Supermarine Spitfire Performance Chronology

[CORSNING]

I am attempting to put together a timeline of when each fighter version of the Spitfire entered service operationally. I am doing this in hopes that it will give a useful quick reference sheet for comparisons to contemporary fighters throughout WW2. The problem I ran into is my limited knowledge and library on the Spitfire.
I am listing the Spitfire version, date it entered operational service, squadron and engine. What I have been able to put together so far looks like this:


K5054....First flight 5 March 1936..............Rolls Royce PV-XII V-12: 740 hp./12,000 ft./3,700 rpm.

Mk.I:......Aug. 4, 1938......No.19 Sqn......Rolls Royce Merlin II: 87 octane/+6 lbs. boost/3,000 rpm.: 880 hp./T.O., 1,030 hp./16,250 ft.

78th production aircraft: The Aero Products 2-blade fixed-pitch wooden propeller is replaced with a 3-blade, 2-position metal propeller.

Blown Canopy giving better visibility in early 1939.

Mk.I:......Late 1930...............................Merlin III: 87 octane/+6 psi. boost: Similar to Merlin II

Mk.I......Feb. 16, 1940......No.602 Sqn.......Merlin III: 100 octane: 880 lbs./T.O.@ +6 psi., 1,310 hp./+12 lbs./?ft.

All RAF aircraft converted to 100 octane fuel in the spring 1940.

de Havilland kit: June-August 1940......Conversion of 2-pitch to constant speed propeller.

Mk.Ib:.....June 1940......No.19 Sqn.......First cannon armed production Spitfire enters service.

Mk.II:....Aug. 13, 1940......No.611 Sqn. receive 8 A/C....Merlin XII: +12 psi./5 minutes: 1,175 hp./T.O., 1,280 hp./10,500 ft., 1,150 hp./14,500 ft.

Mk.V(a):...February 1941.....No.92 Sqn.......Merlin 45: Initially cleared for +12 lbs.: ?hp.

Mk.V:.....Jan.3, 1942 ?........................Merlin 45/+ 16 psi/3,000 rpm: 1,185 hp./T.O., 1,515/11,500 ft./3 min.

Mk.Vc:....Oct. 1941 appeared with universal wing.

L.F.Mk V:.......?????????......???????......Merlin 45M/+ 18 psi.: 1,230 hp./T.O., 1,585 hp./2,750 ft.

Mk.V:.......????????......??????......Merlin 46/+16 psi.: 1,100 hp./T.O., 1,415 hp./14,000 ft.

Mk.V:...??????...??????...Merlin 50/+16 psi./first bendix Sromberg negative-g carburetor: 1,185/T.O., 1,470 hp./9,250 ft.

L.F.Mk.V:....???...???...Merlin 50M with impeller cropped to 9.5"/+18 psi.: 1,230 hp./T.O., 1,585 hp./2,750 ft.

Mk.V:......?????...?????......Merlin 55/+16 psi.: 1,185 hp./T.O., 1,470 hp./9,250 ft.

L.F.Mk.V:...?????....????...Merlin 55M/+18 psi.: 1,230 hp./T.O., 1,585 hp./2,750 ft.

H.F.Mk.VI:.....????....????...Merlin 47/+16 psi.: 1,100 hp./T.O., 1,415 hp./1,400 ft.

Mk.IX:......July 28, 1942......No.64 Sqn.......Merlin 61/+15 psi.: 1,280 hp./T.O., 1,565 hp./1,250 ft., 1,300 hp./23,000 ft.

F.Mk.IX:.....Feb. 1943........No.64 Sqn........Merlin 63/+18 psi.: 1,280 hp./T.O., 1,710 hp./8,500 ft.

L.F.Mk.IX:...Mar. 1, 1943 (2 A/C received)....No.611 Sqn.....Merlin 66/+18 psi.: 1,315 hp./T.O., 1,705 hp./5,750 ft.

Merlin 66: Mar. 10, 1944: Full service approval for +25 psi. boost was granted.

Merlin 66: May 1944: Modifications began. No.1 and No.165 became operational.

H.F.Mk.IX:......Spring 1944......11 Group.....Merlin 70/+18 psi: 1,250 hp./T.O., 1,655 hp./10,000 ft.

Mk.XII:......April 3, 1943......No.41 91 Sqn......Griffon III/2,750 rpm.: 1,735 hp./1,000 ft.

MK.XII:......Last 15 A/C delivered in July August 1943...???..Griffon IV: 1,750 hp./?

Mk.VIII:......June 1943......No.145 Sqn.......Merlin 61 or 63

L.F.Mk.VIII:...Sep. 18, 1943.....No.145 Sqn....Merlin 66

H.F.Mk.VIII...????????????.......???????????.....Merlin 70

Mk.VII..........July 1943............No.145 Sqn.....Merlin 64/+18: 1,250 hp./T.O., 1,710 hp./8,500 ft., 1,450 hp./21,000 ft.

