Supermarine Spitfire Mk I – 2

British fighter plane Supermarine Spitfire Mk I – 2 from the Battle of Britain.
History, development, service, specifications, statistics, pictures and 3D-model .

Spitfire fighter in it's element
A Spitfire fighter in its element during the Battle of Britain.

Supermarine Spitfire Mk I – 2.
Type: British fighter plane.

History:

Possibly the most famous combat aircraft in history, the Supermarine Spitfire was designed by the dying Reginald Mitchell to Specification F.37/34 using the new Rolls- Royce PV12 engine, later named Merlin. It was the first all-metal stressed-skin fighter to go into production in Britain.

During the Battle of Britain the presence of the Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft was crucial, since it was superior to the German Me 109 E and also had the advantage to fight over its own ground, where its low range was not important compared to its German rivals. Additional, every bailed out pilot of a shot down Supermarine Spitfire was again available for combat.

Supermarine Spitfire Mk I :
The initial version from which 450 were ordered in June 1936 with 1,030hp Merlin II engine, two­blade fixed-pitch propeller and four 0.303in Browning guns.

Supermarine Spitfire Mk IA :
Armament of eight machine guns, bulged canopy and three-blade DH v-p propeller.

Supermarine Spifire Mk IB :
Armed with two 20mm Hispano guns and four 0.303 Browning guns.
Total production figure from Mk I, IA and IB: 1,566.

Supermarine Spitfire Mk 2 :
As Supermarine Spitfire Mk I, but built at Castle Bromwich with 1,175 hp Merlin XII engine and Rotol propeller.
Production: 750 Supermarine Spitfire IIA (eight 0.303 Browning MG’s) and 170 Supermarine Spitfire IIB (two 20mm Hispano guns and four 0.303 MG’s).

Phased out of the fighter squadrons by June 1942.


Pictures Supermarine Spitfire Mk I – 2


Specifications Supermarine Spitfire Mk IA

Specifications:

Supermarine Spitfire Mk IASpecification
Power plant 1 x 1,030 hp Merlin II engine
Accommodation1
Wing span36 ft 10 in
Length overall29 ft 11 in
Height overall11 ft 5 in
Weight empty 4,810 lb
Maximum loaded 5,784 lb
Maximum speed360 mph
Initial climb 2,530 ft / min.
Range395 miles


Armament:

Supermarine Spitfire Mk IASpecification
in wings Eight 0.303in Browning MG's

Service statistics:

Supermarine Spitfire Mk I - 2figures
First flight5 March 1936
Production delivery July 1938 ( Mk IA August 1938, Mk 2 September 1940)
Final deliverylater than March 1941
Total production figure 2,486 (1,566 Mk I-IB and 920 Mk 2; all variants: 20,351)

Animated 3D model Supermarine Spitfire Mk IA


References and literature

Combat Aircraft of World War II (Bill Gunston)
Technik und Einsatz der Kampfflugzeuge vom 1. Weltkrieg bis heute (Ian Parsons)
Das große Buch der Luftkämpfe (Ian Parsons)
Luftkrieg (Piekalkiewicz)
Flugzeuge des 2. Weltkrieges (Andrew Kershaw)
Die Schlacht um England (Bernard Fitzsimons, Christy Campbell)
Kampfflugzeuge (Bill Gunston)
The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II (Chris Bishop)


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