Spitfire Mk. IX LF

[SgtPappy]

Some documents I've read (summaries, albeit) stated that some IX's did indeed receive the bubble tops, but perhaps they meant Type 361 airframes received this mod late in the war; an airframe which encompassed both Mk.IXs and XVIs.

Another difference in the Merlin 66 vs the 266 from other docs I've read state that the 266 engages and disengages its 2nd stage impeller at slightly different alts than the 66. The performance of the XVI in-game is more or less identical to that of the in-game VIII, and these graphs actually show that the 2nd stage impeller engages at the same altitude as the Spitfire VIII's Merlin 66. Thus, chances are we actually DO have an LF.IXE and not a XVI. 

[kilo2]

57 Giap flying spitfires 23 aerial engagements 30 planes destroyed to a loss of 7 planes.

operating in the Ukraine

http://books.google.com/books?id=CJHGyw6HGqEC&pg=PA80&lpg=PA80&dq=lend+lease+russian+spitfires&source=bl&ots=2Bguyg7paA&sig=248N775yvcD7kBegGMxXIVkkFr0&hl=en&ei=4dMHTM-7IoG78gbW4fVf&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CEEQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=lend%20lease%20russian%20spitfires&f=false

Book for you lend lease interested people.

[Krusty]

Those are all Spit 5bs, though.

[Guppy35]

Some documents I've read (summaries, albeit) stated that some IX's did indeed receive the bubble tops, but perhaps they meant Type 361 airframes received this mod late in the war; an airframe which encompassed both Mk.IXs and XVIs.

Another difference in the Merlin 66 vs the 266 from other docs I've read state that the 266 engages and disengages its 2nd stage impeller at slightly different alts than the 66. The performance of the XVI in-game is more or less identical to that of the in-game VIII, and these graphs actually show that the 2nd stage impeller engages at the same altitude as the Spitfire VIII's Merlin 66. Thus, chances are we actually DO have an LF.IXE and not a XVI. 

Definitely were IXs with the cut down rear fuselage.  It could literally be a low back IX on the line followed by a low back XVI.  Can't find the thread at the moment but I posted photos of two such birds one serial number apart recently.