Griffon Spitfire Aces: No. 81 (Aircraft of the Aces)

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By late 1940, Luftwaffe fighter units were being re-equipped with the formidable new Bf 109F-1 and F-2, considered by many Luftwaffe pilots to be the best of the many variants of this fighter. The F-1s and F-2s easily outperformed the Spitfire Mk Is and IIs and it closely matched the Mk Vs which were just about to enter service. In the hands of pilots like Adolf Galland it was a daunting proposition to be facing this aircraft over France. [47] On 10 July 1941, a 109 F-2 flown by Hauptmann Rolf Pingel of I./JG 26. followed a Short Stirling heavy bomber he had intercepted across the Channel. Return fire from the Stirling hit his fighter's cooling system, forcing him to "crash-land" in a field near Dover. The 109 was repaired and tested at Air Fighting Development Unit (AFDU) until it crashed, killing the pilot, on 20 October 1941. The results of these tests helped in the development of tactics to counter the new fighter. [48] [49] German ace Heinz Bäer said "Of course the quality of the Spitfire needs no elaboration. They shot me down once and caused me at least six forced landings". [180] Fellow ace Gunther Rall, who test flew captured versions of practically all of the top Allied fighters, stated that he preferred the Spitfire. This was a common sentiment among Luftwaffe fighter pilots, who regarded the Spitfire as their most dangerous foe. Some of these aircraft were used in the so-called Zirkus Rosarius – 2.Staffel Versuchsverband Oberkommando der Luftwaffe. Aircraft in this unit were used for combat training and for develop new dogfight techniques. Spitfires used in Zirkus Rosarius were reequipped with R/T FuG 7 or FuG 7a for better communication between instructor and pupil. At least one Spitfire MK V was re-engined with a DB-601 in the fall of 1942.

Cooke, Peter. "The Early Griffon Spitfires part 2: Article and scale drawings" Scale Models Magazine Vol. 9, No 110, November 1978. Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, UK. With the change to offensive tactics the Spitfire, Hurricane and new Westland Whirlwind units found themselves facing the same disadvantages over France as the 109 units had faced over Britain. The limited combat radius of the RAF fighters meant that the Luftwaffe could engage in combat, or break off on their own terms, knowing that they were over friendly territory and with plenty of airfields at which they could land to rearm and refuel. The RAF fighters were the ones who were now having to face the prospect of two long over-water passages, returning in many cases with combat damage. The Merlin engine was essential to Britain's war effort, it not only powered the Spitfire, but also the Hurricane, Lancaster and Mosquito. The vast majority of Spitfires in the Battle of Britain were fitted with the Merlin III of 1,030 horsepower.

In early October 1942, Josef V. Stalin wrote to Sir Winston Churchill, requesting the urgent delivery of Spitfires. Churchill agreed to send a batch of 150 Supermarine fighters, along with spares, equivalent to an additional 50 aircraft. Deliveries of Spitfire VBs to USSR started in the spring of 1943. These were the first official Spitfire export. [174] Most of these Mk Vbs had already seen extensive service with the RAF. One of the first units to receive the Spitfire was the 36th Fighter Aviation Regiment, which was part of the Voyenno-Vozdushnyye Sily or VVS. Soviet pilots were very disappointed by the performance of the Spitfire V; they preferred, and made better use of, the Bell P-39 Airacobra. [nb 10] [175] The Mk XIV could climb to 20,000ft (6,100m) in just over five minutes and its top speed, which was achieved at 25,400ft (7,700m), was 446mph (718km/h). [26] [27] Late model F Mk XIV of 41 Squadron with the cut down rear fuselage and clear-view canopy. Germany, May 1945. The second Mk XX, DP851, initially had a GriffonII engine and made its first flight in August 1942. In December, it was refitted with a Griffon 61 and re-designated as a Mk 21 initial prototype. By 1979 the aircraft was sufficiently well developed to make an attempt on the world's air speed record for piston driven aircraft. In August the aircraft was flown to Tonapah, Nevada but the hoped for 100 degree temperatures never materialized. The early attempts were frustrated by numerous problems including a failed connecting rod and turbulence. On August 14, 1979 conditions were far from ideal but as good as they were going to get in the foreseeable future. Steve Hinton, the well known, brilliant race pilot took the Red Baron out with an air temperature of 68 degrees and broke the existing record with an average 499.018 mph, frustratingly close to exceeding 500. With further engine development and ideal conditions, the RB-51 could have exceeded 525 mph. In the Far East, the Spitfire found a worthy adversary in the A6M "Zero" long-range fighter that, like most Japanese fighters, excelled in manoeuvrability. Although not as fast as the Spitfire, the Zero could out-turn the Spitfire with ease, could sustain a climb at a very steep angle, and could stay in the air for three times as long. [184] To fight the Zero, Spitfire pilots had to adopt a "slash and run" policy and use their superior speed and diving superiority to fight, and avoid classic dogfights.

