Warplane Parade: Spitfire V

Pilots!

The Warplane Parade continues! And this week, it's the Royal Air Force's own Supermarine Spitfire V that's on parade! Read about the history and performance of this fighter and don't forget to participate in our contests for the chance to win Gold!

History

The Spitfire Mk V came into service during 1941, replacing the Mk I and II just as Britain began its counterattacks against Axis forces over France. It would become the most widely-produced version of the Spitfire, and remain the RAF's primary fighter until 1942.

Initially, the Spitfire Mk I and II were meant to be replaced by the Mk III, a redesign built around the Rolls-Royce Merlin XX engine, the two-speed supercharges of which allowed for better performance at altitude than earlier versions. However, supply for the engine could not meet demand, and it was decided that the limited Merlin XX engines would be allocated to the Hurricane IIs. Because of this, Mk Vs went into production, using the more available Merlin 45.

The Spitfire V was a great all-around fighter with decent firepower, with later variants allowing for further combinations of machinguns and 20mm cannons. The Spitfire V was able to employ boom-and-zoom tactics against Japanese Zeros, and turn-and-burn tactics against German Bf 109 Fs." Later variants of the Mk V would allow for further combinations of machine guns / 20mm cannons, but by the time the German Fw 190s appeared, the Spitfire V was simply outclassed.

In-Game Performance

The Spitfire has great maneuverability compared to other tier VI fighters, particularly against German and American planes. It has a higher optimum altitude than its predecessor, the tier V Spitfire I, and its rate of climb allows it to perform boom-and-zoom ( BnZ ) tactics against Japanese and even Soviet planes. However, always be mindful of your energy when using BnZ tactics, as finding yourself without energy in a Spitfire V is not a good situation to be in!

The Spitfire V’s firepower is lower on the spectrum for a tier VI. Its armament of wing-mounted eight .303 MGs or four .303 MGs and two 20mm autocannons were inherited from the Spitfire I, but its weapons deal consistent damage without overheating—a common issue with the heavier weaponry on other tier VI planes.

Contests

High Ceiling

The Spitfire V's climb performance was the key to victory in its engagements against Luftwaffe fighters. The player who destroys the most planes over the course of the week while flying the Spitfire V will be awarded 2,000! The number of planes destroyed will be calculated from Monday, July 14 to Friday, July 18 at 23:59 PDT.

Supply and Demand

Due to the short supply of Merlin XX engines, the Mk III's production was put off in favor of the Mk V. We want to see how much XP you can 'supply' this week, with the top XP earner between Monday, July 14 and 23:59 PDT Friday, July 18 earning 2,000!

Creative Contests

Want more chances to win prizes? Check out the Make a RAF Spitfire V contest!