How about the Spit Mk14 (XIV)

[Sparks]

This may have been raised before but has there been any thought to adding the Spit XIV to the lineup. I've been reading Jeffrey Quills autobiography "Spitfire" which tells his story of test piloting the Spit and the XIV comes out very favourably. It was the first Griffon powered one built from 1943 onwards (957 total) and came about as a result of the performance difference between the improving FW190's and the MkIX Spit. This is a quote from the book recounting the report of the MOD Air Fighting Development Unit:-
"The all performance of the Spitfire XIV is better than the Spitfire IX at all heights. In level flights it is 25-35 mph faster and has a crrespondingly greater rate of climb. It's manouverability is as good as a Spitfire IX. It is easy to fly but should be handled with care when taxying and taking off."
Sounds a magic aircraft and was operational in numbers - so can I have one please  

[Nashwan]

Sorry it's too Uber. Apparently the RAF was so far advanced in WW2 that any aircraft it built after 1942 are impossible for other nations to combat. [/irony]

[StSanta]

Tell ya what - nothing in this world is free.

You get your Spit 14, I get my ME-262.

--
StSanta
II/JG2

[juzz]

Aah, not quite - that equation should be Meteor = Me 262.

We already have the Me 109G-10.

The only other Me 109 I'd argue for is changing the G-6 to G-6/AS.

[mx22]

Alright, why to ask for Spit XIV, when we can ask for XXI?   RAF pilots, I think it's time for us to unite and start whining for a better ride  

mx22

[Kieren]

Nashwan, I just don't get it. The Spit IX is easily one of the most competitive planes in the game- in fact it's likely the best balanced of them all. You make it sound like the British have nothing good to fly.

Your continual reference to it as 1942 technology is tiresome by this time. It has already been stated before the AH Spit IX is a 1944 version. I guess I could go on to complain about the Mustang being a 1940 design, or the Lightning as a 1939 design, or the F4U as a 1940 design... you get the idea.

But, ok. Get your Spit XIV. And while you're at it give me every other 1944 plane that flew. I think I would enjoy a 262 in this case. Or my Ta152. Or my F8F.

Give it a rest.  

Sparks-

I think a Spit XIV would be cool, but the sky would no doubt be full of them. That is my one and only concern with any plane that is added, "will it completely outclass everything else in the set?"

Let me ask you- if the Spit XIV were added today, which other AH plane would you use to fight it?

[Citabria]

you RAF guys seem to forget how well you do already with the spit 9

[Fishu]

 

Originally posted by StSanta:
Tell ya what - nothing in this world is free.

You get your Spit 14, I get my ME-262.

--
StSanta
II/JG2

I Would be happy with Ta-152.
I Don't need some dweeb jets  

[funked]

Tour 3:

The Spitfire Mk IX has 11709 kills and has been killed 11354 times.
The Spitfire Mk V has 3156 kills and has been killed 3653 times.
The Typhoon IB has 1635 kills and has been killed 1806 times.

The Fw 190A-8 has 3523 kills and has been killed 2734 times.
The Bf 109G-10 has 5434 kills and has been killed 4414 times
The Bf 109G-6 has 840 kills and has been killed 849 times.
The Bf 109G-2 has 713 kills and has been killed 612 times.
The Bf 109F-4 has 379 kills and has been killed 547 times.

Citabria, tell me how well the RAF are doing again?  Are we playing the same Sim?  

I'm not complaining - personally I do fine.  But the resistance to modernization of RAF fighters is not supported by the arena results or the historical situation.

------------------
Mike "FunkedUp" Waltz

Aces High Instructor Corps
S/L 308 (Polish) Squadron "City of Cracow" RAF
Northolt Wing (1st Polish Fighter Wing)

[Vermillion]

Come on Funked, you if anybody should know better than to use that arguement  

Typhoon numbers are probably quite legit and representative, but then again we all know that Ground Attack (especially against 30mm Phalanx systems)is an extremely hazardous duty.

But even the rawest newbie in AH knows that the Spitfire is the field defense plane of choice, and hence the average K/D ratios (But notice the Mk IX is still positive). Get all those *Die, Respawn, Die* dweebs outta the Spitfire, and I bet it will have a quite respectable record.  

And how many times have you attacked an enemy field and noticed Fw190's coming up to meet the attack?

------------------
Vermillion
**MOL**, Men of Leisure
Carpe Jugulum
"Real Men fly Radials, Nancy Boys fly Spitfires"

[This message has been edited by Vermillion (edited 05-01-2000).]

