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Classic creation of designer R.J. Mitchell,the Supermarine Spitfire was thedescendant of the race-winningSchneider Trophy seaplanes. Firstflown on 5 March 1936, the Spitfire Mk Iwith Merlin II engine and eightmachine-guns entered RAF service inAugust 1938, this version being heavilycommitted to combat in the Battle ofBritain. The Spitfire Mk II with MerlinXII followed in September 1940, theSpitfire Mk IIB being armed with two20-mm guns and four machine-guns.The photo-reconnaissance Spitfire MkIV was followed in March 1941 by theexcellent Spitfire Mk V (of which 6,479were produced) with 1074-kW (1,440-hp) Merlin 45; the Spitfire Mk VCfighter-bomber could carry one 227-kg (500-lb) or two 113-kg (250-lb)bombs. The Spitfire Mk VB remainedthe mainstay of Fighter Command betweenmid-1941 and mid-1942 whenthe Spitfire Mk IX, with 1238-kW(1,660-hp) Merlin 61 with two-stage,two-speed superchart ?r joined theRAF. The Spitfire Mk Xl and SpitfireMk VII were high-altitude fighters withextended wingtips, but the definitiveSpitfire Mk VIII fighter and fighterbomberwas used principally in theMediterranean and Far East, being fullytropicalizedThe Spitfire Mk X and Spitfire Mk XIwere unarmed photo-reconnaissanceversions and the Spitfire Mk XVI, witha top speed of 652 km/h (405 mph) wasproduced in fighter and fighterbomberversions. All the foregoing (ofwhich 18,298 were built) were poweredby the Rolls-Royce or PackardMerlin, and the first with 1294-kW(1,735-hp) Griffon IV was the SpitfireMk XII, introduced in 1943 to counterthe Fw 190 fighter-bomber. It was followedby the 1529-kW (2,050-hp) Griffon65-powered Spitfire Mk XTV fighterand fighter-bomber. The fighterreconnaissanceSpitfire Mk XVIII wasjust joining the RAF at the end of thewar and had a top speed of 712 km/h(442 mph). In the Fleet Air Arm Seafirevariants also served in large numberswith both Merlin and Griffon engines.Total production of the Spitfire was20,351, plus 2,334 Seafires.SpecificationSupermarine Spitfire Mk VBType: single-seat interceptor fighterPowerplant: one 1074-kW(l,440-hp)Rolls-Royce Merlin 45/46/50 V-12piston enginePerformance: maximum speed602 km/h (374 mph) at 3960 m(13,000 ft); climb to 6095 m (20,000 ft) in7.5 minutes; service ceiling 11280 m(37,000 ft); range on internal fuel756 km (470 miles)Weights: empty 2313 kg (5,100 lb);maximum take-off 3078 kg (6,785 lb)Dimensions: span 11.23 m (36 ft 10 in);length 9.11 m (29 ft 11 in); height 3.48 m(11 ft 5 in); wing area 22.48 n/(242.0sqft)Armament: two 20-mm cannon andfour 7.7-mm (0.303-in) machine-guns inthe wings
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