Nicknamed
‘Spit’ or ‘Spitty’
Manufacturer
Supermarine Aviation Works (a subsidiary of Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd)
Designed by
R. J. Mitchell (1935)
Role
Fighter / Interceptor
Engine
1 x Rolls-Royce Merlin 66
liquid-cooled V-12 piston engine
Engine Power
Takeoff power: 985 kW (1,320 hp) at 3,000 revs
1,283 kW (1,720 hp) at 1,765 m (5,790 ft) using +18 psi boost (124 kPa gauge; or an absolute pressure of 225 kPa or 2.2 atm) maximum 5 minutes
Max level speed
Max speed, 657 km/h (408 mph) at 7,620 m (25,000ft)
Cruising speed
521 km/h (324 mph) at 6,096 m (20,000 ft)
Climb rate
Initial: 16.24 m/s (3,197 feet/min)
At sea level: 21.5 m/s (4,232 feet/min)
At 3,000 m (9,843 feet): 18.6 m/s (3,661 feet/min)
At 6,000 m (1,9685 feet): 15.5 m/s (3,051 feet/min)
Time to altitude
6,096 m (20,000 ft) in 6.4 mins
Service Ceiling
12,954 m (42,500 ft)
Range
400 km (248 mi) on internal fuel
Empty Weight
2,309 kg (5,090 lbs)
Max. Takeoff Weight
3,354 kg (7,400 lbs)
Wing Span
9.9 m (32 ft 6 in)
Wing Area
21.46 m² (231 ft²)
Length
9.47 m (31 ft 1 in)
Height
3.86 m (12 ft 8 in)
Armament
2 × 20 mm Hispano II cannon wing-mounted, firing 120 rounds per gun with velocity of 840–880 m/s (2,800–2,900 ft/s)
AND 2 × 0.50 in Browning M2 machine guns wing-mounted, firing 250 rounds per gun with velocity of 810 metres per sec (2,660 ft/sec)
2 x 250 lb bombs under wings external load (total 1,000 lb)
centreline rack for 500 lb bomb OR drop tank
Data for version
Spitfire Mk. IXe
First combat mission
6 October 1939 - at the start of the 'Phoney War'
Final delivery (all variants)
February 1948
Production Variants
Mk.I, Mk.II, Mk.III, Mk.IV, Mk.V, Mk.VI, Mk.VII, Mk.VIII, Mk.IX, Mk.X, Mk.XI, Mk.XII, Mk.XIII, Mk.XIV, Mk.XVI, Mk.XVII, XIX, Mk.XX, Mk.21, Mk.22, Mk.24
PR Mk.IV, Mk.X, Mk.XI, Mk.XIII, Mk.XIX - Unarmed Photo-Reconnaissance (PR) Models with Merlin 61, 63, 63A or 70 (high-altitude) engines
Seafire Mk.IB, Mk.IIC, Mk.III, Mk.XV, Mk.XVII, Mk.45, Mk.46, Mk.47 - Naval versions of the Spitfire
