63953
The Supermarine Spitfire is perhaps the most famous British fighter from the Second World War. It was an all-metal machine with a low wing configuration, characteristic elliptical wings, a classic tail and retractable landing gear. The first flight took place on 5 March 1936. The Spitfire proved to be a staple of the RAF's war effort, which continued to do well after the war, remaining in production for 10 years. The history of the Spitfire began in the design office of RJ Mitchell, Supermarine's chief designer. The first machines went to RAF units in 1938, but when the Battle of Britain began in the summer of 1940, there were already 19 squadrons of modern fighters at the airfields - together with the islands' slightly older Hurricanes, 600 aircraft defended. As hostilities expanded, the Spitfire saw service wherever the RAF operated in the Far East, North Africa and Italy, during the Normandy landings and the fighting in France and finally during the German operation in 1945. For many Brits it became symbol of victory in World War II. This wonderful machine has at least a dozen production versions. The most important of these are, among others, the first mass-produced Spitfire Mk.I with a 1030 hp Rolls-Royce Merlin II engine. It was above all this machine that made such an outstanding contribution to the Battle of Britain. Several versions of this model have been developed, including PR Mk IA (reconnaissance version) or PR.IG (armed reconnaissance version). Another interesting version was the Spitfire Mk.V with a Rolls-Royce Merlin 45 engine with 1440HP. Later, Merlin 50 engines were also fitted. Serial production of this version began in 1941 and was the RAF's response to the appearance of the Messerschmitt Bf-109F. Another very successful version is the Spitfire Mk.IX, powered by a Merlin 61 engine with a 4-blade propeller. It was created as a rival to the Focke-Wulf Fw-190 and went into production at the end of 1941. This version was modified several times and, for example, in 1944 it got a new gyroscope, an enlarged rudder or a different wing system. Another important version is the Spitfire Mk.XIV with a Rolls-Royce Griffon 61 engine and a five-bladed propeller. Serial production began in October 1943. One of the last series produced was the Mk.21 version. This version had a Griffon 61 engine, heavily reinforced structure and casing, the wings were extended, increasing their flight surface. Mass production began in March 1945. Technical data (version Mk.XIV): length: 9.14 m, wingspan: 11.23 m, height: 3.05 m, maximum speed: 717 km/h, rate of climb : 18.5 m/s, practical ceiling: 13,200 m, maximum range: 1815 km, armament: fixed - 4 7.7 mm machine guns and 2 20 mm Hispano Mk II cannons, mounted - up to 225 kg of bombs.
