Is Spitfire really the BEST British fighter???

[Chiron]

Is Spitfire really the de facto fighter Britian can offered against Germans'???
I heard Spitfire was unable to keep up the paste in against German new fighters such as much superior FW 190 and later the jet fighter????

By the way, I just found out that although Spitfire was one of the best planes in Europe, it proven itself ineffective against Zeros in Pacific theatre: Spitfire was faster but weak in dog fight'

[cheddar cheese]

The Spit could easily deal with the Fw-190 by about the Mk.VIII. It is also widely recognised that the Mk.XIV was the best dogfighter of the war...I havent heard of any combat reports with the 262's but if the P-47 could manage them im sure the Spitfire could. I would say it was easily Britains best fighter.

[mosquitoman]

The Tempest was right up there aswell, if not the best british fighter it was a very close second, has anybody got stats for a Tempest and a late model Spit? It's probably the only way we're going to tell

[cheddar cheese]

Sure thing, Ill have a look round...

[mosquitoman]

Manufacture Hawker
Model Tempest Mk V
Type Fighter-bomber
Power Plant 2,180 hp Napier Sabre IIA, B, or C
Performance

Maximum speed :: 18,500 ft :: 5,638.80 m 426 mph :: 685.58 km/hr
Maximum speed at sea level
Cruising speed
Maximum range 1,530 miles :: 2,462.30 km
Initial rate of climb
Time to 15,000 ft :: 4,572.00 m 5min 0sec
Service ceiling 36,500 ft :: 11,125.20 m
Weights

Empty 9,000lb :: 4,082.33 kg
Loaded 13,000 lb :: 5,896.70 kg
Dimensions

Wing span 41ft 0in :: 12.50 m
Length 33ft 8in :: 10.26 m
Height 16ft 1in :: 4.90 m
Wing area 302sq ft :: 28.06 sq m
Armament

Four 20mm Hispano Mk V cannon; provision for two 500lb or two 1,000lb bombs underwing
Max bomb load
Crew 1
Production

Tempest Mk V 800
Total production (Variants) 1,418

Here's the Tempest MkV

[cheddar cheese]

Technical data on the Supermarine Spitfire F.Mk XIV
Powerplant 1 × Rolls Royce Griffon 65 Vee, rated at 2050 hp (1528.25 kW) Role during war Air superiority Fighter
Fighter
Fighter-bomber
Night-Fighter
Reconnaissance Aircraft

Length 32 ft 8 inch Height 12 ft 7.75 inch
Empty weight unknown Operational weight 9000 lb typical,
10280 lb max
Wing Span 36 ft 10 inch Wing Aspect ratio 5.61
Wing Area 242 sq ft Service ceiling 44500 ft
Maximum speed 448 mph at 26000 ft Cruising speed 362 mph at 20000 ft
Initial climb rate Climb to 20,000 ft in 7 min 0 sec Range 460 miles typical,
850 miles max
Fuel capacity internal 110 Imp gal (132 US gal) Fuel capacity external Up to 45 Imp gal (54 US gal) in one 45 or 30 Imp gal (54 or 36 US gal) drop tank
Machine guns 4 × 0.303 inch Browning Mk II* fixed forward-firing in the wing leading edge, 300 rounds each, or alternatively
2 × 0.50 inch Browning M2; fixed forward-firing in the wing leading edges, 250 rounds each
Cannons 2 × 20 mm Hispano Mk II fixed forward-firing in the wing leading edge, 120 rounds each

Bomb load Up to 1,000 lb of disposable stores carried on three hardpoints, one under the fuselage rated at 500 lb, two under the wing rated at 250 lb each. General disposables load consisted of:
1 × 500 lb bomb, and/or
2 × 250 lb bombs
Torpedoes/rockets -
Crew 1 Naval or ground based Ground
First flight (prototype) 5 March 1936 Operational Service July 1938 - late 1950's
Manufacturer Supermarine Division of Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd. Number produced 20.351 total, 527 this version

Technical data on the Hawker Tempest F.Mk V Series 2
Powerplant 1 × Napier Sabre IIC H-type, rated at 2260 hp (1684.81 kW) Role during war Fighter
Fighter-bomber

Length 33 ft 8 inch Height 16 ft 1 inch
Empty weight 9250 lb Operational weight 13640 lb max
Wing Span 41 ft 0 inch Wing Aspect ratio 5.57
Wing Area 302 sq ft Service ceiling 36000 ft
Maximum speed 435 mph at 17000 ft Cruising speed 391 mph at 18800 ft
Initial climb rate 4,700 ft per min,
Climb to 20,000 ft in 6 min 6 sec Range 820 miles typical,
1300 miles max
Fuel capacity internal unknown Fuel capacity external 90 Imp gal (108 US gal) in 2 drop tanks
Machine guns - Cannons 4 × 20 mm Hispano V fixed forward-firing in the wing leading edges, 150 rounds each
Bomb load Up to 2,000 lb carried on 2 underwing hardpoints, rated at 1,000 lb each. General load out:
2 × 1,000 lb or 500 lb bombs Torpedoes/rockets 8 × 60 lb rockets in stead of bombs
Crew 1 Naval or ground based Ground
First flight (prototype) 2 September 1942 Operational Service Januari 1944 - 1953
Manufacturer Hawker Aircraft Co. Ltd. Number produced 1.418 total, 805 this version (Mk V)

Sorry its a bit messy, but you should be able to read it...

Ooops! Almost forgot the source: http://www.xs4all.nl/~fbonne/warbird...t.html#0-index

[mosquitoman]

I got mine from the database here

[cheddar cheese]

I dont really use the database here...its not terribly good We're hoping to expand it though...

[mosquitoman]

oh well, looking at your results it looks like the Tempest might win, what would be useful are rate of roll, turn, dive for the manouverability side of things

[cheddar cheese]

Im looking for stats on the Mk.22 at the moment...

[cheddar cheese]

Well I havent found any yet, but www.supermarine-spitfire.co.uk has a nice amount of stats and history on the plane.

[mosquitoman]

good website that

(300th post, finally)

[cheddar cheese]

Well done. Have a drink

[mosquitoman]

Not yet, when I get to 500 maybe

[P51ace 16]

Alright i think that the typhoon is a air superiority fighter in wwii