DavidDavid
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- Aug 31, 2023
Hi what are the differences between the letters on the end of a spitfire mark e.g mkIXc and mkIXb
Spitfire what do the letters on the end of the mark mean
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The letter indicated what a type of the wing was used for the Spitfire. And this corresponded to the armament that was mounted.
A - 8x Browning 7,7mm MGs
B - 4x Browning 7,7mm MGs + 2x 20mm cannons
C - was called the universal wing : 4x20mm cannons or 8x7,7mm MGs or 2x20mm cannons + 4x7,7mm MGs. The most popular 2x20mm cannons + 4x7,7mm MGs. Additionally there could be the bomb racks installed on undersides of each wing for 113kg bombs.
E - 2x20mm British Hispano Mk.I or Mk.II cannons +2 x12,7mm Colt Browning guns or if my memory serves , just the cannons only.
The letter indicated what a type of the wing was used for the Spitfire. And this corresponded to the armament that was mounted.
A - 8x Browning 7,7mm MGs
B - 4x Browning 7,7mm MGs + 2x 20mm cannons
C - was called the universal wing : 4x20mm cannons or 8x7,7mm MGs or 2x20mm cannons + 4x7,7mm MGs. The most popular 2x20mm cannons + 4x7,7mm MGs. Additionally there could be the bomb racks installed on undersides of each wing for 113kg bombs.
E - 2x20mm British Hispano Mk.I or Mk.II cannons +2 x12,7mm Colt Browning guns or if my memory serves , just the cannons only.
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DavidDavid
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- Aug 31, 2023
Thanks for the information and the welcome
Snautzer01
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Welcome.
Geoffrey Sinclair
Staff Sergeant
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- Sep 30, 2021
The wing armament list is what we now designate things, including the d wing which had the large leading edge fuel tanks for the reconnaissance versions
The trouble is finding contemporary documents using the designations for the mark IX. The mark IX came as F.IX, LF.IX and HF.IX depending on engine fit, similar for the mark VIII, there was also the LF.XVI, it was the prefix, not suffix, that mattered as all had the c/universal wing. Though the mark VIII wing had other changes.
Plenty of early Spitfires, mostly mark V, ended up as IX and some could have had the b wing as built but in fact the IXb was an unofficial designation for the LF.IX when it was introduced 8 months after the F. The replacement of the 0.303 inch with 0.50 inch was simply an ability of the c/universal wing and not considered worthwhile to record, another mark IX/XVI variation is the bubble canopies/cut down rear fuselage aircraft had their oxygen bottles relocated to the outer wing while carrying the e armament.
Later the mark XVIII could be considered to have introduced the e wing, as it eliminated the structures for the outboard 0.303inch machine guns.
The mark XIV went through the same changes, from 2x20mm, 4x303inch, full wings, high back fuselage to 2x20mm, 2x0.5inch, clipped wings and low back fuselage, again without any changes in official designations. Instead it came as the F.XIV and the camera carrying FR.XIV
The trouble is finding contemporary documents using the designations for the mark IX. The mark IX came as F.IX, LF.IX and HF.IX depending on engine fit, similar for the mark VIII, there was also the LF.XVI, it was the prefix, not suffix, that mattered as all had the c/universal wing. Though the mark VIII wing had other changes.
Plenty of early Spitfires, mostly mark V, ended up as IX and some could have had the b wing as built but in fact the IXb was an unofficial designation for the LF.IX when it was introduced 8 months after the F. The replacement of the 0.303 inch with 0.50 inch was simply an ability of the c/universal wing and not considered worthwhile to record, another mark IX/XVI variation is the bubble canopies/cut down rear fuselage aircraft had their oxygen bottles relocated to the outer wing while carrying the e armament.
Later the mark XVIII could be considered to have introduced the e wing, as it eliminated the structures for the outboard 0.303inch machine guns.
The mark XIV went through the same changes, from 2x20mm, 4x303inch, full wings, high back fuselage to 2x20mm, 2x0.5inch, clipped wings and low back fuselage, again without any changes in official designations. Instead it came as the F.XIV and the camera carrying FR.XIV
