Author Topic: A really dumb question for Karnak (Read 543 times)

Urchin · « **on:** December 02, 2001, 06:13:00 PM »

Or any other Spitfire fans. I recently bought a very large (and very GOOD) book on the Spitfire. However... I seem to be to stupid to understand it. Quite a few performance figures mention MS and FS gears (I assume for the supercharger?)... but WHAT is it? What is an MS and FS gear? Whats the difference? All the MS numbers seem to be at low altitudes, and the FS numbers seem to be at high ones, but I still can't figure it out. Any help would be appreciated.

brady · « **Reply #1 on:** December 02, 2001, 06:23:00 PM »

No such thing as a dumb "?", although a few exceptions to that rule come to mind....Shold I pull out?,Why did you pull me over officer?,Do I have to go to School?....At any rate this "?" of yours does not Qualify

Nashwan · « **Reply #2 on:** December 02, 2001, 07:08:00 PM »

Not dumb.
MS = Medium Supercharger
FS = Full supercharger.
Basicaly just the two different gear ratios for the supercharger, with medium being used at low altitudes, and full being used at high alts.

There's an exellent website, run by MW, that has a lot of in depth Spit testing documentation at http://www.fourthfightergroup.com/eagles/spittest.html

Karnak · « **Reply #3 on:** December 02, 2001, 07:11:00 PM »

Nashwan's got it.

Urchin · « **Reply #4 on:** December 02, 2001, 08:41:00 PM »

Great, thanks

. I swear, I was so stumped hehe. I'm learning up on my enemy, so when they add the Spit14 I'll just nitpick it to all hell!! Actually, I'm looking forward to new planes, even if they are the Spit14.

Did the Spit14 have clipped wings like the Spit9LF? The wings look funny

.

Karnak · « **Reply #5 on:** December 02, 2001, 08:48:00 PM »

Some Spitfire MkXIVs had clipped wings and some did not. The same goes for the Spitfire LF.MkIX.

The only version that was all clipped, AFAIK, was the MkXII.

Personally I prefer the non-clipped wings. The clipped wings don't look as nice.

capt. apathy · « **Reply #6 on:** December 02, 2001, 09:54:00 PM »

Quote

No such thing as a dumb "?", although a few exceptions to that rule come to mind....Shold I pull out?,Why did you pull me over officer?,Do I have to go to School?

there are no stupid questions. there are, however, a lot of inquisitive idiots.

ps. urchin, yours was a valid question.

Bombjack · « **Reply #7 on:** December 03, 2001, 05:45:00 AM »

I think the LF MkV's were all clipped too, Karnak.

Karnak · « **Reply #8 on:** December 03, 2001, 05:56:00 AM »

Ah yes, LF.MkVs were indeed clipped as well.

Karnak · « **Reply #9 on:** December 03, 2001, 07:00:00 AM »

Take a gander at this thread:

http://www.hitechcreations.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=65&t=000135

Kratzer · « **Reply #10 on:** December 03, 2001, 09:32:00 AM »

What was the book you picked up? A good one, I take it?

Urchin · « **Reply #11 on:** December 03, 2001, 07:04:00 PM »

The book is called : "Spitfire: The History", and it is written by Eric B. Morgan and Edward Shacklady (ok, he has an amusing last name

).

It was really an impulse purchase. It is my first "real" book on WW2 planes, and it seemed like an awesome way to start

.

Urchin · « **Reply #12 on:** December 03, 2001, 07:08:00 PM »

I want a Spit 14 for Aces High. It wouldn't be overpowering I think. It is pretty fast, judging by the info I have, but it isnt any faster than a G10, D9, P51D, La7, Yak, or any of the other late war speed demons we have already.

I do have a question about the armnament though. My book has several drawings of "stuff that can be taken off the airplane" (in laymans terms

). For almost all the Spits it lists 2xHispano cannon TWICE (like it could have 4 cannon), AND 2x.303 (or .50) Mgs as well. Was it possible to have 4 cannons AND 4 machineguns at the same time? Or were those just bays that never were loaded at the same time?

Karnak · « **Reply #13 on:** December 03, 2001, 08:03:00 PM »

The Spitfire MkXIV had the universal wing which could take 4 .303s and 2 20mms, 2 .50s and 2 20mms or 4 20mms.

In practice I have never heard of a Spitfire MkXIV armed with 4 20mm cannon.

The very early Spitfire MkXIVs had 2 20mm and 4 .303s (what I consider the classic Spitfire armament and what I want as an option if nothing elese) and the later ones had 2 20mm and 2 .50 cals.

Nashwan · « **Reply #14 on:** December 03, 2001, 08:05:00 PM »

They were bays that weren't loaded at the same time.
The 20mm cannon were in 2 close pairs. The 50 cal Brownings displaced 2 of the cannon, so the max was 4 20mm or 2 20mm and 2 50 cal.
The 303s went way outboard, so in theory you could have 4 303s as well as the 20mm/50cal, but I am pretty sure that was never used operationally.
They also tested a 6 20mm installation, but it wasn't proceeded with.