Best Spitfire version

[FlexiBull]

Nothing to do with performance, nothing to do with firepower simply as the thread said my favourite Spitfire Vb - three blade prop, nice tidy Merlin and no pointy fin.

 

[Joseph Stalin]

Bit of an old thread, but it was Spitfire (with floats)!
Sorry, but once 'they' b*ggered about with folding wings for the navy boys, and especially the contra-rotating prop, it made a beautiful swan into a not that effective ugly duckling!

Oh well, guess the difference of looks is fair enough, but was the seafire really a poorer performer than those land-based spitfres of the same period? (Don't roll your eyes if this is a stupid question - I specialise in some of the Soviet planes of the time)

 

[drgondog]

Spit VIII for me. Range deficiency for the general Spifire series made its choice as Best Fighter more difficult when considering total air superiority versus spendid interceptor...

I would like to have seen more VIII's engaged with early 8th AF missions in the escort role.

 

[tomo pauk]

Too bad RAF USAAF did not tried a long-range fighter sweep (to just behind Ruhr?), with some 300 Spitfires VIII and 150 P-38s, with another 500 fighters (and the same number of medium bombers) flying vs. airports in Low countries France. Say, 7 days trial, 'proof of a concept', staged to end at the beginning of invasion of Sicily? Now lets toss in 200 B-17s to use up the commotion...

I take it heads would've rolled in Luftwaffe, both figuratively and litterarly.

 

[Tony Hill]

Griffon, puh, nasty taste.

If it hasn't got a Merlin, it's not a Spitfire in my world!

I and II, acceleration, handling and the look of the thing.