The two speed supercharger shifting was automatic, relying on atmospheric pressure via an aneroid switch to shift to the appropriate blower speed. Centrifugal bob weights mounted on the blower clutches add to the drive capability of the clutches, i.e., the faster it spins, the harder the clutch grabs. When the blower shifts, a small degree of clutch slip is built in; otherwise the accelerating forces would damage and possibly strip the blower drive gears. The clutches also absorb some of the torsional vibration emanating from the crankshaft, this design feature may help explain why no Rolls-Royce piston engines except for the Eagle 22 last of the piston engine developments required no dynamic crankshaft counter weights. Here, the Mk Vcs were also used as tactical fighter-bombers, being equipped with a maximum load of 500lb of bombs. Mark Vbs equipped the 4th, 31st and 52nd Fighter Groups of the USAAF in the summer of 1942, and the latter two groups continued flying them until succeeded by Mk VIIIs in mid-1943. By this time, Spitfire Mk Vcs with stronger wings and extra ammunition began to carry four 20mm cannon. Many Mk Vs also had the new, smaller and much more efficient "Aboukir" filter instead of the ram air effect nullifying Vokes filter. The new filter was named as such due to its creation in Aboukir, Egypt by RAF mechanics.The Mk 23 was to be a Mk 22 incorporating a revised wing design which featured an increase in incidence, lifting the leading edge by 2 inches (51mm). It was hoped that this would improve the pilot's view over the nose in flight and increase the high speed and dive performance of the aircraft. The modified, hand-built wing was first fitted to a Mk VIII JG204 which was tested from July 1944. However the tests were disappointing and, after discussions at Supermarine, it was decided to build a new prototype using the Mk 21 prototype PP139: in this form the prototype was designated F Mk 23, and was to be renamed the Supermarine Valiant. However the new wing gave less than perfect handling characteristics and so the Mk 23 was never built from the Mk 22 airframe as intended. [49] Mk 24 (type 356) [ edit ] Laird, Malcolm and Wojtek Matusiac. Merlin PR Spitfires in Detail: Classic Warbirds No. 11. Wellington, NZ: Ventura Publications, 2009. ISBN 0-9582296-5-1 Squadron F.R Mk IXs photographed German tanks in the Arnhem area just before Operation Market Garden, and during the battle, Northolt based F.R IXs flew missions in support of the paratroops. [157] :95 Mediterranean service [ edit ] Spitfire Vc(trop) of No. 417 Squadron RCAF in Tunisia in 1943. Five-bladed propeller and modified wing shape: F.21 LA198 of 1 Squadron (postwar with 602 Squadron), on display at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. For high altitude, a two-stage supercharger was needed and these arrived in the Spitfire XIV and XVIII. This enabled the Spitfire to stay at the forefront of fighter performance until the end of the war.

Although the Griffon-engined Spitfires were never produced in the large numbers of the Merlin-engined variants they were an important part of the Spitfire family, and in their later versions kept the Spitfire at the forefront of piston-engined fighter development. This article describes the Griffon-powered Spitfire variants. Price, Alfred. The Spitfire Story. Enderby, Leicester, UK: Siverdale Books, 2002 (rev 2nd ed). ISBN 1-85605-702-X. Spitfire PR.X1, EN685, of No.542 Sqn force-landed on 13 May 1944 in Germany. It was repaired and joined Zirkus Rosarius, marked T9+EK. India-Burma [ edit ] A Spitfire Mk. VIII of No. 607 Squadron RAF being prepared for a sortie at Mingaladon Airfield in Burma in August 1945 General Handling The modifications carried out to this aircraft have resulted in an improvement of the general handling characteristics at all heights... Conclusions The critical trimming characteristics reported on the production Spitfire 21 have been largely eliminated by the modifications carried out to this aircraft. Its handling qualities have benefitted (sic) to a corresponding extent and it is now considered suitable both for instrument flying and low flying. It is considered that the modifications to the Spitfire 21 make it a satisfactory combat aircraft for the average pilot. [43] Spitfire F Mk 21 of 91 Squadron.

The single-stage Griffon engine (II or IV) gave the aircraft superb low and medium level performance, although the Mk XII's performance declined at higher altitudes: because of this all production aircraft had "clipped" wings. In comparative tests with a Mk IX it was 14mph (23km/h) faster at sea level, but above 20,000ft (6,100m) it had become slower. Handling, however, was considered to be better than previous Spitfire marks, and the clipped wings conferred excellent manoeuvrability through enhanced aileron response. [17]

These figures were only true to the first prototypes, as serial production examples were fitted with a Griffon 65 with different supercharger gearing. in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns, 350 rpg. Replaced by 2 x .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns 250 rpg Mk XIVE and FR Mk XIV. The first test of the aircraft was in intercepting V1 flying bombs and the Mk XIV was the most successful of all Spitfire marks in this role. When 150 octane fuel was introduced in mid-1944 the "boost" of the Griffon engine was able to be increased to +25lbs (80.7"), allowing the top speed to be increased by about 30mph (26kn; 48km/h) to 400mph (350kn; 640km/h) at 2,000ft (610m). [31] Spitfire PR IA, P9331, of No.212 Sqn, force-landed near Reims on 7 June 1940. It was repaired and flown to Rechlin, marked 2+ I. The Mk Vb was the first Spitfire to see extensive overseas service. On 7 March 1942, 15 Mk Vs carrying 90-gallon fuel tanks under their fuselages took off from HMS Eagle off the coast of Algeria on a 600-mile flight to Malta. [158]

From Mk1 to Mk24

The Mk XII's speed advantage at lower altitudes again became useful near the end of its front line service in summer 1944, when its pilots were credited with 82.5 V-1 Flying Bomb kills. The Mk XII variant was retired in September 1944.