[canonuk]

Here's some questions for any resident Spitfire experts.

In game there are 4 versions of the Vb. There's the regular Vb, the Vb with clipped wings, the Vb L.F and the Vb L.F with clipped wings. I thought the L.F. part denoted clipped wings, so why aren't there just two variants?

Secondly, I notice there's no Vb with a trop filter, and no Vc without one. So, my question is, is the Vc with trop a good stand-in for a Vb trop, and is the Vb a good stand-in for the Vc without a trop?

Hope the questions are clear!

Cheers

Joe

[dorkfish]

From what I have read in the past...L.F. simply means low altitude variant. This was different RR engine.. (and maybe other things?) But there are L.F.s that do have rounded wings. So the L.F. does not mean clipped wing variant.

Edit to add a backup source: They seem reliable.

The Mk V saw the first appearance of the F (fighter) and LF (Low level Fighter) designations. LF Mk Vs used modified Merlin 45M, 50M and 55M engines that produced their best power at lower altitudes. With the appearance of the LF Mk V, the standard Mk V became the F. Mk V. The LF Mk V could reach 355 mph at 5,900 feet, making it as quick as the Fw 190 and faster than the Bf 109G. The Mk V also saw the introduction of drop tanks to carry extra fuel, initially a 30 gallon model and later a 80 gallon version. It was also the first Spitfire to be adapted to carry bombs.

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/we ... e_mkV.html

[Radoye]

Yeah, the LF, F and HF denote engine type. LF being optimised to low level performance, HF for high altitude.

Some LF birds have then received clipped wings - it was found that this improved roll rate yet since they were low level machines they did not go high enough anyway to suffer from decrease in wing area. Similarly, some HF birds received wingtip extensions.

Mark VB and VC are identical in all respects save for the wing. the B has the old style wing that can mount only one weapon configuration, while the C has the "universal" wing that can be fitted with either 8x.303 (like A) or 4x.303 2x20mm (like B) or 4x20mm (unique to C). Further developments included the D-wing (40mm cannon - only experimentally fitted on a Spitfire) and E-wing (which as you know combined the 20's and .50cal).

There was no performance difference between planes that used B or C wing given that they both have the same (B-type) weapons combo mounted. The C-wing carries a bit more ammo though.

So using the 2x20 4x.303 Spitfire VC as a substitute for a VB should work quite well.

[FENRIR]

Hi Jo,

The others are right, LF denotes a Merlin 50 series engine with a cropped impeller on the supercharger to produce more oomph at low alts. it was introduced in an effort to make the MkV a bit more competitive to the Fw190A after the rather pronounced drubbing that the Channel Jagdgeschwaders were inflicting on the RAF with their new Butcher Birds. As such they tended to appear from late 1942.

The MkVc differs from the Vb crucially in the wing type - the c wing was stronger and carries 120 rounds for the 20mm cannon to the b's 60. Also details like the armoured glass being mounted inside the windscreen on the c, rather than stuck on as an afterthought as on the b, plus other detail cleanings up might make subtle differences to the performance of each type. But as it goes I'd use a Vc (trop) with 2 cannons happily in place of a b.

Thats an idea for a new mod tho... have an armament option of the Vc for only 60 rounds per Hispano.... hmmm.

There are issues with the in game variants. Some claim the 1941 Spit Vb climbs too fast and has too high a boost rating for Spits of that year; I can't comment as boost ratings for Spits were subject to continual change and development and so far I've not come across any hard and fast figures, but given the discrepancies that have occurred before with Olegs modelling of sub-variants it would not surprise me.

Hope this helps old bean.

Oh and keep up the good work... :wink: Hope the family is well.

Tom