I be needin ejumatation, on Spitfires, dudes.

[O.P.]

Or a little help from our English WIX bro's, and other Spitfire enthusiast's.

There's only two aircraft I can honestly say I know enough about to talk knowledge openly with strangers. Cessna 172's and T-28's, okay, I'm not that heavy on T-28's....anywhoooo, in the interest of my continuing airplane education, I have some Spitfire questions, in celebration of Robbo's excellent pics, and in anticipation of the arrival of Tony's Spitfire sometime in the future.

My question is this. There are about 7 or 8 hundred mark numbers on Spitfires, there are also propellers going from 3 to 5 blades. I need the preshcool primer on this one, a picture of the plane, a mark number, and date/s of manufacture, and any freaky special stuff.

(Example of freaky, I've noticed the Seafire, or at least some Seafires have a contrarotating prop/s. Does that even count as a Spitfire?)

Picture me baby!

[mrhenniger]

Hi O.P.,

Scott has put together a really good site here. There is more to it than just the registry and WIX. For example click on the WARBIRDS RESOURCE GROUP at the top of this page and you will be able to explore much well organized.

From that like you get to many useful pages, one of which is this breakdown of all of the Spit variants...
http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/BARC/spitfire.html

It doesn't mention number of prop blades in every model, but I suspect if it isn't mentioned it is assume it is the same as the previous mark. Also wing and tail shaps are included. It is an excellant reference for help with the rainbow of Spitfire marks.

Regards,

Mike

[Andy in Beds]

OK
here's a start, no pictures.
Rob can fill those in.
Marks 1 through to 9 Merlin powered.

After that Griffon powered.
Merlin 27 litres, Griffon 37 litres (also turns opposite way).
Except Mark 16--Packard built Merlin.

All Griffon Spits have five bladed prop except Mark 12 which has a four bladed prop.
Mark's 1 through 5 have three bladed props (except first series Mark 1 which has two) Mark 8 onwards have four blade props but 8's came after 9's--the nine being a five with a two stage Merlin. The eight was designed from the outset with a two stage Merlin and a 14 is an eight with a Griffon.

Confused?? I am!!
The contra prop is a Seafire Mk 47.
All marks should be written in Roman numerals except the Mark 22 and Seafire 47 which should have Arabic numerals.
Clear? Good!
Cheers
Andy
PS. Welcome to the wonderful World of British engineering.
PPS Of course Supermarine were just a firm of up-start boatbuilders from Southampton. Hawker's--now there's a proper plane making outfit.
Hart, Demon, Hind, Fury, Hurricane, Typhoon, Tempest, Sea Fury, Sea Hawk, Hunter, Harrier.

[srpatterson]

Bit edgy, Mr. Jones...

You didn't tell us about high back vs. low back.

[Robbo]

Shame on you, Jonesy, what about the Mk XI?

[Andy in Beds]

Bit edgy, Mr. Jones...

You didn't tell us about high back vs. low back.

No that confuses even me.

[Robbo]

What about the XIX's with six bladed contra props?

[Andy in Beds]

What about the XIX's with six bladed contra props?

Are you sure about XIX's with six blade props?

There were two dedicated Photo-recce Marks (if you don't count the Mark three, four and ten--prototypes only).
The Mark XI--Merlin powered, four bladed prop, no armament, fuel in the gun bays, rounded windscreen etc and the Griffon powered Mk XIX--pressurised, no guns, extra fuel etc.

darn you Leigh--I should be in bed resting before my trip to Duxford tomorrow and now you've got me ferreting about in my Putnams library looking at bl**dy Spitfires.
Cheers
A...

[Robbo]

You're off to Duxford without letting me know - I'm mortally offended.

I'll drive slowly up the M11 and I won't even wave.

[Andy in Beds]

You're off to Duxford without letting me know - I'm mortally offended.

I'll drive slowly up the M11 and I won't even wave.

Only found out at Nine tonight from Mr Mike J.
Why don't you stop in too??

I E-mailed you about twenty times from work--you couldn't be *rsed to reply.

[Robbo]

I only got the one email and I replied to that. My ISP's been a bit up the spout today though.

I'll be passing through around lunchtime. I'll give you a bell on the way up.

Rob

[Andy in Beds]

I only got the one email and I replied to that. My ISP's been a bit up the spout today though.

I'll be passing through around lunchtime. I'll give you a bell on the way up.

Rob

Lunchtime should be about right as I won't be rushing in the morning and I have to get to Cambridge first.

Right, I've told the yanks about Spitfires now it's your turn to tell them about Seafires.
Which Marks did Cunliffe Owen build for a start????
Cheers
Andy

[Robbo]

Too easy, Andy, I'm packing a copy of Morgan & Shacklady.

Seafire 1B's and Seafire III (as a sub-contractor for Westland). A couple of the Seafire III's (and the first thirty Westland examples) were built as fixed wing aircraft and they were subsequently redesignated as F IIC's.

[Broken-Wrench]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[O.P.]

Mark1