Spitfire Mk.IX – Walk Around

Britanski Supermarin Spitfajer suočavao se sa nekoliko izazova do sredine 1942. Debi strašnog Focke-Wulf Fw 190 krajem 1941. kombinacija unapređenog Merlina i Spitfire Mk VC aviona u "stop-gap" dizajnu omogućila je RAF-u da se bori protiv Fw 190 pod jednakim uslovima. U drugom toku razvoja Supermarine je radio na unapređenom, ojačanom, Spitfire avionu koji je ugradio nekoliko novih funkcija i dizajniran je za motore Serije Merlin 60 i 70. Ovaj novi avion je kasnije formirao osnovu za Rolls-Royce Griffon napajanje Spitfajera.

Mk IX (tip 361): BS456 UZ-Z of 306(Polish) Toruński Squadron, RAF Northolt, November 1942. A Spitfire IX converted from a Mk VC airframe. A teardrop shaped blister for a Coffman cartridge starter can be seen just behind the propeller. This aircraft carries a 30-gallon “slipper” drop tank under the fuselage. In the early months of 1942, with the clear superiority of the Focke Wulf Fw 190 over the Spitfire VB, there was much pressure to get Spitfires into production using the new two-stage supercharged Merlin 61 engine. In September 1941 the Spitfire Mk III prototype N3297 had been converted by Rolls-Royce at their Hucknall plant to take a Merlin 60, which had been specifically designed for use in the Wellington Mk VI high altitude bomber.

Izvor: Spitfajer na Vikipediji