# Which XIV wing is the best?



## Oskar the Pilot (Dec 29, 2011)

Okay, so the Spitfire Mk XIV has a few different wing options, but which one is the best?-

*The 'A' Wing had 8 x 7.7mm machine guns.

The 'B' Wing had 4 x 7.7mm machine guns and 2 x 20mm cannon.

The 'C' Wing had 4 x 7.7mm machine guns and 2 x 20mm cannon or 4 x 20mm cannon.

The 'E' Wing had 2 x 12.7mm machine guns and 2 x 20mm cannon.*

_Cast your vote!_



PS. I'm sorry for posting so many threads, it's just there's so much I'm interested to know


----------



## Edgar Brooks (Dec 29, 2011)

No XIV ever had the A or B wing, which makes this a little pointless, since the XIVc never carried 4 cannon, either.


----------



## wuzak (Dec 29, 2011)

Wasn't the E wing the universal wing, which could accept 4 x 20mm or 2 x 20mm + 4 x 0.303" or 2 x 20mm + 2 x 0.50"?


----------



## wuzak (Dec 29, 2011)

Sorry, it seems as though the C wing was the universal wing, and the E wing was essentially the same but the outer gun bays for the 0.30s could not be used.

The E wing could, therefore, use 4 x 20mm or 2 x 20mm + 2 x 0.50".

Theoretically the C could have the same or the 2 x 20mm + 4 x 0.303".


----------



## Edgar Brooks (Dec 29, 2011)

No, the "Universal" wing started life as the "C" armament, since it could take 8 x .303", or 4 x 20mm + 4 x .303", without too much effort. The E wing was a conversion of the universal wing, but was not able to be converted by just anyone, since it involved the removal of a lot of pipework, and couldn't be converted back. 
The E wing was 1 x 20mm + 1 x .5", full stop; it did not find favour with the Air Ministry until early 1944, when the gyro gunsight became available; until that time, the "brass hats" preferred to stick to the 4 x .303" with the 2 x 20mm, since the extra number of rounds meant that there was an even chance that the average pilot (who struggled with deflection shooting) might actually hit something. Once the new sight appeared, skill levels rocketed; the .5" was also better for ground attack, hence the XVIe F.R.XIVe.
The E wing was never designed to take 4 x 20mm; that armament didn't arrive until the new wing, of the 20-series, made its appearance.
The C wing was not designed to take the .5", either, though there are stories of the Canadians shoehorning them into some of their aircraft. Being a much bigger item, the .5" would never have fitted into the outer m/g compartments, and, on the IX, the outer "cannon compartment" was, in fact, taken up by the pipework taking hot air, from the radiators, out to the outer .303"s..


----------



## wuzak (Dec 29, 2011)

Hmmm....the 0.50" in the E wing was fitted in the gun bay which housed the 20mm in the C wing, the E wing having the 20mm in the outer cannon port.


----------



## Edgar Brooks (Dec 29, 2011)

True, and it had a double advantage; moving the 20mm out meant that it was also moved back, which made for a shorter fairing, and therefore less drag. Moving the m/g inwards also moved it forward, which allowed more space behind it, and made it easier for the armourer to get at the cocking lever, which was harder to pull than on the smaller .303".
Should be the "Myths" section, but armourers did not use their forage caps to **** guns, since they would have eventually torn, and erks had to pay for any replacements.


----------

