Which is the best Spitfire mark?

[Oskar the Pilot]

Hello everyone,

This is yet another of my major threads. I were wondering, what Spitfire mark do you either like the most or assume is better than the rest?
Basically, which is the best Spitfire mark? Personally, I think the XIX is quite cool, but my favourite for now would have to be the XIV. The winner of this may be my favourite plane. Explain your answers.

Happy voting!

 

[Crimea_River]

Most pilots who flew Spits believed the IX to be the best of all Marks.

 

[Thorlifter]

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/polls/best-spitfire-version-12659.html

 

[fastmongrel]

The best Spitfire was the one that was available. However if your asking favourite version then this is mine the PRXIX

 

[Readie]

Hard to choose...
Mine would have a Merlin. So I'll go for the glorious Mk9.
John

 

[fastmongrel]

Hard to choose...
Mine would have a Merlin. So I'll go for the glorious Mk9.
John

Except you voted for the XI damn those pesky Romans and there numerals

 

[Juha]

Hello
I have always problem to choose between Mk VIII and Mk XIV, but because one could not choose Mk VIII in the poll Thorlifter gave the link, I now voted for VIII, after all it was the Spitfire, or in fact a development from the Spit (Mk VII), which was designed for utilisation of 60-series Merlins, not a shotgun marriage between Mk V fuselage and 60-series Merlin like Mk IX. And it had extra fuel cells so it had longer range. But it flew like IX, maybe a few miles faster because of its retractable tailwheel.

Juha

 

[Airframes]

No such thing as 'The best Spitfire' - purely (if rather simplified) as it was a design which evolved with a need - there may, however, be a 'favourite' Spitfire, in ones personal choice.
And, of course, the 'best' aircraft to fit the need/role/mission at a particular time. This includes economics, operational effectiveness, and availability for a particular theatre/time period.
Arguably the best 'All Round' Mark, as a fighter, was the MkVIII, in performance, handling etc, etc .
BTW, from the MkXVIII onwards, the Roman numeral nomenclature was replaced by Arabic numerals. Thus, for example, the PR 19 was recorded as such, and not PRXIX.

 

[buffnut453]

MkI or MkII closely followed by the early PR variants.

Yes, I know they weren't the "best" of the breed but there's something about the early, non-cannon variants with Type A1 roundels on the fuselage, Type A roundels under the wings, and a goodly slathering of Dark Earth, Dark Green and Sky camo that just gets the pulse racing.

Then again I might be a tad biased....

 

[riacrato]

No such thing as 'The best Spitfire' - purely (if rather simplified) as it was a design which evolved with a need - there may, however, be a 'favourite' Spitfire, in ones personal choice.
And, of course, the 'best' aircraft to fit the need/role/mission at a particular time. This includes economics, operational effectiveness, and availability for a particular theatre/time period.
Arguably the best 'All Round' Mark, as a fighter, was the MkVIII, in performance, handling etc, etc .

Very true. Hence my vote goes to the Mk IX. It restored parity with the FW 190 and was never truely beaten by any mass produced Me 109 until very late in the war when newer fighters took over most of the workload. It also was economically more sensible than the Mk VIII. The second place would go to the Mk I, which also was relative to its opposition, very competetive.

 

[Readie]

Except you voted for the XI damn those pesky Romans and there numerals

Groan...I should have paid more attention in latin

John

 

[Oskar the Pilot]

Why are none of you voting for the XIV? It's amazing!

 

[marshall]

No such thing as 'The best Spitfire' - purely (if rather simplified) as it was a design which evolved with a need - there may, however, be a 'favourite' Spitfire, in ones personal choice.
And, of course, the 'best' aircraft to fit the need/role/mission at a particular time. This includes economics, operational effectiveness, and availability for a particular theatre/time period.
Arguably the best 'All Round' Mark, as a fighter, was the MkVIII, in performance, handling etc, etc .
BTW, from the MkXVIII onwards, the Roman numeral nomenclature was replaced by Arabic numerals. Thus, for example, the PR 19 was recorded as such, and not PRXIX.

