVIII to be the nicest of all Spits to fly also. It had a fully retractable tail wheel and I think this added to it's looks and I understand about 5 mph in top speed.
Most MkVIII's served outside the UK, many in Italy and in the Pacific theater.
As for the "E" wing with two .50's replacing the 4 .30 cals, I can't say I've come across this loadout being fitted to the MkVIII as most had the "C" wing with 2x 20mm and 4 x .30 cal. Many MkIX's/XVI's and XIV's had "E" wings so I imagine it would have found its way onto the MkVIII but I think it more likely that this was an in the field modification.

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Reply #19 - Dec 10^th, 2003 at 6:57am

paulb Offline
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My favourite is a XIV - just love the power! Grin

But I also like that IX and XVI Cheesy

The XIX is nice as well...

And the I and II have a special place Wink

OK.......I'll stop now.

Cheers Paul

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Reply #20 - Dec 10^th, 2003 at 9:54am

Felix/FFDS Offline
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Quote:

My favourite is a XIV - just love the power! Grin

But I also like that IX and XVI Cheesy

The XIX is nice as well...

And the I and II have a special place Wink

OK.......I'll stop now.

Cheers Paul

Paul - admit it, it's easier to for you to say that there is just ONE mark of a Seafire that is not your favorite. (and that one was banned from carrier duty and relegated to second-line service very quickly.

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Reply #21 - Dec 10^th, 2003 at 10:17am

paulb Offline
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Hey Felix

You've got me into a bit of a corner here Sad

Cheers Paul Wink

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Reply #22 - Dec 10^th, 2003 at 10:51am

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Hey Felix

You've got me into a bit of a corner here Sad

Cheers Paul Wink

Was reading up on it - it was one of the last marks before the "final" Seafire Mk47. I think that the "black sheep" was Mk.35 Seafire?

Felix/FFDS

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Reply #23 - Dec 10^th, 2003 at 11:24am

paulb Offline
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Well you have got me now Felix. I have never heard of a Seafire Mk35.......... Tell me more

Cheers Paul

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Reply #24 - Dec 10^th, 2003 at 11:35am

Felix/FFDS Offline
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Well you have got me now Felix. I have never heard of a Seafire Mk35.......... Tell me more

Cheers Paul

It could have been the 45 - I think it had problems with too much power in the Griffon engine until the 47 got it "right".

Felix/FFDS

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Reply #25 - Dec 10^th, 2003 at 12:54pm

paulb Offline
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Hi Felix

OK, I am with you now, my friend. Wink

Yes, I believe that the F45 was a navalised version of the Spitfire F.21 yet it never performed as well as the F.21 from which it was developed.

Cheers Paul

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Reply #26 - Dec 10^th, 2003 at 7:41pm

Felix/FFDS Offline
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Hi Felix

OK, I am with you now, my friend. Wink

Yes, I believe that the F45 was a navalised version of the Spitfire F.21 yet it never performed as well as the F.21 from which it was developed.

Cheers Paul

Rechecked my source - it was the F. XV with the Griffon engine. Prohibited from embarked flying in mid-1946. The 45 wasn't that much better.

Felix/FFDS

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Reply #27 - May 31^st, 2004 at 10:12am

Mr.Mugel Ex Member

I like the Mk V most, too. it´s nice with with rounded winglets. I´ve only seen one, on an Airshow in Höxter-Holzminden, very nice there. http://www.oldtimer-airshow.de/gallery/image_WB-HX11_28.jpg.html
There were also some Yaks, A Mustang (The Old Crow), A Corsair, a B-25, a Ju-52, two Texans in Red Bull livery and some Stampe Biplanes, i may have forgotten sth. but it was very nice. On the Site there are all the pics.

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Reply #28 - May 31^st, 2004 at 8:00pm

xFLAMESx Offline
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Mk XXII - I actually prefer the Mk XXI but that's not there Sad

Mk V a close second, with the Mk XVI in third.

Thanx. Carl

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Reply #29 - Jun 1^st, 2004 at 9:53am

Woodlouse2002 Offline
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Am I the only one who likes the MkI best?

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