Introduced in to RAF service in 1938 and finally withdrawn in 1952, the Spitfire is one of the most famous of WW2 fighters although it must be said that the Hawker Hurricane made a far larger contribution in the wining of the 'Battle of Britain'. In the 14 years the Supermarine Spitfire served with the RAF, over 20 variants saw service. Approximately 50 Supermarine Spitfires still remain in airworthy condition, half of these in the UK, and many others survive static displays in museums.
When Supermarine designed the Spitfire Mk V they returned back to a Mk I Spitfire airframe and installed a Merlin 45 engine that was rated at 1,470 hp @ 9,250 ft. The small 'b' in Spitfire Vb refers to the wings and their gun arrangement - one 20mm cannon and two .303" machine guns in each wing for the 'b' type wing.
Supermarine Spitfire mkVb Specifications:
Wing Span: 36ft 10in (11.23 m)
Length: 29ft 11in (9.11 m)
Height: 11ft 5in (3.48 m)
Engine: Rolls Royce Merlin 45 1470hp
Weight: 6,785 lbs. (3,078kg) loaded
Maximum Speed: 374 mph. (602km/h) at 13,000 ft (3960m)
Service Ceiling: 37,000 ft. (11,280m)
Range: 470 miles (756km)
Armament:
2x20mm Hispano cannons
4x .303 Vickers machine guns
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Supermarine Spitfire Vb WW2 Fighter Picture and Information
