Books on the Spitfire

[Crumpp]

Any recommendations on some good reference material on the Spitfire?

It seems just as confusing as the LW rides when trying to sort out data.  

Just for the MkIX I have encountered a huge variation in weights, Engines, and peformances.


Some list 4306 kg's while others say in the vicinity of 2800kg's!!

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Crumpp

[Nashwan]

Roughly 2600 kg would be empty weight, 4306 kg would be about right for max takeoff weight, normal takeoff weight (no external stores) would be around 3350 - 3400 kg

For specifications and details on each model you could try Spitfire: The History by Morgan and Shacklady. It has very little on operations etc though.

[Pongo]

I have the big encyclopedia on them. But its not alot less confusing when you have that.

[Thrawn]

The best technical book on the Spit is, "Spitfire: The History"

http://www.historyofmilitary.com/Spitfire_The_History_0946219486.html

[Crumpp]

Roughly 2600 kg would be empty weight, 4306 kg would be about right for max takeoff weight, normal takeoff weight (no external stores) would be around 3350 - 3400 kg

That is pretty amazing that it could carry 2000lbs of external stores.  That's in the same ballpark as the FW-190.  Wonder why it never was used as a principal ground attack fighter?

So it was lighter and had just as much power as the 190A3?

Anybody know the wing aspect ratio of the Spit IX, offhand?


Thanks for recommendations.  I gonna get it and check it out.

Crumpp

[Nashwan]

I don't think it could carry 2000 lbs external stores.  Maximum would probably be 2 250 lbs bombs, and 1 90 gallon drop tank.  That's about 650 lbs of fuel plus whatever the tank weighs. Even with the wing bombs, it's still not getting near 2000 lbs.

The 170 gallon drop tank would contain just over 1200 lbs of fuel, plus whatever the tank weighs, but I doubt you could carry wing ordinance with it, though the manual does say when dive bombing the 90 (or 170 gallon) tank must be dropped before begining the dive.

Some of the late production aircraft were fitted with rear fuselage tanks, and it would probably be easier to hit the weight limitation.

[United]

No books, but I found this interesting site of Spit IX versus Me-109G flight trials.

http://www.fourthfightergroup.com/eagles/spit9v109g.html

[Guppy35]

Spitfire-The History by EB Morgan and Edward Shacklady.

Probably the best overall resource but be careful with the images as someone did an awful job in misidentifying many of them.

Alfred Price has done numerous works on the Spitfire

Spitfire at War
Spitfire at War 2
Spitfire-The Documentary History
The Spitfire Story

Cheif Test Pilot Jeffrey Quill did a good book on it called Spitfire-a test pilot's story

Probably the my favorite work on the Spit, although out of print, is by Bruce Robertson-Spitfire-The Story of a Famous Fighter.

The list is endless but those would all be good starters.

Dan/Slack

[Crumpp]

Thanks for the suggested reading.  Got a copy on order.

Gonna kind of derail my thread here but some things I don't understand cropped up when I started taking a hard look at the RAF's trials against an FW-190.

Main question is HOW DID THE FW HAVE ANY ADVANTAGES AT ALL?


Compare weight and Horsepower between the two.

FW-190A3 - 3978Kg  
Horsepower - 1580 HP @ 2700 rpm/1.42 ata at 9186.35 ft ASL

Spitfire Mk IX (Merlin 61) - 3392.87 kg
Horsepower - 1565Hp @ 3000rpm at 11250 ft ASL

At this altitude range the Spitfire is faster in level speed.  The advantage is slight though.  Ranging from a maximum of 8 mph disappearing to  nothing by 14000 ft ASL.

What is amazing is the FW was 586kg (1291 lbs) heavier than the spitfire and the Horsepower was so equal.

Only the speed runs where done at 1.42ata which the 190A3 was rated for only three minutes.  The majority of the test was done at 1.32ata @2400U/min. Much lower Output.

So why isn't the Spitfire just destroying the FW-190 performance wise??  

Crumpp

[Pei]

I imagine those big broad wings will have something to do with it.

[Angus]

lift  induced drag would be the key.
The performance turns around in banking, climbing etc. But for sheer speed those wings are a tad to big,with an uneccecarily wide chord.
Note that the P51 is faster than the 190

[Crumpp]

Your are correct.  In fact I think the P51B is undermodeled in AH.  It had a huge speed advantage over the 190 as was IMO the A series most dangerous opponent until the Tempest/Spitfire Mk XIV came into service.

Crumpp

[Angus]

Agreed.
A 190 with a P51 on its 6 could not do to much about it. The lightest 190's could try turning though, but that was usually a dicey deal.

[Crumpp]

Yes it was.  The turn radius was very close with the P51 having a "slight" advantage.  

Crumpp

[Crumpp]

Yep,

The wing aspect ratio of the 190 is better.

Spitfire - 5.61

FW-190A3 - 6.01


http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/geom.html

It also explains why the 190 had a much better zoom climb.

Crumpp