While I agree with what Airframes wrote, I would like to ask if Mk XIV wouldn't be better than Mk VIII as "the best" all rounder?


And again in agreement that there is no best mark, I could pick the best looking one but all marks look great so I can't decide I like'm all.

To choose the favorite one I think I would have to fly all marks to check them maybe then I could say more...

 

[riacrato]

Doesn't the MkXIV have significantly less range than the MkVIII? It is a better interceptor, but a better all-rounder?

 

[buffnut453]

Groan...I should have paid more attention in latin

Centurion: What's this, then? "Romanes eunt domus"? People called Romanes, they go, the house?
Brian: It says, "Romans go home. "
Centurion: No it doesn't ! What's the latin for "Roman"? Come on, come on !
Brian: Er, "Romanus" !
Centurion: Vocative plural of "Romanus" is?
Brian: Er, er, "Romani" !
Centurion: [Writes "Romani" over Brian's graffiti] "Eunt"? What is "eunt"? Conjugate the verb, "to go" !
Brian: Er, "Ire". Er, "eo", "is", "it", "imus", "itis", "eunt".
Centurion: So, "eunt" is...?
Brian: Third person plural present indicative, "they go".
Centurion: But, "Romans, go home" is an order. So you must use...?
[He twists Brian's ear]
Brian: Aaagh ! The imperative !
Centurion: Which is...?
Brian: Aaaagh ! Er, er, "i" !
Centurion: How many Romans?
Brian: Aaaaagh ! Plural, plural, er, "ite" !
Centurion: [Writes "ite"] "Domus"? Nominative? "Go home" is motion towards, isn't it?
Brian: Dative !
[the Centurion holds a sword to his throat]
Brian: Aaagh ! Not the dative, not the dative ! Er, er, accusative, "Domum" !
Centurion: But "Domus" takes the locative, which is...?
Brian: Er, "Domum" !
Centurion: [Writes "Domum"] Understand? Now, write it out a hundred times.
Brian: Yes sir. Thank you, sir. Hail Caesar, sir.
Centurion: Hail Caesar ! And if it's not done by sunrise, I'll cut your balls off.

 

[nuuumannn]

LFXVIe; A rose by any other name.

 

[DarrenW]

If we are talking purely aesthetics then it would have to be the Mark II. To my eyes no other aircraft comes close to it's grace and beauty.

 

[Deleted member 68059]

Just to be awkward I'd want a Mk III, just because I think it was such a shame it was canned and replaced with the stopgap V. Which I regard as being a retrograde step, even if they felt they had to rush it in. A mk IV would also have been great. I think most of the best Spitfires were all cancelled!

 

[CORSNING]

Which is the best Spitfire mark?
The one that just shot the Bf 109 off of my tail. Every 'Best' question needs
to be qualified, when and where.
1. The Mk.I because it was there first.
2. The Mk.II because it was there with the improvements needed.
3. The Mk.V because it more than just became a stopgap and gave hope.
4. The Mk.IX because it gave the Allies the only actual true equal balance in 1942.
5. The Mk.VIII because it took that balance that the IX gave and improved on it
in spades making it useful in the Pacific.
6. The Mk.XII because it had the low performance when needed.
7. The Mk.XIV because its speed allowed it to more than just compete, it set the
Standard. It lost some of the magnificent handling attributes of the Mk.V / IX but its
performance allowed it to set the standard that all other fighter aircraft would be
judge by. Much like comparing the handling of the P-40 against the P-51 Merlins.

Jeff

 

[wuzak]

Just to be awkward I'd want a Mk III, just because I think it was such a shame it was canned and replaced with the stopgap V. Which I regard as being a retrograde step, even if they felt they had to rush it in. A mk IV would also have been great. I think most of the best Spitfires were all cancelled!

Now, is that the Mk IV that became the XX and led to the XII?

Or the Mk I PR Type D, which was redesignated as the PR Mk IV?

For mine, the best looking Spitfire was the XII, followed by the XIX and XIV. The most capable Spitfire was the XIV, but it won't do you much good in 1940.