Spifire Fuel Capacity

[Karnak]

Perhaps they forgot about it...


Seriously, if publications made by Supermarine themselves say it had a rear than it must have had it, regardless of what some expensive aftermarket Spitfire book says.

Given that the book was talking about experiments with the rear tanks on the prior two pages and has a cutaway diagram of the rear fuselage tanks on the prior page I hardly think you can reasonably claim that they forgot about them.

At this point the only supplied documentation supports the position that the production Mk XVIs did not have the rear tanks.

[MachFly]

Given that the book was talking about experiments with the rear tanks on the prior two pages and has a cutaway diagram of the rear fuselage tanks on the prior page I hardly think you can reasonably claim that they forgot about them.

Okay, at first you said that there is no mention of the rear tanks.

At this point the only supplied documentation supports the position that the production Mk XVIs did not have the rear tanks.

Which documentation are you referring to?

[Karnak]

Okay, at first you said that there is no mention of the rear tanks.

No, I said "OK, per Spitfire the History, there were tests with rear tanks, 74 gallons for the high back and 66 gallons for the low back versions."

Then I said the specifications for the production model didn't include the rear tanks.

Which documentation are you referring to?

Said book.  If you want to claim that anything short of primary documentation doesn't count, fine.  In that case we need some primary documentation that the rear tanks existed at all since wikipedia and Spitfire the History apparently don't meet your stringent requirements of "Assume they were there unless you can prove absolutely that they were not."

[MachFly]

Said book.  If you want to claim that anything short of primary documentation doesn't count, fine.  In that case we need some primary documentation that the rear tanks existed at all since wikipedia and Spitfire the History apparently don't meet your stringent requirements of "Assume they were there unless you can prove absolutely that they were not."

Are you ignoring or just completely not seeing the fact that Spitfire's actual manual published by it's actual manufacturer says that it had rear tanks?

[Karnak]

Are you ignoring or just completely not seeing the fact that Spitfire's actual manual published by it's actual manufacturer says that it had rear tanks?

I do not see that provided in this thread.

I am interested to see it though.

[MachFly]

I do not see that provided in this thread.

I am interested to see it though.

I posted it on the previous page.



If you like I can send you the whole document.

[Karnak]

Ah.  I am at work and most images are blocked.

[MachFly]

Ah.  I am at work and most images are blocked.

That explains a few things...

It says: "Later Mk. IX and all F. Mk. XVI aircraft mount two additional fuel tanks with a combined capacity of 75 gallons (66 gallons in aircraft with "rear view" fuselages); they are fitted in the fuselage behind the cockpit."

[Karnak]

That explains a few things...

It says: "Later Mk. IX and all F. Mk. XVI aircraft mount two additional fuel tanks with a combined capacity of 75 gallons (66 gallons in aircraft with "rear view" fuselages); they are fitted in the fuselage behind the cockpit."

Yeah, that is what is diagrammed on page 432 of Spitfire the History.  All of the text only mentions trials with the rear tanks though.  Instability and needing the be drained before maneuvering, just as in the P-51, is mentioned.

[Denniss]

Is this excerpt from the Spitfire manual taken from the 1946 version or from an earlier release?

The 1946 Spit XIV/XIX manual mentions an 31 gallon tank in the rear fuselage, it's usually been sealed-off and not to be used unless usage ordered for some special operations.
No such tank reported for the PR Mk. XIX

[MachFly]

Is this excerpt from the Spitfire manual taken from the 1946 version or from an earlier release?

The 1946 Spit XIV/XIX manual mentions an 31 gallon tank in the rear fuselage, it's usually been sealed-off and not to be used unless usage ordered for some special operations.
No such tank reported for the PR Mk. XIX

1946

[Karnak]

1946

Some of the tests with rear tanks referenced in Spitfire the History are dated post war as well.