Supermarine Spitfire Variants
Air Ministry issued specification F.37/34 Type 300.
The prototype Spitfire (K5054) was flown unpainted by chief test pilot 'Mutt' Summers at Eastleigh airfield (now Southampton airport) on March 5th 1936.
Supermarine Spitfire
Manufacturer: Supermarine Aviation Works
Prototype Spitfire Serial Number: K5054
First Flight: 5th March 1936.
Last Flight: On the 4th September 1939 K5054 crashed and was written-off.
On the 4th September 1939 an awkward landing at the hands of Flt. Lt. Gilbert Stanbridge "Spinner" White, led to the machine tipping over nose-first onto its back. The fuselage broke up and White suffered fatal injuries. Parts of the wreck were later used for reconnaissance camera installation trials, but K5054 was never rebuilt.
On the 3rd June 1936 The Air Ministry ordered 310 Spitfires.
The operational history of the Spitfire with the RAF started with the first Mk Is.
Due production delays the first Royal Air Force (RAF) unit, No. 19 Squadron at RAF Duxford Cambridgshire, did not start receiving Spitfire Mk Is until the 4th August 1938. Production was slow to build up with only 49 Spitfires had been recived by the 1st January 1939. By the 3rd September 1939 a total of 306 Spitfire Mk Is had been delivered to the RAF.
Spitfire I:
The initial production contract (No. B527113/36) for 310 aircraft covered the first batch, which included serials running from K9787 to K9942.
Original production model with 1,030-hp Merlin II engine, 8 Browning 0.303-in guns. In early 1940 the Mk. IB was delivered which had superior armamentof two 20-mm cannons and four 0.303-in machine guns.
Total aircraft 1,566. 1,567
Mk. Ia 1,537
Mk. Ib 30
Built By Supermarine, Westland.
Batch 1 Serial Numbers: K9787 to K9942.
First Production Aircraft, Serial Numbers: K9787 (Constructor's Number 39), which first flew in May 1938 and was delivered to No. 19 Squadron at Duxford.
Serial Numbers: K9942
Spitfire II: Castle Bromwich aircraft with small changes and 1,175-hp Merlin XII engine.
Total aircraft 920 921
Mk. IIA 750 751
Mk. IIB 170
Built By Supermarine, Castle Bromwich.
Serial Numbers:
P7280 [First Spitfire built at Castle Bromwich 06/1940]
Spitfire III: Experimental prototype with 1,280-hp Merlin XX RM2SM engine.
Total aircraft 1.
Mk. III 1 2
Serial Number:
1. N3297 [Converted from Mk I Serial number.
2. W3237 [Converted from Mk VSerial number.
Spitfire IV: Griffon engined prototype.
Griffon IIB engine.
Total Aircraft
Mk. IV
Serial Number: DP845
Spitfire V Mk. Va/Vb/Vc
Strengthened fuselage for 1,440-hp Merlin 45 or 1,470-hp Merlin 50, drop tank and bomb provisions, A (8 machine guns), B (2 cannon & 4 machine guns), or C (4 cannons) armament.
Total aircraft 94 VA, 3,923 VB, and 2,447 VC.
Mk. Va 94
Mk. Vb
Mk. VC
Built By Supermarine, Castle Bromwich.
Spitfire Mk. Va
Serial Numbers:
Spitfire Mk. Vb
Serial Numbers:
P8532 [First Mk. V 06/1940]
Spitfire Mk. Vc
Serial Numbers:
Spitfire VI
High altitude intercepter with 1,415-hp Merlin 47, pressurized cockpit and pointed wings,
Total aircraft 100.
Built By Supermarine
Serial Numbers:
AB136 [First Mk. VI 12/1941].
Spitfire VII: High altitude intercepter with 2 stage Merlin 61, 64 or 71, pressurized cockpit, retractable tailwheel, often broad pointed rudder, Total aircraft 140.
Spitfire VIII: Definitive fighter with 2 stage Merlin 61, 63, 66, or 70, unpressurized, Total aircraft 1,658.
Spitfire IX: Temporary stop-gap, marriage of 2 stage Merlin 61, 63, 66, or 70 with Mk.V airframe, B, C, or E (2 cannons & 2 0.5-in machine guns) armament, Total aircraft 5,665.
Spitfire X: Pressurized version of PR.XI, Merlin 77, Total aircraft 16.
Spitfire XI: Unarmed reconnaissance aircraft, Merlin 61, 63, or 70, Total aircraft 471.
Spitfire XII F Mk XII
Low level intercepter, single stage Griffon II or IV of 1,735-hp, B armament,
Total aircraft 100.
Built By Supermarine
Serial Numbers:
[1942]
Spitfire XIII
Low level PR aircraft based on Mk.V but with Merlin 32 (3 blade prop), Four 0.303-in machine guns only.
Total aircraft 18.
