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Britain's Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX fighter bomber1
Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX fighter:
Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX fighter:
Design
The Spitfire Mk IX was designed to battle against the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 that appeared in 1941 as the Mk V was outclassed.1
New Engine
Rolls-Royce developed two more powerful engines, the 60 and 70, that were fitted to a modified Mk V.1
Prototype
The Spitfire Mk IX prototype first flew in early 1942.1
Variants
- Spitfire Mk IX:
- Spitfire F.IX: Medium altitude work.1
- Spitfire LF.IX: Low altitude work.1
- Spitfire HF.IX: High altitude work.1
- Spitfire PR.IX: Unarmed reconnaissance.1
- Spitfire FR.IX: Armed reconnaissance.1
- Spitfire Mk XVI: Had Packard Merlin 266 engine.1
Usage
Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Soviet Union (~1,200), and the United States used the Spitfire Mk IX.1
Over 90 Royal Air Force (RAF) and Commonwealth squadrons were equipped with the Spitfire Mk IX.1
| Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX1 Supermarine Spitfire F.IX1 |
Supermarine Spitfire Mk IXA1 | Supermarine Spitfire Mk IXB1 | Supermarine Spitfire Mk IXC1 | Supermarine Spitfire Mk IXD1 | Supermarine Spitfire HF.IX1 | Supermarine Spitfire LF.IX1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Fighter bomber1 | Fighter bomber1 | Fighter bomber1 | Fighter bomber1 | Fighter bomber1 | Fighter bomber1 | Fighter bomber1 |
| Crew | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
| Engine (Type) | Rolls-Royce Merlin 611 | Rolls-Royce Merlin 701 | Rolls-Royce Merlin 66, Packard Merlin 2661 | ||||
| OR | Rolls-Royce Merlin 63/63a1 | ||||||
| Cylinders | V 121 | ||||||
| Cooling | |||||||
| HP | 61: 1,5651 63/63a: 1,7101 |
1,7101 | 1,7201 | ||||
| Propeller blades | 41 | 41 | 41 | ||||
| Dimensions | |||||||
| Span | 36' 10"1 11.23 m1 |
36' 10"1 11.23 m1 |
36' 10"1 11.23 m1 |
36' 10"1 11.23 m1 |
36' 10"1 11.23 m1 |
36' 10"1 11.23 m1 |
36' 10"1 11.23 m1 |
| OR | 32' 2"1 9.8 m1 |
32' 2"1 9.8 m1 |
32' 2"1 9.8 m1 |
32' 2"1 9.8 m1 |
32' 2"1 9.8 m1 |
32' 2"1 9.8 m1 |
32' 2"1 9.8 m1 |
| Length | 31' 1"1 9.47 m1 |
31' 1"1 9.47 m1 |
31' 1"1 9.47 m1 |
31' 1"1 9.47 m1 |
31' 1"1 9.47 m1 |
31' 1"1 9.47 m1 |
31' 1"1 9.47 m1 |
| Height | 12' 7.75"1 3.86 m1 |
12' 7.75"1 3.86 m1 |
12' 7.75"1 3.86 m1 |
12' 7.75"1 3.86 m1 |
12' 7.75"1 3.86 m1 |
12' 7.75"1 3.86 m1 |
12' 7.75"1 3.86 m1 |
| Wing area | |||||||
| Weight | |||||||
| Empty | |||||||
| Loaded | |||||||
| Performance | |||||||
| Speed @ 25,000' / 7,620 m |
408 mph1 657 kph1 |
||||||
| Climb | 4,100'/minute1 1,250 m/minute1 |
||||||
| Climb to 20,000' / 6,096 m |
6.7 minutes1 | ||||||
| Service ceiling | 43,000'1 13,106 m1 |
||||||
| Range | 434 miles1 698 km1 |
||||||
| Range with drop tanks | 980 miles1 1,577 km1 |
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| Armament | |||||||
| Wings | 8: 0.303" MG1 | 2: 20 mm1 4: 0.303" MG1 |
8: 0.303" MG1 | 2: 20 mm1 2: 0.5" MG1 |
|||
| OR | 2: 20 mm1 4: 0.303" MG1 |
||||||
| OR | 4: 20 mm1 | ||||||
| Bombs | 1,000 lb1 454 kg1 |
Sources:
- Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998
