A short history of the Spitfire
SPITFIRE v MESSERSCHMITT Bf109
The Spitfire along with its German counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf109, fought each other throughout the duration of the Second World War. Both aircraft were short range fighters, developed in the mid 1930’s, and both were monoplanes with a low cantilever wing and flush riveted stressed skin of monocoque construction. The Messerschmitt was easier to manufacture than the Spitfire. It had an uncomplicated structure, with less compound curves, so that more could be built in a shorter time. The Spitfire was advanced, but the manufacture of the elliptical wing initially caused a lot of problems, especially for the shadow companies set up to build them in component form.
V-12 ENGINES
Both the Messerschmitt Bf109, and the Spitfire prototype aircraft, first flew with V-12 Rolls-Royce engines. The Messerschmitt flew in late May 1935, with a Rolls-Royce Kestrel V, 21.2 litre (1294ci) engine, producing 695hp (518kW). This was fitted due to the new inverted V-12 Junkers Jumo 210 engine, being still under development at the time.
The Spitfire prototype flew nearly a year later on 5th March 1936, fitted with the new Rolls-Royce Merlin C, 990hp (738kW) engine. The German Luftwaffe and the Messerschmitt were tested in the Spanish Civil War (1936-38), and gained valuable experience of air fighting and tactics, supporting General Francisco Franco’s Nationalist cause. The Spitfire and Messerschmitt finally met in battle over the beaches of Dunkirk in June1940, although the British had access to the latest German fighter the month before, with an example that was captured when it landed behind French lines, in November 1939.
The Spitfire Mark Ia and the Messerschmitt Bf109E-3 were of similar performance, and where one gained an advantage in one respect, the other gained an advantage in another. Speed was similar, the Messerschmitt was slightly faster at altitudes up to 14,500ft (4,420m), whereas the Spitfire was faster above 20,000ft (6,096m). By now the Messerschmitt Bf109E-3 had been fitted with the more powerful Daimler Benz 601Aa engine, producing 1,175hp (876kW) at take off. This engine displaced 33.9 litres (2,069ci) and was 25% larger in capacity than the Spitfire Ia’s, 27 litre (1,648ci) Rolls-Royce Merlin, which produced 1,030hp (768kW) at take off.
It is interesting to note that the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine was never enlarged, by boring out the cylinders, or increasing the stroke on the crankshaft, but remained at 27litres (1,648ci) throughout the development of the two speed, single stage X and XX engines, and the two speed, two stage 60/70 and 266 series engines. The Daimler Benz and the Rolls-Royce Merlin engines were fitted with superchargers. In the Daimler, it was fitted to the port side of the engine.
It was indirectly driven off the crank, and fed with a fuel injection system. This had the advantage of slightly better fuel consumption, and a system that did not cut out under negative ‘g’ when the aircraft was put into a bunt. With the inverted engine and the side mounted supercharger, a cannon could also be mounted behind the engine. The muzzle could pass under the crankshaft, avoiding the pistons and connecting rods, through the reduction gear, propeller pitch control mechanism and out the centre of the spinner, with no need for interrupter gear.
Machine guns with interrupter gear, were mounted over the top of the engines crankcase. This enabled them to be fired through the propeller arc. The Merlin’s supercharger was mounted behind the engine. It worked directly off the crank, and was fed by a carburetor. Although the carburetor system cut out under negative ‘g’, it had the advantage of mixing the right amount of air to fuel mixture, at a lesser temperature, making it more dense and able to maintain more of the power from the engine.
The Spitfire Mark VIII with its Merlin 61 of 27litres (1,648ci), was the pinnacle of Rolls-Royce Merlin development, and had a top speed of 408mph (656.5k/h). This Spitfire was comparable to the Messerschmitt 109G-6, with its up-rated Daimler Benz 605AM of 44.5litres (2714.5ci), which had a top speed of 386mph (621k/h). This engine was 65% bigger in capacity over the Merlin, and was slower.
The Merlin had reached its maximum potential, and it was decided early on to focus on the Rolls-Royce larger capacity engine, the Griffon of 36.7litres (2,239ci), as it had more possibilities for development. This engine was developed from the Rolls-Royce ‘R’ engines, used in the S6 and S6B Schneider trophy winning seaplanes of the late 1920’s and early 1930’s. It was first used in the Spitfire Mark IV in 1942, in a two speed, single stage, supercharged configuration, which was the prototype for the limited production F Mark XII.
When the more numerically produced, two speed, two stage, Spitfire F Mark XIV entered service in 1944, it could fly at a maximum speed of 439mph (706k/h) and was a match for any German fighter. Two weeks before the end of the war in Europe, Messerschmitt introduced the 109K-14. This aircraft, with a two stage supercharged Daimler Benz 605L engine, was capable of over 450mph (724k/h). The British had just introduced the Spitfire Mark 21 into squadron service, that matched the new Messerschmitt for speed.
