Duel of the Spits

[1pLUs44]

it's better than 16's.
I outclimbed a ton of spit 16 on my 14

It's wings are not clipped, and it has a more powerful engine.

I just remember an old squaddie calling it his "Perked K4" and I used it just like a 109K4. Climbed pretty good, but I didn't know how it matched to the 16

[MachFly]

post deleted

[Kazaa]

XVI will win the bout hands down.

[WMLute]

it's better than 16's.
I outclimbed a ton of spit 16 on my 14

It's wings are not clipped, and it has a more powerful engine.

Some alts in the 12-22k ish range the 16 will out climb the 14.  (17-22k ish w/o wep, 13-19k with)

The 14 is faster at all alts.

The 16 has a much better roll rate.

The 16 turns better.

Acceleration is basicaly equal.

Tough matchup.  In a knife fight at most alts the 16k has the advantage.

25-30k ish the 14 should easily win as it could dictate the fight more readily.

[Noir]

throw in a clipped XII, now you're talking !

[chewiex]

Taking some info from Spatula's AHII Aircraft Performance charts...here's some info for the Spit 16 vs. Spit 14.

Spit 16 speed @ sea-level = 316 mil/ 342 wep
Spit 14 speed @ sea-level = 334 mil/ 361 wep

Spit 16 speed @ 5k =336 mil/ 362 wep
Spit 14 speed @ 5k = 358 mil/ 386 wep

Spit 16 speed @ 10k = 358 mil/ 385 wep
Spit 14 speed @ 10k = 385 mil/ 410 wep

Speeds increase and decrease with Alt. Point being the Spit 14 is superior to the 16 at all alts as far as speed goes.
The Spit 16 has better acceleration through 5k and the 14 begins to accelerate better around 10k and up.

Climb rates:
At sea level the Spit 14 and 16 climb at the same rate with full military power. 3,684 ft/min The 16 holds this CR up to 11k. The 14's CR increases with Alt from 3,684 ft/min at sea-level steadily increasing to 3,845 ft/min by 11k. Climb rates for both A/C start to drop off from there. Where the Spit 16's CR actually increases and surpasses the 14's substantially from 16k to 24k whereas the 16 will out-climb the 14. Below 14k, with wep, the 14 has wicked CR from 4,920 ft/min at sea-level, 5,025 ft/min at 5k and 5,70 ft/min at 8k dropping off from there.

So, from this info, it can be determined that the Spit 14 is far superior to the Spit 16 in both speed and climb rate Superior climb rates up to 14k and then climb rate 21k to 30k. Between 14k and 21k, the 16 is better. The 14's speed however is superior through all alt's.

The Spit 16 on the other hand has better turn rate, sustained turn rate and tighter turn radius over all than the 14.

Clearly, the 16 is a formidable opponent for the 14 in a mid/low alt turn fight. The 14 has better flat out speed,climb and acceleration and should take the fight vertical and high. BnZ would be the way to go with a 14 vs 16. The 16 should keep it TnB style. Hope this may clear up the Spit 14 vs 16 questions. Please feel free to add any further inf if you have it.

SALUTE A8Chewey

[Guppy35]

Understand that by the time they got to the Spit 14 there was serious consideration in naming it something else as it was really a different bird then the Merlin Spits.

A Spit XIV flown to it's strengths isn't going to lose to a 16 because it can control the fight.   It would be a bit like a -4 Hog fighting a 1A Hog.

The problem is the average joe MA driver will try and fly the 14 like a 9 or a 5 and lose because they negate it's strengths.

[Guppy35]

throw in a clipped XII, now you're talking !

Amen!

[Larry]

There is no justification for the Spitfire Mk XIV being perked while the Bf109K-4 is not.  Almost everything you can say about one, you can say about the other.

Yes, there is. The IVX climbs better, turns better, and has a great gun package. The K4 has a speed advantage. IMO the only thing that keeps the K4 unperked is the 30mm. If that gun was replaced with two Hispano MkIIs then in all fairness it would be perked, but it only has one very inaccurate Mk108.

[BnZs]

Yes, there is. The IVX climbs better, turns better, and has a great gun package. The K4 has a speed advantage. IMO the only thing that keeps the K4 unperked is the 30mm. If that gun was replaced with two Hispano MkIIs then in all fairness it would be perked, but it only has one very inaccurate Mk108.

Yep, and don't forget the K-4 elevator going in a dive, making following a P-51 etc an iffy proposition.

SpitXIV has some handling wonkieness I can't see any reason for, that needs to be fixed, rather than unperking, IMHO.

[Angus]

All boils down to the pilot. They are a close match.
I recently tried the XIV, could it be that HTC has recently fixed it a little? I managed to get a Spit into a turnfight to the right, and I easily got a kill.
In a merge the XIV would have the alt advantage, the energy is more, the turn is similar (better to the right) and the gun pack is the same, it's just the roll rate that is clearly in the 16's favour.

[BaldEagl]

As a Spit dweeb I've been on both sides of this fight.

If the XIV gets into a close turning contest with the XVI the XVI will win but if, as you stated, they meet at each's normal speed and the XIV doesn't get into an extended turn fight the XIV can dictate the fight and he who controls the fight has the advantage.

[Wingnutt]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uzae_SqbmDE > dual with spits.

[Angus]

Who is the XIV?

[Die Hard]

Who is the XIV?

The one up on the perch of course!