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If "bounced" while cruising at low speeds it could take a Spitfire up to two minutes to accelerate to top speed. [58] The only way it was thought that a Spitfire could evade attack was to cruise at high speed and go into a shallow dive with the throttle open. Provided the Fw 190 was seen in time, it could be forced into a long stern chase. [57]
Different wings, featuring a variety of weapons, were fitted to most marks; the A wing used eight .303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns, the B wing had four .303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns and two 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano cannons, and the C, or universal, wing could mount either four 20 mm (.79 in) cannons or two 20 mm (.79 in) and four .303 in (7.7 mm ...
The use of these prefixes did not change according to the wings, which could be fitted with "clipped" tips, reducing the wingspan to about 32 ft 6 in (9.9 m) (this could vary slightly), or the "pointed" tips which increased the wingspan to 40 ft 2 in (12.29 m). Spitfire F Mk XIIs of 41 Sqn.
Various distances that were employed in World War II by American fighters using .50 cal (12.7 mm) heavy machine gun rounds include 500 ft (150 m), 750 ft (230 m), 900 ft (270 m) and 1,000 ft (300 m), with the longer distances favoured later in the war. [2] [17] [22] Some pilots preferred more than one point of convergence.
The F Mk 24 achieved a maximum speed of 454 mph (731 km/h) and could reach an altitude of 30,000 ft (9,100 m) in eight minutes, putting it on a par with the most advanced piston-engined fighters of the era. Although designed as a fighter-interceptor aircraft, the Spitfire proved its versatility in other roles.
A short report indicated the Spitfire was 20 mph (32 km/h) faster from 0 to 5,000 ft (1,500 m) and 15,000 to 20,000 ft (4,600 to 6,100 m). At all other heights, the Spitfire had a 60 mph (97 km/h) speed advantage over the Fw 190 A. The Spitfire had a considerably faster rate of climb at all altitudes.
Spitfire PR Mk XIs were capable of a top speed of 417 mph (671 km/h) at 24,000 ft (7,300 m) and could cruise at 395 mph (636 km/h) at 32,000 ft (9,800 m). Normally Spitfire XIs cruised between these altitudes although, in an emergency, the aircraft could climb to 44,000 ft (13,000 m) However, pilots could not withstand such altitudes for long ...
Data from Supermarine Aircraft since 1914 General characteristics Crew: 1 Length: 32 ft 11 in (10.03 m) Wingspan: 35 ft (11 m) Height: 13 ft 5 in (4.09 m) Wing area: 210 sq ft (20 m 2) Airfoil: root: Supermarine 371-I; tip: Supermarine 371-II Empty weight: 7,350 lb (3,334 kg) Gross weight: 9,950 lb (4,513 kg) Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce Griffon 69 V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine, 2,375 hp ...