What were the Spitfires weaknesses?
Spitfire: Poor energy retention. Poor high altitude performance. The Mosquito reached 408 mph in level flight, which was faster than the operational version of the Spitfire at the time, whose top speed was 370 mph. After this demonstration flight, the airplane almost failed its acceptance for the Royal Air Force.The Spitfire handles well, is light on the controls, faultless in the turn and has a performance approaching that of the Me 109. As a fighting aircraft, however, it is miserable,’ Major Werner Mölders, JG 51, Luftwaffe.They soon discovered that the Spitfire was a very capable aircraft, but not perfect. The rudder was oversensitive, and the top speed was just 330 mph (528 km/h), little faster than Sydney Camm’s new Merlin-powered Hurricane.
What was the most powerful Spitfire engine?
Rated at 2,050 hp (1,530 kW), the 12-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled Griffon 61 engine had a two-stage supercharger, giving the Spitfire the exceptional performance at high altitude that had been sometimes lacking in early models. The Spitfire XVI was the last major version of the Spitfire to be powered by the Rolls-Royce Merlin before introduction of the RR Griffon powered variants. Externally similar to the Mk. IX, it was powered by the US licence-built Packard Merlin 266 and was flown with both normal and clipped wings.
What did the Germans think of the Spitfire?
The Spitfire’s Perception For the Germans, it seems, it was more acceptable to have been shot down by the RAF’s Spitfire, rather than any other aircraft. Later, in 1944, the same thinking applied for the Allies in Normandy. I don’t think the Germans feared Spitfires. They did respect them, along with Hawker Hurricanes that flew with them. The only drawback to early Spitfires were there machines rifled for a 303 cartridge. Pilots would complain emptying there magazines on a single plane, because of the lack of penetration power of the 303.What did American pilots think of the British Spitfire when they encountered it for the first time in WWII? They loved it. Light, lavish, agile, it could hold its own with the Bf 109, it was a 1300 hp dream after the 600 hp T-6 trainer. They initially had a hard time giving it up for the huge American P-38s and P-47s.
Did American pilots like the Spitfire?
What did American pilots think of the British Spitfire when they encountered it for the first time in WWII? They loved it. Light, lavish, agile, it could hold its own with the Bf 109, it was a 1300 hp dream after the 600 hp T-6 trainer. They initially had a hard time giving it up for the huge American P-38s and P-47s. The average life expectancy of a Spitfire pilot during the Battle of Britain was just four weeks.