Late War but no Griffon engine - Shame

[Talisman]

What a shame we have no classic Griffon engine Spitfire, XIV would be good, for the upcoming BP map.

This Griffon sounds interesting:

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdwhIpmNJzg

 

Would love to see a Griffon as part of BP eventually, I hope the dev's could make a Spit XIV for us one day :))

 

Happy landings,

 

Talisman

[=RvE=Windmills]

We're getting a lot of cool stuff, but there's so much that would be great to have in this timeframe.

 

The Griffon seems like a good contender for a premium plane imo.

[Talon_]

Griffon is surely the best contender for an individual premium, considering we have an "improved" Yak-1, an "improved" La-5 and an "improved" Gustav.

 

1C... I will buy the Spitfire FR Mk.XIV low-back on day one if you release it. And you can bet I'm not the only one! ?

[=X51=VC_]

Same, great candidate for the next pair of collector planes. Not sure how hard it would be to have options, I guess clipped and full wing and c/e armament will be given, but I kind of like the look of high backs more. Then again, I'll be looking out from inside in which case bubbletop would be appreciated!

[sevenless]

Just a question to the Spit experts. Were the bubble canopy low backs available before April 1945? I´ve only seen pictures of them from late 45 and 46?

[Asgar]

next allied collector will be the flyable B-25, it's pretty much confirmed by Jason in one of his Q&As

[unreasonable]

20 minutes ago, sevenless said:

Just a question to the Spit experts. Were the bubble canopy low backs available before April 1945? I´ve only seen pictures of them from late 45 and 46?

 

Yes, I believe so, they were being made in late 1944 and delivered early 45 at the latest. This one went to India after the war, so whether they were also available in Europe in our time-frame I do not know but it is possible.

 

 http://www.touchdown-aviation.com/flying-legends/plane/fighter-collection-the/supermarine-spitfire-lf-mk-xive-g-spit.php

 

Here is another one that could have just made it into our time period.

 

https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/documents/collections/84-A-1185-Spitfire-XIVe-MT847.pdf

Edited August 21, 2018 by unreasonable

[=RvE=Windmills]

54 minutes ago, 6./ZG26_Asgar said:

next allied collector will be the flyable B-25, it's pretty much confirmed by Jason in one of his Q&As

 

Really? I know they've said they definitely want it to be flyable but they actually said it's first in line?

[II/JG17_HerrMurf]

56 minutes ago, 6./ZG26_Asgar said:

next allied collector will be the flyable B-25, it's pretty much confirmed by Jason in one of his Q&As

 

Do you have a source? They have been pretty adamant that the B-25 will be AI for some time now. Not saying you aren't correct but I haven't seen this anywhere but here yet.

[BlackSix]

2 hours ago, sevenless said:

Just a question to the Spit experts. Were the bubble canopy low backs available before April 1945? I´ve only seen pictures of them from late 45 and 46?

[sevenless]

34 minutes ago, BlackSix said:

 

Thanks, that pretty much answers it. So in game terms two weeks for the bubble top, assuming the career ends with Operation Plunder (March 23 – 28, 1945). The "razorback" version on the other hand was available on the continent from the 11th of September 1944 (1), when 130 and No. 402 Squadron RCAF, equipped with Mk XIVs, flew to airfield B.82, Grave, in the Netherlands to join No 125 Wing.

 

(1) Thomas, Andrew. Griffon Spitfire Aces (Aircraft of the Aces 81) (Kindle-Positionen536-537). Osprey Publishing. Kindle-Version. 

Edited August 21, 2018 by sevenless

[Talon_]

I support a bubbletop just for the added variety. We should of course also have Spit XVIs showing up a bit earlier with bubble canopies so there's no real harm in having a bubbletop XIV in my opinion. It's not really any "better" than the Malcolm Spit with a mirror anyway, and it differentiates the two planes better in a dogfight which will especially help German pilots in VR when they're trying to work out if they're fighting a Merlin or a Griffon. From Spitfire: The Legend Lives on, John Dibbs, Tony Holmes

 

[sevenless]

Aforementioned Osprey book gives us some context and a pic of one of the first bubble tops on the continent:

 

On the 6th, Flt Lt Tony Gaze joined No 41 Sqn as ‘A’ Flight commander. The unit was by now flying the Mk XIVE, which had had the 0.303-in machine guns of the standard Griffon Spitfire replaced with more effective 0.50-in weapons. The aircraft was also equipped with an improved gyro gunsight that greatly assisted in air-to-air gunnery, although by now No 41 Sqn spent most of its time attacking ground targets. Unit CO, Sqn Ldr Douglas Benham, having taken his score to eight, was replaced by newly-promoted Sqn Ldr John Shepherd at this time too. No 402 Sqn also received an experienced new commander in the shape of 16-victory ace Sqn Ldr Don Laubman on 7 April, and he flew his first mission in RM804 48 hours later.

 

Source: Thomas, Andrew. Griffon Spitfire Aces (Aircraft of the Aces 81) (Kindle-Positionen897-902). Osprey Publishing. Kindle-Version. 

[Talon_]

Bubble top XIVs yes. I'm saying I support a bubble top coming a little earlier just because XVIs had them from Feb, plus the other stuff like IDing etc. It differentiates it better from the Spit IX that way, especially for enemy pilots who are trying to fight you.

[ShamrockOneFive]

We've talked quite a lot about the Spitfire XIV. It does come up quite a bit and I think it has a solid candidacy for maybe being sold as a Collector Plane at the end of Bodenplattes development ala the La-5FN/Bf109G-6.

[unreasonable]

4 hours ago, Talon_ said:

Bubble top XIVs yes. I'm saying I support a bubble top coming a little earlier just because XVIs had them from Feb, plus the other stuff like IDing etc. It differentiates it better from the Spit IX that way, especially for enemy pilots who are trying to fight you.

 

That is why I prefer the idea of having a Spitfire XVI with a bubble top, and a XIV without.....

[Talon_]

3 hours ago, unreasonable said:

 

That is why I prefer the idea of having a Spitfire XVI with a bubble top, and a XIV without.....

 

I would prefer absolute realism however getting an XVI seems like a misallocation of development work considering it's so close to the Mk IX. 

[303_Bies]

3 hours ago, Talon_ said:

 

I would prefer absolute realism however getting an XVI seems like a misallocation of development work considering it's so close to the Mk IX. 

It doesn't work that way.

To model Mk. XIV full developement of a plane from scratch is required, 3D model, flight model, full collecting data/research, engine model, FM fine tuning etc..

To model Mk. XVI only modifying existing variant is required. Like Bf109G-6 derived from G-4. It means far shorter time. 

Both are nice. And Mk.XIV is so strong i'm even afraid of being called easy mode etc flying this powerful beast.

[Talon_]

The only modification required for a Mk XVI is the visual model of the exhausts. There's no other appreciable difference between 1944 LF IX and LF XVI Spitfires.

[klebor]

When it comes to bubble canopy - 18 March 1945 Luftwaffe practically didn't exists anymore. But malcolm hood XIVs saw some fight.

Bubble top XIV from March 1945 would be as historical as Ta-152H-1 and P-47M over Europe (also allowed for combat flights in the middle of March 1945 when there was no real opposition anymore, the war was over, Luftwaffe was no more).

Mk.XVI with bubble top also became available since March 1945 and Malcolm Hood variand was nearly identical to LF Mk.IXe we already have. Just an engine produced in different factory.

Spitfires (all of them) will always have special place in my heart and i'm really glad we have V and IX with different engines.

Edited August 22, 2018 by sereme1