Favorite Spitfire?

[HawkerTempest5]

The oddest looking Spit was the high-altitude interceptor MkVII with its pointed rather than eliptical wings.

Mark

I never liked that high altitude wing. After D-DAy most UK based MkVII's got repainted in standard camo and took on a medium altitude roll. Some had those wingtips changed.
As for oddest looking, what about that Floatplane?

[Hagar]

I never liked that high altitude wing. After D-DAy most UK based MkVII's got repainted in standard camo and took on a medium altitude roll. Some had those wingtips changed.

This & other common variations like different wing setups could be changed "in the field" & often was. I believe this makes it extremely difficult to track down the exact designation of some Spitfires.

As for oddest looking, what about that Floatplane?

The one variant Alex Henshaw never flew. He was too busy at the time to take up the offer & lost his opportunity to try it out.

As for oddest looking, how about the slip-wing version Felix mentioned? I've seen it on a Hurricane but never on a Spit.

[Professor Brensec]

I've just seen this and thought I'd get it up and running again.
I don't get into this forum much as I'm not that knowledgable on any specific plane to be of much use, but I am getting there on some.

I have just seen this at a site that I've visited many times for it's RAAF content.

Spitfires began arriving in Australia from August 1942, the first of over 650 to be dismantled, crated and shipped over 12,000 miles from the UK to the 'other side of the world'. Only two Spitfire Marks were operated by the RAAF, the Mk V and VIII. Almost 250 Spitfires Mk Vc's, were delivered up until October 1943 when the first of the Mk VIII's arrived, considered by many to be the most aesthetically pleasing of all the Spitfire variants. RAAF Spitfires saw action with the RAAF in the Northern Territory, New Guinea,  Moluccas Islands and Borneo.

The part about the MkVIII being "considered by many to be the most aesthetically pleasing of all the Spitfire variants" is particularly pertinent to this topic. I don't see the Mk VIII mentioned here (I may have missed it), but it was the most common (400 out of 650) used by the RAAF (I just found this out thanks to Felix, in another topic).

I especially like this 'vintage' of Spit (form the Mk1 to the IX) as I don't like the bubble canopy either. I'm led to beleive that the RAAF Spits also had two .50 cal guns on each wing as opposed to the standard .30's on most British planes. This I think would have made a substantial difference to the 'hitting power' of the RAAF MkVIII.

[HawkerTempest5]

I've just seen this and thought I'd get it up and running again.
I don't get into this forum much as I'm not that knowledgable on any specific plane to be of much use, but I am getting there on some.

The part about the MkVIII being "considered by many to be the most aesthetically pleasing of all the Spitfire variants" is particularly pertinent to this topic. I don't see the Mk VIII mentioned here (I may have missed it), but it was the most common (400 out of 650) used by the RAAF (I just found this out thanks to Felix, in another topic).

I especially like this 'vintage' of Spit (form the Mk1 to the IX) as I don't like the bubble canopy either. I'm led to beleive that the RAAF Spits also had two .50 cal guns on each wing as opposed to the standard .30's on most British planes. This I think would have made a substantial difference to the 'hitting power' of the RAAF MkVIII.

Some pilots considered the MkVIII to be the nicest of all Spits to fly also. It had a fully retractable tail wheel and I think this added to it's looks and I understand about 5 mph in top speed.
Most MkVIII's served outside the UK, many in Italy and in the Pacific theater.
As for the "E" wing with two .50's replacing the 4 .30 cals, I can't say I've come across this loadout being fitted to the MkVIII as most had the "C" wing with 2x 20mm and 4 x .30 cal. Many MkIX's/XVI's and XIV's had "E" wings so I imagine it would have found its way onto the MkVIII but I think it more likely that this was an in the field modification.

[paulb]

My favourite is a XIV - just love the power!  ;D    But I also like that IX and XVI  :D The XIX is nice as well...  And the I and II have a special place  ;)

OK.......I'll stop now.

Cheers Paul

[Felix/FFDS]

[quote]My favourite is a XIV - just love the power!

[paulb]

Hey Felix

You've got me into a bit of a corner here  :(

Cheers Paul    ;)

[Felix/FFDS]

[quote]Hey Felix

You've got me into a bit of a corner here

[paulb]

Well you have got me now Felix. I have never heard of a Seafire Mk35.......... Tell me more  :)

Cheers Paul

[Felix/FFDS]

[quote]Well you have got me now Felix. I have never heard of a Seafire Mk35.......... Tell me more

[paulb]

Hi Felix

OK, I am with you now, my friend.  

Yes, I believe that the F45 was a navalised version of the Spitfire F.21 yet it never performed as well as the F.21 from which it was developed.

Cheers Paul

[Felix/FFDS]

[quote]Hi Felix

OK, I am with you now, my friend.

[Mr.Mugel]

I like the Mk V most, too. it

[xFLAMESx]

Mk XXII - I actually prefer the Mk XXI but that's not there
Mk V a close second, with the Mk XVI in third.

Thanx. Carl

[Woodlouse2002]

Am I the only one who likes the MkI best?