Spitfire XII

[Kevin Barclay-Jay]

Can anybody tell me if any Spitfire XIIs saw any post war service or civil use?...

 

[wuzak]

Can anybody tell me if any Spitfire XIIs saw any post war service or civil use?...

I doubt it.

There were only 100 XIIs built and they were withdrawn from active service in 1944.

Not sure what happened to them after that.

 

[Spielmann]

Hello,

Many were given the Flight Leaders School, others were not effective aircraft or were given to auxiliary units. By February-March 1946 they were all SOC.

Spielmann

 

[Kevin Barclay-Jay]

Hello,

Many were given the Flight Leaders School, others were not effective aircraft or were given to auxiliary units. By February-March 1946 they were all SOC.

Spielmann

such a shame...I know there is one flying and one being renovated

 

[Airframes]

I haven't heard of an airworthy Mk.XII, or even one under restoration - where are they ?

 

[Peter Gunn]

I doubt it.

There were only 100 XIIs built and they were withdrawn from active service in 1944.

Not sure what happened to them after that.

Not up on my Spitfire marques, what was the issue with them that so few were built?

Thanks.

 

[Crimea_River]

Nothing really. The XIIs used a single stage supercharged Griffon so was a low altitude fighter. At higher altitudes, it was inferior to the Mk IX. The more versatile Griffon 61, a 2 stage supercharged engine, became available in 1943 and became the power plant for the XIV with overall superior performance to the XII.

 

[KiwiBiggles]

Not up on my Spitfire marques, what was the issue with them that so few were built?

Thanks.

The Mk.XII was really an interim version, to get underway with the Griffon. The first half of the production were Mk.VC airframes, strengthened at the firewall and still retaining the fixed tailwheel. The second 50 were Mk.VIII airframes, and the Mk.VIII was then used for the Mk.XIV which followed.

 

[Kevin Barclay-Jay]

I haven't heard of an airworthy Mk.XII, or even one under restoration - where are they ?

EN224 is under restoration...but well overdue

 

[nuuumannn]

Info here:

Supermarine Spitfire Registry - A Warbirds Resource Group Site

 

[Airframes]

Thanks Grant - that's one I didn't know about.