.com.unity Forums - Spitfires

One of my other vices (apart from wargaming) is the occasional WW2 flight sim.
I noticed quite a lot of inaccuracies with the Spitfires in the SP British OOB, which no doubt go back to the early DOS days. So I did a little research, which I really enjoyed. If you can use this information Don, then great, and if not I hope some of you will find this interesting, I know I did.

Examples of inaccuracies:
Currently the Mk I is only available until May 39, but the Mk I fought in the Battle of Britain (Jul-Oct 40) and was used until Mar 41.
Only 30 Mk Ib’s were made, and apparently they weren’t used on the front line.
The early Spitfire 20mm cannon had half the ammo that later Spitfires carried.
The Mk V was available Feb 41 until about Jul 44 in RAF squadrons.
The Mk IX and XIV could carry 1x 500lb and 2x 250lb bombs

Current

Mk I.... unit 350... Jun 38 - May 39..... 8x .303 MG
Mk Ib... unit 351... Jun 39 - May 40.... 2x 20mm (12) 4x .303 MG.
Mk V.... unit 352... Jun 42 - Apr 42..... 2x 20mm (12) 4x .303 MG... 2x 250lb
Mk IX... unit 353... May 42 - Apr 44.... 2x 20mm (12) 4x .303 MG... 2x 250lb
Mk XIV.. unit 96... May 44 - Dec 49.... 4x 20mm (12)..................... 2x 250lb

I realize it’s impossible to represent the 40 odd variants of Spitfires perfectly, and aircraft aren’t a primary concern in this game, but I’ve come up with a recommendation that includes all the major versions, wing types/weapons, and with circa historical availability. I was even able to include two of the most common ‘b’ variant.

Recommend

Mk Ia.... unit 350... Jun 38 - Mar 41...... 8x .303 MG
Mk Vb.... unit 351... Feb 41- Jul 44...... 2x 20mm (6) 4x .303 MG
Mk VIIIb.. unit 352... Sep 42 - Nov 44.... 2x 20mm (12) 4x .303 MG... 2x 250lb
Mk IXe... unit 353... Mar 43 - May 45.... 2x 20mm (12) 2x .50 cal...... 1x 500lb & 2x 250lb
Mk XIVc.. unit 96.... Jan 44 - Dec 49.... 4x 20mm (12)...................... 1x 500lb & 2x 250lb

Notes

With the exception of the Mk Ia, the ‘available until’ dates are tough to nail down. Spitfires sometimes got upgraded to another Mk, or were given/sold to foreign squadrons.

Unit 350 Mk I (change to Mk Ia)

1. Should be Mk Ia (technically speaking ;-)

The suffixes were actually wing designs. The wing designs dictated what gun configurations you could put in the wings:

a: 8 x .303 MGs
b: 2 x 20mm and 4 x .303 MGs (60 rounds per cannon)
c: 4 x 20mm or 2 x 20mm and 4 x .303 MG (120 rounds per cannon)
d: unarmed recon
e: 2 x 20mm and 2 x .50 cal or 4 x 20mm (120 rounds per cannon)

The ‘b’ wing – with it’s limited ammo capacity - wasn’t used after the Mk V, but subsequent variants still used the ‘b’ suffix to refer to the old ‘b’ wing armament configuration of 2x 20mm and 4x .303 MG.

Information on wing variants and ammo capacity:
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclop...tfire-variants

The Mk I should be available until March 1941, by April 1941 all had been replaced by MkII’s and Mk V’s.

Mk Ia service until Mar 41
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclop...tfire-variants
http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/types/uk.../Spitfire1.htm

Unit 351 Mk Ib (change to Mk Vb)

Mk Ib
Two sources that say only 30 of these were built, and they weren’t delivered until June 1940. The Mk Ib had only 2x20mm until November 1940 when they got around to installing the additional 4x .303 MGs. The Ib’s early 20mm cannon were unreliable with jamming problems. Apparently they weren’t used on the front line.

Only 30 built
http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/types/uk.../Spitfire1.htm
http://www.battleofbritain1940.net/0011.html

Armament: 2x20mm and 4x .303 MG added Nov 40
http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/types/uk.../Spitfire1.htm

Mk Ib not used in front line:
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles...tfire_mkI.html

Mk Vb

The Mk Vb was first delivered in Feb 41 (92 squadron), and the RAF museum says it was still being used by 5 British squadrons in Jun 44.
The ‘b’ wing was limited to 60 rounds per cannon.
The Spitfire was not first fitted with bombs (2x 250lb) until Sep 1942 for the Sicily campaign; this ability will be covered by the VIIIb which was available from Sep 42. The Mk Vb could continue as a ‘strafing only’ option until Jul 44.

Mk V first delivered in Feb 41:
http://www.wwiivehicles.com/unitedki...tfire-mk-v.asp

Five squadrons using Mk V in Jun 44:
http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/c...pitfire-vb.cfm

First Spitfire fitted with bombs for the Sicily campaign Aug 42:
http://www.raf.mod.uk/history_old/spit5.html
and
The first Spitfire to be modified to carry underwing bombs was a Malta-based Mk Vc, EP201 X-V of 229 Squadron, which was adapted to carry one 250 lb bomb under each wing in September 1942
pp.372, 380. Cull, Brian with Fredrick Galea. Spitfires Over Malta: The Epic Air Battles of 1942. London: Grub Street, 2005. ISBN 1-904943-30-6.

Unit 352 Mk V (change to Mk VIIIb)

The Mk VIII was the third most produced Spitfire, exceeded only by the MK V and Mk IX. It’s claimed by most pilots that this was the best Spitfire to fly.

Available: Sep 42
http://www.chuckhawks.com/spitfire.htm
http://www.spitfireperformance.com/spitfire-VIII.html (Nov 42)

Unit 353 Mk IX (change to Mk IXe)

The IXb was available from Jul 42, but the IXe, with it’s 2x 20mm and 2x .50 cal, wasn’t delivered until 1943, the earliest I can find is March 43:
http://www.spitfiresociety.demon.co.uk/flying.htm

The Mk IX could carry three bombs (1x500lb and 2x250lb)

http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/5...with3bombs.jpg

Unit 96 Mk XIV (change to Mk XIVc)

The Mk XIV was the first Spitfire to get the new Griffon engine.
It looks like 527 MKXIV were produced with the ‘c’ wing, housing 4x 20mm cannon.
The Mk XIV could also carry three bombs: 1x500lb and 2x250lb
Delivery of the Mk XIV began in Jan 44
http://www.wwiivehicles.com/unitedki...ire-mk-xiv.asp

cheers,
Cross