Built By Supermarine
Serial Numbers:
Spitfire XIV: F Mk XIV, FR Mk XIV
Two stage Griffon 65 or 66 of 2.050-hp driving 5 blade propeller and redesigned & strengthened airframe with symmetric deep radiators, broad tail, and often teardrop canopy, C or E armament.
Total aircraft 957
Built By Supermarine
Serial Numbers:
RB142 [1943]
Spitfire XVI
Mk.IX with Packard Merlin 266, usually C or E armament, many with teardrop canopy.
Total aircraft 1,054.
Built By Supermarine
Serial Numbers:
Spitfire XVIII F Mk XVIII
Definitive fighter with 2 stage Griffon, E armament, teardrop canopy, extra wing fuel, FR.XVIII (postwar FR.18) with rear fuselage reconnaissance camera.
Total aircraft 300.
Built By Supermarine
Serial Numbers:
Spitfire XIX PR Mk XIX
Unarmed PR version, 2 stage Griffon, most pressurized.
Total aircraft 225.
Built By Supermarine
Serial Numbers: 1-22
SW777 [The Prototype Type 389 PR.XIX]
The first 22 aircraft had Griffon 65 Engines (Serials RM626 to RM647).
1.RM626 [1944]
Spitfire PR.XIXs
Serial Numbers: 23 to 225
PM651/7758M
PM631
PM6
PS853 / [G-RRGN] Rolls -Royce.
PS915
---------------------------------------
PM549, PM577 and PM652. At a later stage three other PR.XIXs served the Flight: PS915, PM631 and PS853
PS853 (G-RRGN) is owned by Rolls Royce and is also airworthy.
Spitfire XX
Prototype rebuilt from Mk.IV and prototype Mk.XII.
Total aircraft 225.
Built By Supermarine
Serial Numbers:
Spitfire 21 F Mk 21
Redesigned airframe, mainly Griffon 61 or 64 driving five bladed propeller, Four 20-mm guns.
Total aircraft 122.
Built By Supermarine, Castle Bromwich.
Serial Numbers:
LA187 [1944]
Spitfire 22 F Mk 22
Minor changes, some with 2,375-hp Griffon 85, and contraprop.
Total aircraft 278.
Built By Supermarine, Castle Bromwich.
Serial Numbers:
Spitfire 24 F Mk 24
Minor changes, Spiteful tail, short barrel Mk.V cannon,
Total aircraft 54.
Built By Supermarine
Serial Numbers:
Seafire
Seafire IB: Navalized Spitfire VB Total aircraft 166.
Seafire IIC: Catapult hooks and strengthened landing gear, Merlin 32 engine driving four blade propeller, Total aircraft 372.
Seafire III: Double folding wing, 1,585-hp Merlin 55M engine, Total aircraft 1,220.
Seafire XV: Single stage 1,850-hp Griffon VI and asymmetric radiators as Spitfire XII, Most with sting hook, Late production teardrop canopy, Total aircraft 390.
Seafire XVII or 17: As Seafire XV with teardrop canopy, often strengthened landing gear, Some (FR.17) with camera in place of rear tank, Total aircraft 232.
Seafire 45: Same new airframe as Spitfire 21, Non folding wing, Griffon 61 (5 blade prop), or 85 (contraprop), Total aircraft 50.
Seafire 46: As Seafire 45, teardrop canopy, FR.46 with rear fuselage camera, Late production Spiteful tail, Total aircraft 24.
Seafire 47: Folding wing (most hydraulic), 2,375-hp Griffon 87 or 88 with contraprop and carburettor air inlet just below spinner, Increased fuel, Late production all FR type with camera, Total aircraft 140.
The Spitfire / Seafire Engines
The Rolls-Royce Merlin Engine
The Rolls-Royce Merlin is a British liquid-cooled V-12 piston aero engine of 27-litre (1,650 cu in) capacity. Rolls-Royce designed the engine and first ran it in 1933 as a private venture. Initially known as the PV-12, it was later called Merlin following the company convention of naming its four-stroke piston aero engines after birds of prey.
The Merlin continued to benefit from a series of rapidly-applied developments, derived from experiences in use since 1936. These markedly improved the engine's performance and durability. Starting at 1,000 horsepower (750 kW) for the first production models, most late war versions produced just under 1,800 horsepower (1,300 kW), and the very latest version as used in the de Havilland Hornet over 2,000 horsepower (1,500 kW).
The Packard V-1650 was a version of the Merlin built in the United States. Production ceased in 1950 after a total of almost 150,000 engines had been delivered.
The Rolls-Royce Griffon Engine
The Rolls-Royce Griffon is a British 37-litre (2,240 cu in) capacity, 60-degree V-12, liquid-cooled aero engine designed and built by Rolls-Royce Limited. In keeping with company convention, the Griffon was named after a bird of prey.
In 1939 it was also decided that the engine could be adapted for use in the Spitfire. Development was stopped temporarily to concentrate efforts on the smaller Merlin and the 24-cylinder Vulture; the engine did not go into production until the early 1940s.
Griffon IIB, VI, 65