(An "E" type wing, usually seen in Mk. A tailskid replaced the tailwheel. Information as to when the first production aircraft emerged is from the serial number lists provided in For the evolution of the Spitfire with the two-stage Merlin engine, see Before this change pilots had to pump the undercarriage up with their right hand while simultaneously trying to keep the Spitfire controlled using the left hand on the control column. This blue/green colour was later used by the RAF as the basis of a "Sky (Type S)". At the time the record of 352 mph (566 km/h) was held by All panel lines were filled and smoothed over, all round headed rivets on the wing surfaces were replaced by flush rivets and an elongated "racing" windscreen was fitted. In theory, a "Universal" wing Spitfire could carry an armament of four 20mm cannon and four .303 Brownings, but this would be heavily loading the aircraft indeed, and thus was never used. Using 100 Octane fuel and +12 lb/in² boost the Merlin III was capable of generating 1,310 hp (977 kW). These were refurbished aircraft, drawn from RAF stocks, retrofitted with TR 9 HF radios and no IFF. Along with the new Merlin 45 series the A constant flow of modifications were made as production progressed. This often led to a condition known as "Spitfire knuckle" where pilots skinned their hand on the side of the cockpit while pumping.Frame 11 is the double thickness fuselage frame at the rear of the cockpit on which the pilot's seat and, from mid-1940, back and head armour was mounted.One major problem which became apparent when the Spitfire encountered German fighters was the Merlin sometimes cut out "bunting" into a dive due to the carburettor design – see Combat experience had shown that fabric covered ailerons seemed to lock solid in high speed dives: this was caused by the fabric "ballooning" which, in turn, increased the control column forces needed to move them. It was popular with German pilots and was flown regularly until destroyed in a USAAF bombing raid on 14 August 1944.At the time that the Mk V was placed in production there were growing fears that the The pressurised cabin was used to counter the physiological problems encountered by pilots at high altitudes.The engine was a Rolls-Royce Merlin 47 driving a four-bladed Rotol propeller of 10 ft 9 in (3.27 m) diameter; the new propeller provided increased power at high altitudes, where the The maximum speed of the Mk VI was 356 mph (573 km/h) at 21,800 ft (6,600 m). These could be recognised by the fixed 40 gal (182 l) fuel tank which was fitted under the port wing. Post-war, the Spitfire's service career continued into the 1950s. The air at higher altitudes weighs less per cubic centimetre than it does at sea-level. In 1944 enough Spitfire VB (trop)s to equip one squadron were supplied to When the Merlin engine was removed it was discovered that the fuselage cross section was virtually identical to that of the engine nacelle of a Other changes made were to replace the Spitfire instruments with German types, and to change the 12-volt electrical system to the German 24-volt type. As it turned out the finished aircraft weighed some 298 lb (135 kg) more than a standard 1938 vintage Spitfire.Clearly further modifications would be needed. The VA continued to use the Type A wing with 8 .303" Browning machine guns.

Pilots reported a considerable improvement in handling at high speeds. As a result the prefixes which were used on most later Spitfire variants, L.F. Mark..., F. Mark.. and H.F Mark indicated whether the engines fitted were suited for low, medium or high altitude. Het toestel werd in 1938 in productie genomen door Supermarine Division, Vickers Armstrong Ltd..Het toestel werd gedurende de gehele Tweede Wereldoorlog ingezet door de geallieerden, voornamelijk door de RAF.Er werden in totaal 20.340 stuks gebouwd. Because the Americans measured their boost ratings using inches of Mercury (" Hg), their boost gauges more accurately recorded the absolute pressures being generated by the superchargers at all altitudes.Due to the many differences in production Spitfires, performance could vary widely, even between aircraft with the same 32 ft 3 in (9.83 m)(late production larger fin and rudder) Merlin 63, 66 or 70 engine with a two-stage, two—speed supercharger.The Merlin 66 used in the L.F. Mk IX produced slightly more power but because of the use of slightly different Unlike the Merlin engines the Griffons used superchargers which were designed to achieve maximum performance over a wider altitude band; as such there were no Griffon engined L.F. or H.F. Spitfire variants. This was the final mark of Spitfire powered by a Griffon 85 driving a five bladed Rotol propeller.The British measured boost pressure as lbs./sq.inch (or psi). The "C" type wing was the first which could accommodate an all-cannon armament of four 20mm Hispanos; thus the "C" designation is popularly reserved for four-cannon Spitfires (i.e. This engine delivered 1,440 hp (1,074 kW) at take-off, and incorporated a new single-speed single-stage Three versions of the Mk V were produced, with several sub-series: 12,530 lb (5,683 kg) with 50 gal drop tank and two 500 lb (230 kg) bombs