ARMARMENT
The Messerschmitt 109E-3, through its experiences in the Spanish Civil War, had a more advanced and effective armament. It was fitted with two MG17 7.9mm machine guns, with 1000 rounds per gun, on the top of the fuselage, and one 20mm Oerliken cannon, with 60 rounds per gun, in a drum in each of the wings. Either cannon’s and machine guns could be selected, or both fired at the same time. Although the 20mm Oerliken cannon’s fired at a slower rate, they were very effective, and caused a lot of damage when they hit any enemy aircraft.
The Spitfire was initially equipped with four Browning .303” (7.7mm) machine guns, with 350 rounds per gun in each wing. These were less effective on aircraft, with increased amounts of armour surrounding vulnerable areas, and would later be replaced with one 20mm Hispano cannon, with 60 rounds per gun, in a drum, and two .303” Browning machine guns, with 350 rounds per gun, in each wing.
The German’s continued to load their fighters down with extra weapons. Field conversion sets (Rustsatze), were introduced to convert the aircraft into different roles, from a fighter bomber with bomb racks under the fuselage, to an aircraft equipped with extra barbettes under the wings, containing heavy calibre cannons. The Spitfire F Mark 21 introduced a total of four 20mm cannon’s with the introduction of the redesigned and stronger wing in 1945, and this was carried on to the F Mark 24 and the Seafire FR47.
THE SPITFIRE’S NEMESIS
In 1941, after the Battle of Britain, missions were started by the RAF to try to engage the German Luftwaffe in the air over France. Fighters were used on their own, to stimulate some action on the part of the Germans, and entice them up to dogfight over France and the Low Countries. Reactions at first were slow, and fighters on their own did not produce the expected results.
The British then saw the problems the Germans had encountered during the Battle of Britain, if the defending aircraft did not want to come up and fight there was nothing the attacking force could do, and it was a waste of Allied resources and manpower. Bombers escorted by fighters, were used to force the Germans into the air, to defend their aerodromes and infrastructure from damage. Another lesson learnt by the German’s during the Battle of Britain, was any aircraft that was shot down over enemy territory, meant the pilot would be either dead or captured. This came to haunt the British, as many experienced pilots were lost over France. In mid 1941, the relatively new Spitfire Mark V was completely outclassed by a new German fighter that appeared by surprise over France. Stories came back with the Spitfire and Hurricane, pilots about an impressive radial engine fighter, capable of out performing the Spitfire in everything, but turning circle.
Everything was done to gain information on the new German aircraft, there was even a plan about a commando raid on a coastal German airbase to steal one. As the Spitfire Mark V was 20-35mph (32- 56k/h) slower at various altitudes to the new German fighter, later known as the Focke-Wulf Fw190, all the British could do was to minimise losses. This was achieved by flying at full throttle at the Spitfires optimum altitude, in areas of most danger.
The RAF were aware that the present Spitfire Mark V was going to be outclassed eventually, and plans had be set in place to design a faster Spitfire. The next Spitfire, the HF Mark VI, with the single stage, supercharger, and also the Spitfire F Mark VII with the Merlin 60 series, two stage, supercharged engine, were being developed as a high altitude fighters. The F Mark VIII was based on the F Mark VII, but was delayed due to a complete redesign and strengthening of internal structures, of the wing and fuselage.
The Spitfire F Mark XII was being developed with the Griffon engine, but it was still going to be Autumn 1942 before it would be introduced into service. The interim Spitfire F Mark IX, with the Merlin two speed, two stage 61 engine, was introduced in mid 1942. The F Mark IX was a converted re-engined Spitfire Mark V, without the extra internal strengthening of the later Mark VII or VIII. This makeshift variant was to become the most numerous mark of Spitfire produced, and equipped the majority of RAF squadrons in Britain.
The fully developed and stronger Spitfire F Mark VIII, when it was produced, was sent abroad to the Middle and Far East. This reversed the situation in previous years, when the aircraft sent to other theatres, were usually obsolete types that could be spared, as they were outclassed by the Luftwaffe aircraft over the channel front.
THE END OF THE SPITFIRE
Along with all piston engined fighters, the jet age was to finally overtake the Spitfire. Although temperamental and not fully developed, they were seen as the future of aviation. Both sides had built faster and more lethal piston engined fighters, but with more speed and up-rated armament, came the penalty of more weight with less manoeuvrability.
The Spitfire in the very later marks, had developed into a less nimble aircraft. It was more of a handful, and less of a delight to fly and throw around the skies. It was still produced after the war in 21, 22 and 24 variants, but the performance could not keep pace with the new jets being introduced into the RAF, which were over 100mph faster and more agile.
The last Spitfire was made in February 1948, with the last Seafire coming off the production lines in January 1949. In almost a reconciliation between the two fighters, the Messerschmitt’s airframe was produced until 1954, in the Spanish variant, the HA-1109M. It was mated to the Merlin 500-45 engine, a commercial aircraft version of the famous fighter engine used in most of the Spitfires.
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