RAF
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced continuously throughout the war. The Spitfire remains popular among enthusiasts. Around 70 remain airworthy, and many more are static exhibits in aviation museums throughout the world.
The Spitfire was designed as a short-range, high-performance interceptor aircraft by R. J. Mitchell, chief designer at Supermarine Aviation Works, which operated as a subsidiary of Vickers-Armstrong from 1928. Mitchell developed the Spitfire's distinctive elliptical wing (designed by Beverley Shenstone) with innovative sunken rivets to have the thinnest possible cross-section, achieving a potential top speed greater than that of several contemporary fighter aircraft, including the Hawker Hurricane. Mitchell continued to refine the design until his death in 1937, whereupon his colleague Joseph Smith took over as chief designer.
Smith oversaw the Spitfire's development through many variants, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Griffon-engined Mk 24, using several wing configurations and guns. The original airframe was designed to be powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine producing 1,030 hp (768 kW). It was strong enough and adaptable enough to use increasingly powerful Merlins, and in later marks, Rolls-Royce Griffon engines producing up to 2,340 hp (1,745 kW). As a result, the Spitfire's performance and capabilities improved over the course of its service life.
Supermarine Spitfire CHARACTERISTICS
Crew: 1
Length: 29 ft 11 in (9.12 m)
Wingspan: 36 ft 10 in (11.23 m)
Height: 11 ft 5 in (3.48 m)
Wing area: 242.1 sq ft (22.49 m2)
Airfoil: root: NACA 2213; tip: NACA 2209.4
Empty weight: 5,065 lb (2,297 kg)
Gross weight: 6,622 lb (3,004 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 6,700 lb (3,039 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce Merlin 45 V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine, 1,470 hp (1,100 kW) [nb 15]
Propellers: 3-bladed Rotol constant-speed propeller
Performance
Maximum speed: 370 mph (600 km/h, 320 kn)
Range: 479 mi (771 km, 416 nmi)
Combat range: 248 mi (399 km, 216 nmi)
Ferry range: 1,100 mi (1,800 km, 960 nmi) with fuel tank
Service ceiling: 36,500 ft (11,100 m)
Rate of climb: 2,600 ft/min (13 m/s)
Wing loading: 27.35 lb/sq ft (133.5 kg/m2)
Power/mass: 0.22 hp/lb (0.36 kW/kg)
Armament
Guns:
A wing
8 × .303 in Browning Mk II* machine guns (350 rounds per gun)
B wing
2 × 20 mm Hispano Mk II (60 rounds per gun)
4 × .303 in Browning Mk II* machine guns (350 rounds per gun)
C wing
4 × 20 mm Hispano Mk II cannon (120 rounds per gun)
C wing (Alt.)
2 × 20 mm Hispano Mk II (120 rounds per gun)
4 × .303 in Browning Mk II* machine guns (350 rounds per gun)
E wing
2 × 20 mm Hispano Mk II cannon (120 rounds per gun)
2 × .50 in M2 Browning machine guns (250 rounds per gun)
Rockets: 2 RP-3 rockets (1 under each wing)
The final version of the Spitfire, the Mk 24, first flew at South Marston on 13 April 1946. On 20 February 1948, almost twelve years from the prototype's first flight, the last production Spitfire, VN496, left the production line.
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