MK.VII.........?????????............???????????.....Merlin 71/+18 psi.: 1,250 hp./T.O., 1,655 hp./10,000 ft.

Mk.XIV........Jan. 8, 1944........No.610 Sqn.....Griffon 65/+18 psi: (2,050 hp. ?)

Mk.XIV........???????????.........No.610 Sqn.....Griffon 65/+21 psi: 2,220 hp./?ft.

Mk.XIV: Late 1944: 33 gallon fuel tank added in the rear fuselage to extend internal range.

Mk.21:.........April 10, 1945.....No.91 Sqn......Griffon 61/+? psi.: 2050 hp./8,000 ft., 1,780 hp./21,000 ft.


Any corrections or additions are greatly appreciated, Jeff.

 

[GregP]

Jeff,

You're amazing. Thanks. Now if I can work up the desire to throw it all in a spreadsheet ...

Tale care, - Greg

 

[CORSNING]

Hi GregP,

Thank you for the very kind words sir. There are a lot of gaps in my list. I am counting on those members here who have a much greater knowledge than I of the Spitfire to help fill those holes.

Jeff

 

[GregP]

Hi again Jeff,

PM me your email address again ... new PC. Maybe we can swap some files.

I have some and will share ... with some reservations. Some are too large for email and will have to be via CD / DVD in snail mail, but that's OK.

Best regards, - Greg

 

[Koopernic]

Jeff,

You're amazing. Thanks. Now if I can work up the desire to throw it all in a spreadsheet ...

Tale care, - Greg

Wouldn't it be a breakthrough if one could post tables and spreadsheets on a forum like this.

 

[GregP]

Yes.

Unfortunately the spreadsheet I have for WWII aircraft is 125+ Mb and probably won't post too well. Can't email it either with the email service I use.

For me, the real issue is getting performance at comparable altitudes. The metric performance charts aren't exactly taken at the same data points as the English-unit charts, and assuming a linear relations ship between points several or even 10,000 feet apart is not very accurate. Still, you can do a good one for any single aircraft. That makes comparisons a case of using 2 files or combining them into one.

As I stated above, my combined data are very LARGE relative to most internet speeds and allowed file sizes ... and I also have 20+ years of effort in them, making me reluctant to just make it publicly available. But swapping data with a few people who aren't trying to publish for profit it is OK by me.

In reality, I offered a database to this forum a coupe of times more than 5 years ago and to date have received no positive interest from anyone in a position to do anything about hosting it. Doesn't mean they aren't interested ... it means they can't figure out how to host an Excel file that is 125+ Mb in size in a practical manner on the website.

That's OK. It makes for more posts and more activity anyway.

Posting smaller spreadsheets is easy as you state above.

 

[wuzak]

You can, indeed, write tables to this forum.

test1	test2
test3	test4

It is just laborious (unless you can automate it with excel).

test1[/ td][td]test2[/ td] [/ tr] [tr] [td]test3[/ td][td]test4[/ td] [/ tr] [/ table] If you remove the space after / symbol, the table should work. Also, if you have the text lined up in a text editor, like notepad, using CODE will keep it lined up. In any case, I thought you could upload files.

 

[GregP]

I CAN upload files ... but not anything near 100+ Mb.

It's a matter of file size ... other than that, all is well.

 

[nuuumannn]

Hi Jeff, just a few notes as I've little time right now. The book you really need is Spitfire the History by Morgan and Shacklady. Probably the best reference on the Spit, although it takes some wading through to find what you are after.

K5054....First flight January 5, 1935..............Rolls Royce PV-XII V-12: 740 hp./12,000 ft./3,700 rpm.

Ahem, first flight was 5 March 1936.

You're missing the Spitfire XII, the first Griffon engined in service Spitfire; first flight 13 October 1942 powered by a 1,720 hp Griffon IIB, and 1,720 hp Griffon III and IV and 1,815 hp Griffon VI in service. The first prototype was in fact the very first Griffon engined Spitfire, the Mk.IV prototype DP845, which became the XII prototype. The XII entered service with 41 Squadron at High Ercall in February 1943.

I'm going to have to take a closer look at your list and compare with my books, when I have more time, I think.

 

[GregP]

Actually, it turns out you can't post an Excel file in here.

I asked our trusty Crew Chief and he is asking the owner if .xls and .xlsx files can be added to the acceptable types of files. At this time, it is still being talked about. If it comes about, then we could share some Excel files. Time will tell.

Cheers.

 

[nuuumannn]

You could print out a hard copy of the file, scan it and post it as an image.

 

[Denniss]

or attach it as zipped file

 

[wheelsup_cavu]

or attach it as zipped file

This ^^^^
The only reason it might not work is that even after creating a zip file the forum limits are below the size of the zip file you created.


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