Spitfire Mark VA

[nrshida]

I would like to see the Spitfire Mark VA introduced to Aces High.

This was the final type of Spitfire that Douglas Bader fought in and was shot down in in 1941. It was the earlier version of the Aces High Mark V, retaining the type A wing and equipped with the bank of eight rifle calibre machine guns.

I appreciate that there were only 94 produced, and yes we also have several variants of Spitfire already, and it's a non-uber plane, and yes there are more deserving additions to the planeset first. But still, I believe it would be an interesting and historically significant addition to the planeset, performance similar to the current Mark V but with a more challenging armament than Hispanos.

Might be easier to introduce than a completely new model by modifying the current Mark V version?

[fullmetalbullet]

+1

Semper Fi Douglas Bader

[Karnak]

It was not an earlier version, it was concurrent.  It was produced at Bader's insistence that the 20mm was a boondoggle and mid-war was no time to be messing with armaments.  Malan and Tuck disagreed and advocated for the 20mm cannon to be adopted.

[Treize69]

I'd gladly fly a Mk.I without an engine that cuts out. Would be fun. 

[nrshida]

Ah thank you Karnak, I didn't know that. I read that Bader retained his VA after his squadron received the VB. Could you correct wikipedia if you have a few!

Yeah <Salute> Douglas Bader!

In case anyone's interested, I found this on YouTube, the 1956 film 'Reach for the Sky' in its entirety, telling the story of Douglas Bader. Lots of technical inaccuracies but that's not the point. A very brave and driven man.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeKHzLqnzOw

[Devonai]

Big thumbs up, heck yeah.  It may not be completely realistic to simply take our current Mk V and change the armament (and weight, of course) but I'll take it.

[nrshida]

Wow, an entirely positive or at least neutral response to an aircraft addition on the Wishlist. Although it is early days yet! 

I was thinking for the 3d model all the components are already there. Basically the wings from the AH Spitfire Mark I model, and the fuselage from the Mark V. I'm sure it is still a fair bit of work though, depends how compatible all those little vertices and triangles are.

Karnak might be able to advise about which exhaust stacks and prop was used. I had understood that the A was an earlier model than the B but stand corrected. I bow to his greater knowledge on the subject. Regarding the flight model the A might have a slightly lower power output that out current Mark V, and I dare not hazard a guess regarding the comparative weights.

Surely there are more future members of the 303 fan club out there?

[Guppy35]

You'd probably be better served getting the later Spitfire IIs with the metal ailerons.  That would fill a small gap between the 1 and 5 and allow for the first probes into France.  Bader and the boys were flying II's early on with the Tangmere Wing.

The other thing I'd hope then was that the nose shape of the early Spits get corrected as it just looks off.  The VIII, IX and XVI noses looks great, but the I, V and Seafire don't look nearly as good as the later Merlin birds in AH.

[Kev367th]

Even better served with a XII.
Major milestone in Spit history, and missing from AH.

[nrshida]

The reasoning behind the Mark VA request was the observation that the most interesting armament is often fitted to the least interesting aircraft, and vice versa (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,299904.0.html). The Mark VA thus representing the most developed Spitfire that was still fitted with the rifle calibre machine guns. I imagine the differences between the Mark I and II would be much slighter than those between the Mark I and the Mark V.

I agree that the nose looks a little off with our current model. The only option is to redo the whole thing and add the Mark VA while they're at it 

The Mark XII was the one with the high altitude wingtips Kev? Start your own thread requesting that, that one has Hispanos, tssss.

[Guppy35]

The XII was the nicest looking Spit with the clipped wings, Griffon III/IV, pointed tail and a way of playing with the 109s and 190s in 1943 that was quite successful

[LLogann]

SpitDweebs..........  




 

[nrshida]

303Dweebs..........  




 

Fixed,