[Sparks]

WHOAAAAAA !!!! <ducks under desk>
It was only comment after reading a book - I just thought ...... I mean I didn't mean to start anything.
But, seeing as it has started something...

Mx22 - I don't agree on the Mk21, or 22 or 24 for that matter - qouting from last chapter of Mr. Quill again "The Spitfire 21 was the fastest and also the most controversial of the fighter variants. It was never a very satisfactory aeroplane but it sired two more fighter variants in the form of the MK22 and the Mk24 which were superb aircraft. These, the last of the Spitfire line of fighters, were produced only in small quantities for they were overtaken by , first, the end of the war with Gernmany; second, the end of the war with Japan; and, third, the advent of jet propulsion....

Kieran - I know what you're saying and yes the MK9 is a great a/c but the Mk14 was operational Oct 1943 onwards so isn't that late really. Now I know I'm a newbie dweeb with little experience but IMHO as far as competitive opposition I think the Niki, P38, later 109's and later FW's (if they come along) would be a good match (after all the Mk14 was the MOD's reponse to the appearance of the FW's). I think the F4U would provide and interesting battle as well.

Funked - Interesting stats - I must find out where to get this stuff... think it does make the point about FW's and if they introduce late model ones then .....??????

Vermillion - I can relate to what you're on about - I AM one of those rawest "die respawn die" dweebs but I fly the Mk9 because it's the most forgiving and I want to learn fight not practice spin recovery  . Anyway if the Mk9 is so good and the stats are being dragged down by dweebery as you say then why isn't everyone using it as Kieran suggests would happen ?? Answer is people fly what they like to fly - why else would you see Yaks etc up?
Call me a nancy boy if you like but there is no more beautiful a/c than a Spit.  

Well I'm off back under the desk now to wait for the incoming .....

[funked]

Vermillion, I'm not the one who introduced arena performance as an issue here, it was Citabria.  I just wanted it to be clear that such an argument had no basis in fact.

[Vermillion]

Ahhh... its nothing personal Sparks   I have known Funked and banana for a long time, and I still call them Nancy Boy's for flying Spitfires.  

My point was that any aircraft, no matter how great, will have bad stats if people use them in an inappropriate manner. In other words taking off from an ackless field with 10 enemy aircraft sitting above them vulching them as soon as they start to roll.

Don't worry Sparks, so day you too will graduate to manly aircraft, and leave the Spitfire crutch behind   Again, just kidding.

------------------
Vermillion
**MOL**, Men of Leisure
Carpe Jugulum
"Real Men fly Radials, Nancy Boys fly Spitfires"

[mx22]

Ok,

Here is my reason why RAF deserves at least Spitfire XIV.

First fo all, yes Spitfire 9 does turn well. But plane is damn slow. I can dive on enemy, but if he's in any late war fighter and notices me from far away, he can simply dive away. No chance for me to catch up. Now any fast plane on my 6, co alt or higher will catch up with me. I can hit WEP and trim the plane for a straight flight, it won't help. Slow speed also means, that once I'm engaged, there is no way out - I'll eaither will have to kill enemy or die. That is the reason I would never fly alone in Spitfire far from friendly base or friendly planes. P-51, Bf109G10, F4U and P-38 have a luxury of relatively high speed and once they reach high alt, they are almost unstopable if they stay smart.
Now, whatever you people say, Spit XIV is far from uber plane. Yes it would be faster then Spitfire IX, but it won't turn as good as latter. In regards of Spit XXI. We already have F4U-C1, which was produced in small numbers too and it is questionable (as far as I understand) if it achieved any kills during WW2. So why can't I have it or whatever other late war Spitfire modification was issued for use in RAF?

P.S. Before everyone will jump on me here, lemme clear that I don't consider F4U-C1 an uber plane and the only reason I mention it here is to prove that I have the right to ask for late war planes - be it Ta152, Me262, Spit XIV, Spit XXI and whatever other WW2 plane I can think of  

mx22

[Kieren]

...and nothing personal really intended here. There are some really good pilots out there in all a/c. The question is, what is the first a/c most new guys grab in the arena? The Spitfire. And that is fine, I even share some blame for that, as I direct new people to the Spitfire myself. It is the easiest plane to gain some acm skills and be successful in the fastest.

I would further point out that duels are generally fought in none other than the Spit. The AH Spit can kill tanks. It is the second fastest climber in the game. It has good speed. It turns with anything. It is a great energy fighter. See what I mean?