Which Spitfire Engine are we getting in our MkVb?

[GridiroN]

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_spitfire_mkV.html

 

According to this website the MkV's were produced with 3 different engines, just wondering which one we are going to be getting! I for one hope its the more powerful and effective at altitude Merlin 45 as it would give us something to fight the 109's at altitude! 

 

 

but the 46 was the least powerful out of them all?   With 1190 vs the 1440 of the Merlin 45  Please give us a spit that can contend =( 

 

Yes, because that's totally what the Russians need right now; a plane to solve every tactical weakness...

[Bullets]

Yes, because that's totally what the Russians need right now; a plane to solve every tactical weakness...

 

????

[TWC_Ace]

It was definitely Merlin 46 engine. Article below nicely describes how spits were used in Kuban battle. Its intersting that they clashed (at least once) with captured Yak1s. And soviet pilots describing them as good climbers but were (at least at first) uncomfortable with its wing mounted guns.

 

Here is the ARTICLE.

Edited September 20, 2016 by blackram

[unreasonable]

It was definitely Merlin 46 engine. Article below nicely describes how spits were used in Kuban battle. Its intersting that they clashed (at least once) with captured Yak1s. And soviet pilots describing them as good climbers but were (at least at first) uncomfortable with its wing mounted guns.

 

Here is the ARTICLE.

 

Excellent article, thanks for link. Lots of interesting detail.

[MiloMorai]

It was definitely Merlin 46 engine. Article below nicely describes how spits were used in Kuban battle. Its intersting that they clashed (at least once) with captured Yak1s. And soviet pilots describing them as good climbers but were (at least at first) uncomfortable with its wing mounted guns.

 

Here is the ARTICLE.

See Post #6 for same article.

[6./ZG26_Klaus_Mann]

????

 

They are Brits so: 

 

 

[Bullets]

Any word from devs???? 

[Trooper117]

As the Spitfire, P-39, A-20 etc will have to be made from scratch, I suspect you won't get much detailed info until sometime next year...

[216th_Lucas_From_Hell]

What I'm curious to see are the payload and modification options available for the Spitfire.

[Trooper117]

What I'm curious to see are the payload and modification options available for the Spitfire.

 

Me too

I know the Mk Vb was the first Spit to carry the 'slipper' type drop tank.

The first Spitfire to be modified to carry bombs was the Mk Vc, and as we are not getting that variant, bombs are out. unless the Soviets used them of course.

[Matt]

Clipped wings perhaps. Even though i can't remember ever seeing a photo of Soviet Mk.V Spitfire with clipped wings.

[Bullets]

Clipped wings perhaps. Even though i can't remember ever seeing a photo of Soviet Mk.V Spitfire with clipped wings.

 

Would still be cool to get it as a mod :D Sometimes its nice to be a little bit more relaxed on historical accuracy :D (Sometimes).. we got the 190 in BOS we can get a clipped wing spit in BOK 

[HBPencil]

Me too

I know the Mk Vb was the first Spit to carry the 'slipper' type drop tank.

The first Spitfire to be modified to carry bombs was the Mk Vc, and as we are not getting that variant, bombs are out. unless the Soviets used them of course.

Interestingly enough there were Vb's on Malta with a field mod to carry a 250lb bomb under each wing. I don't know if it was used anywhere else or if the VVS had a similar set up.

 

Will be interesting to see if the fm takes into account that the aircraft supplied to the Soviets were second hand. It's my understanding that many players fly at low-ish altitudes so it probably won't matter if the Spit has the Merlin 45 or 46 as neither engine will be performing at its best and although I'm a Spitfire fan I suspect taxing and landing it on those rough Russian fields will be "interesting"

Edited September 22, 2016 by HBPencil

[216th_Lucas_From_Hell]

Will be interesting to see if the fm takes into account that the aircraft supplied to the Soviets were second hand.

 

I doubt it, since they didn't do that for the P-40E and above all there is no way to accurately quantify the performance difference stemming from that. I guess the second-hand airframes were more susceptible to structural and mechanical failures, but since that is not modelled either there is nothing to include.

 

I've been trying to find anything on the Mk. Vb carrying bombs, this is all I've found:

 

 

"The Spitfire Mk. Vb was considerably less suited for dive-bombing mission that its more modern contemporaries equipped with C-type wing and had to be handled with care by the pilot during dive-bombing missions. It could only carry one bomb under the fuselage and its wings were not sufficiently stressed for high-g loads." (source)

 

 

"A Supermarine Spitfire Mark VB carrying two 250-lb GP bombs on underwing shackles, prepares to take off from an airfield in North Africa. No. 152 Squadron RAF began the first use of the Spitfire as a fighter bomber in North Africa, flying "Rhubarb" sorties from Souk el Khemis, Tunisia, in March 1943." (Some pinterest post, not sure how accurate.)

 

Hopefully a Spitfire expert in here can confirm that these are indeed fitted with the B wing. It's worth noting that all of the aircraft in the photos have C-type roundels so I don't know if the Spitfires sent to the Soviet Union were able to bear these modifications, though some on the field meddling should take care of that. I guess we might get the 250lb egg hung onto the fuselage, which will be easy to aim.

[MiloMorai]

Wings of the Spitfire

http://spitfiresite.com/2010/04/concise-guide-to-spitfire-wing-types.html

[MiloMorai]

C-type roundels were used from July 1942.

[HBPencil]

 

 

I doubt it, since they didn't do that for the P-40E and above all there is no way to accurately quantify the performance difference stemming from that. I guess the second-hand airframes were more susceptible to structural and mechanical failures, but since that is not modelled either there is nothing to include.

 

Fair call, cheers for that.

As for those pics, they're all B winged aircraft. Just as an aside I've heard that those last two photos were from Malta rather than North Africa which the dark, low/no contrast upper surface colour(s) would seem to support.

[216th_Lucas_From_Hell]

Thanks, well spotted.

 

It would be interesting to have the option to carry those bombs with the caveat that exceeding the maximum loads could lead to the wings giving in.

[LLv34_Flanker]

S!

 

 I read years ago about the Spitfires over Kuban. Seems they had very little impact on the battle at all and were withdrawn from frontline to already mentioned PVO units. Strangely enough not even Rall, Lipfert or Hartmann mention them except as a sidenote maybe. And these guys flew over Kuban a lot. Still interesting to see the plane in IL-2 again.

[unreasonable]

S!

 

 I read years ago about the Spitfires over Kuban. Seems they had very little impact on the battle at all and were withdrawn from frontline to already mentioned PVO units. Strangely enough not even Rall, Lipfert or Hartmann mention them except as a sidenote maybe. And these guys flew over Kuban a lot. Still interesting to see the plane in IL-2 again.

 

They did mention them: see previously linked article. They were withdrawn relatively quickly because they were few in number to start with, (one GIAP only)  had difficulties with engine breakdowns, and had no replacement spares or aircraft.

 

In terms of combat results, their win/loss results was very much in line with their sister unit equipped with P-39s.

 

A good choice of Collector aircraft - (Hurricane for BoM would have been even better).

[216th_Lucas_From_Hell]

The Spitfire also didn't take so kindly to the field conditions (an interesting thing considering how it fared well over MENA and Malta), but friendly fire was a major problem and one of the deciding factors which led to its relegation to air defence and training duties.