Regarding the filters. The Spit IX originally did not have the tropical filter. Here is an image from Spit historian Peter Arnold, of MH434 a surviving Spitfire, and the one our AH Spit IX is skinned as. Note it does not have the tropical filter, has the Universal wing with the 2 20mm and 4 303 and the ability to carry the drop tank. It doesn't have wing hard points etc. The IX got the tropical filter in 44 mainly because of the dust and dirt from the airfields in Normandy and on the continent. The dust and dirt choked the engines without the filter. MH434 now flies with the tropical filter and did so in it's postwar career with various air forces.
If you were going to be real picky, our AH Spit FIX that's marked like MH434 shouldn't have the tropical filter, which it in fact has in the game.
This is the 44-45 Spit LFXVIe. Note it's a clipped wing bird, with tropical filter, tall tail, wing hardpoints for rockets or bombs and E wing with the 2 20mm and 2 .5 mgs. This is the same tropical filter that was introduced on the VIII. It didn't really detract from performance at all, unlike the large filter that was used on the first tropical Spit Vs in the MTO and Pac.
