Supermarine Spitfire MkV & MkIX seaplane conversion.
Hi. I recently found an interesting material on Supermarine Spitfire seaplane conversion, and I wonder if it would be possible to have one of these planes in the game ? This would be a great addition.
Having been originally developed from the Supermarine S6B it is perhaps natural that the Spitfire should be developed for use on water.
The first Spitfire floatplane was a conversion of a Mark I, the so called "Narvik Nightmare" R6722 which was produced at the time of the German invasion of Norway where there emerged a requirement for a fighter capable of flying from the Fjords in view of the lack of suitable airfields in the country.
In the interests of speed, floats from a Blackburn Roc were fitted but the trials were not successful and as the campaign for which the conversion was required was rapidly drawing to a close the project was suspended.
The idea was revived again with the beginning of the war in the Pacific against Japan when it was realized that a floatplane fighter with good performance would be an essential asset in the island campaigns which seemed likely.
Folland Aircraft undertook the conversion of a Spitfire Mk Vb, W3760, with Supermarine designed floats and this aircraft proved an immediate success with a top speed of 324 mph. In this aircraft the carburetor air intake was extended to avoid spray, a shorter four blade propeller was fitted, cantilever pylons attached the floats to the inboard wing sections, a ventral fin replaced the tail wheel and the fin was extended slightly forward to increase the vertical tail surface area.
Mark V conversion (Original Fin)
Folland built several sets of floats and converted another two Mark V aircraft, EP751 and EP754. These together with W3760 were shipped to Egypt in 1943 and assembled with the intention of covertly operating them out of small Greek islands to intercept German transport aircraft. (Note original fin and added sub fin.)
Spitfire Mk VB
Spitfire Floatplane MkIX - MJ892 (Note fin change)
The MK.IX floatplane did not go into service, there was only one built. It was intended to be used in the Far East T.O.W. and only some 30 kts. slower than the land based counterpart, but plans did not realise.
Paint scheme was standard, but like every prototype and experimental aircraft it had the undersides painted in trainer yellow. Serial was MJ892. I do not know when the alternating "A" and "B" paint schemes were discarded, but if still in use it had to have a "B" paint scheme.
The MK.IX had a wider chord fin and the usual differences between the MK. V and MK.IX, otherwise it looked quite similar concerning the floats and the ventral fin, so no problem to use the parts on a MK.V IMHO.
A further Spitfire was converted in 1944, a Mark IX serial MJ892 powered by a Merlin 45. The performance of this aircraft was superb and with a top speed of 377 mph the fastest floatplane of
the entire war.
Supermarine Type 385 Spitfire Mk.IX, MJ892
Specifications
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Ia
General
Type: Fighter
Crew: 1
Engine
Rolls-Royce Merlin II inline, liquid-cooled | 1030 hp | Pistons
Dimensions/Masses
Length: 9.12 m | Width: 11.23 m | Height: 3.48 m
Weight: 2624 kg | Max. Combat Weight: 3040 kg
Performances
Max. Speed: 580 km/h | Ceiling: 9720 m | Range: 637 km
Armament
MG: 8 x 7.7mm MG
Bombs: -
Data for Spitfire Mk VB seaplane conversion
Type: Single-seat Twin-float Seaplane Fighter
Power Plant: One 1,470 hp Rolls-Royce Merlin 45 twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled engine
Armament: Two 20 mm Hispano cannon with 120 rpg and four 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns with 350 rpg
Performance: Maximum speed, 251 mph at sea level, 267 mph at 5,000 ft, 306 mph at 15,500 ft,
324 mph at 19,500 ft; economical cruising speed, 180 mph at 6,000 ft, 200 mph at 20,000 ft;
initial climb rate, 2,240 ft/min, maximum climb rate, 2,450 ft/min at 15,500 ft; time to 5,000 ft,
2.2 min, to 10,000 ft 4.4 min, to 25,000 ft, 12.3 min; service ceiling, 33,400 ft; range,
336 mls at 200 mph at 20,000 ft
Weights: Empty, 6,014 lb; normal loaded, 7,580 lb
Dimensions: Span, 36 ft 10 in; length, 35 ft 4 in; height, 13 ft 10 in; wing area, 242 sq ft
Spitfire Mk IX seaplane conversion
Type: Single-seat twin-float Seaplane Fighter
Power Plant: One 1,720 hp Rolls-Royce Merlin 66 twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled engine
Armament: Two 20 mm Hispano cannon with 120 rpg and four 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns with 350 rpg
Performance: Maximum speed, 316 mph at sea level, 353 mph at 9,000 ft, 377 mph at 19,700 ft;
economical cruising speed, 225 mph at 10,000 ft; initial climb rate, 3,700 ft/min; maximum climb rate,
3,800 ft/min at 6,500 ft; service ceiling, 36,000 ft; range 460 mls at 225 mph at 10,000 ft
(with 50 Imp gal drop tank), 770 mls
Weights: Empty, 6,500 lb; normal loaded, 8,200 lb; maximum, 8,610 lb
Dimensions: Span, 36 ft 10 in; length, 35 ft 6 in; height (tail down on land), 10 ft 0 in; wing arera 242 sq ft
Serial numbers for the allocated floatplane Hurricane and Spitfire conversions ...
Hawker (Langley) Hurricane Mk.1, N2599
Supermarine Type 342 Spitfire Mk.1, R6722
Supermarine Type 344 Spitfire Mk.III, N3297
Supermarine Type 355 Spitfire Mk.Vb, W3760
Supermarine Type 355 Spitfire Mk.Vb, EP571
Supermarine Type 355 Spitfire Mk.Vb, EP574
Supermarine Type 385 Spitfire Mk.IX, MJ892
Supermarine Type 356 Spitfire Mk.21, project only
Supermarine Type 542 Attacker, project onlySUPERMARINE SPITFIRE FLOATPLANE - Floatplane fighter version of Supermarine Spitfire initiated during 1942, based on Mk VB airframe using floats designed by Supermarine (as Supermarine Type 355). Conversion by Folland Aircraft, with four-bladed propeller on Merlin 45 engines, tropical filter and extra ventral fin. First flown October 12, 1942, and later fitted with extra dorsal fin and Aero-Vee tropical filter. Two further Mk VB conversions by Folland during 1943; all three to Egypt late-1943 and flown from Great Bitter Lake, but no operational use. One Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk IXB, with Merlin 66 and four-bladed propeller (Type 385), similarly converted by Folland, first flown June 18, 1944, later reconverted to land-plane.
Spitfire Mk I floatplane
Supermarine Type 342. One conversion of Mk I (R6722), fitted with Blackburn Roc floats. Not flown and soon converted back to standard.
http://ww2drawings.jexiste.fr/Files/2-Airplanes/Allies/3-UK/07-Maritime-Planes/Supermarine-FloatSpitfire/Supermarine-FloatSpitfireMk1.htmW3760 - the first Spitfire Vb floatplane prototype - and as such, she was finished with the
original Spitfire tailplane before aerodynamic testing proved that a further modification was required on this.
Piotrek
Author
Topic: Supermarine Spitfire MkV & MkIX seaplane conversion. (Read 15210 times)
