Hi Guys,

Ray as usual did another teriffic job creating this lastest HiRes Spitfire model
for this community.
I'll be sending it over to Mike in the morning....

Cheers mates
David

hey, don't I still owe you a corrected wing view?

Yes you do!

Cockpit view of the E-Wing.
The cannons were in the correct position
but the 50 cal muzzles weren't

but you better wait until Earl passes

Hello,

very good, i realy missed this.

afaik all bubble canophy Spit 14īs had clipped wings, but i could be wrong.

Greetings,

Knegel

Nice job guys.

Hi Ralf,

You are correct there were many variations of the Griffon Spitfire
that were used in both the Pacific and European Theatres.
This MkXIVc Bubble Canopy was the prototype aircraft which became the MkXIVe.
I couldn't find any information about this Bubble Top reaching operational units.
It may not have.
However, I thought I'd make it available to the community members
who might like to fly an elipical C-winged Spitfire with a Bubble Canopy.

There was a MkXVIII Spitfire that was used in the Fighter/Recon configuration
ie: Eliptical Wing/Bubble Canopy but the elipical wing was an E-type with 20mm cannon
and 50cal weapons.....seems that 201 were produced but no information on where they were used.
It's possible that this was a Postwar variant.

Ray and I are now working on the MkXIVe Clipped Wing version with the Bubble Canopy
which should be made available next week....

Cheers mates
David

Hi Guys,

Ok,the version with the "C" wing had 4 x 0.303 Browning mounted in outboard pairs with red canvas patches over them as in this view. So far so good, however may be a matter of perspective but seems to me the nose spinner is far too big and pointy and the cannon barrels also look too long/big. The main problem however is the vertical tail. Most if not all Mk XII and XIV had the larger tail as fitted to late Mk VIII/IX to compensate for the longer and larger Griffon engine cowling, but those fitted with the bubble canopy and cut-down rear fuselage still suffered from a lack of longitudinal control so the vertical tail was enlarged again - pics attached.







I would respectfully suggest that you need to work on the tail shape a bit. As to the "E" wing there were no outboard mg with red patches but a rather stubby 0.50 muzzle with air cooled cowling to the inside of the Hispano cannon on each wing as per the pics. With regards to clipped wings certainly many if not all of the RF Mk XIVe had them and probably some of the standard F MkXIVe with the bubble canopy as well but I cannot say all of them with any certainty.

Hope that helps,

Cheers,

Peter

From the "readme"
The Mk XIV was the most important of the Griffon powered Spitfires,
and the only one to see significant wartime service.
It used the two-speed two-stage supercharged Griffon 61 or 65, giving 2,050 hp
and a significantly improved performance at higher altitudes
when compared to the earlier Griffon powered Mk XII.

The Mk XIV was based on the Mk VIII fuselage, already strengthened to cope with the Merlin 61 engine.
Early models used the 'C' type universal wing (four 20mm cannon or two 20mm cannon and four.303in machine guns),
while later production used the 'E' wing (two .50in machine guns instead of the .303s).

I think Ray and I got it close enough....

If you want a Spitfire with a pointy tail
you'll have to wait until we finish the MkXVI...

Cheers mates
David

Bang on Skylark,

A late FR MK XIVC with the outboard 0.303 mg and the cut down fuselage with the big tail! The ones with the "E" wing were similar but no outboard 0.303mg with red patches, the pointy stub outboard cannon fairing replaced by the actual cannon itself and the 0.50 mg where the original cannon was, but not like the US versions with just a thin barrel - they had a casing reminiscent of the Army Vickers MG so a lot thicker, more like the stub cannon mounting shown in this picture but with a squared off end. As to clipped wings I cannot say for certain - apparently most of the FR versions with the "bubble" canopy had them but not all as in your picture. As you say the "pointy tail" was on MK VII, late Mk VIII, Mk IX, and Mk XVI as well as the MK XII and some of the photo recce versions. I have no record on any of the "C" wing versions using the option of 4 cannon!

Cheers,

Peter

Have taken extensive pics of a highback MkXIV that is under restoration in Brisbane if anyone is interested.It still has all the mounting points for the outboard machine guns with spent case ports under wing and blast tubes.