Mystery Spitfire-Good Luck With This one!!!!

Thu Mar 27, 2008 5:30 pm

Besides what looks like the later type windshield, it's also got the later style narrow cannon magazine fairings which, if I recall correctly, were never fitted to the Mk V. I'll stand firm on it being a Mk IXC.

Thu Mar 27, 2008 9:19 pm

PONY?????????????????????? :wink:

Thu Mar 27, 2008 9:26 pm

This is why posting pics is so rewarding :idea:

Thu Mar 27, 2008 9:29 pm

Whatever the other details, I remain convinced it hasn't got a 2-stage Merlin.

Thu Mar 27, 2008 9:31 pm

Heck, I'm still trying to figure out the wing thing.
I thought it had a eliptical wing :idea:

Thu Mar 27, 2008 9:40 pm

dhfan wrote:Everybody's saying Mk.IX but at first glance I thought it was a Mk.V - and I still do.

Hmmm. On reviewing a couple of Mk.V and Mk.IX photos, I think dhfan's right (and I were wrong earlier) as the distance aft of the stubs isn't long enough for a two-stage blown Merlin. Also the carb-air intake looks the short earlier version.

Bill Greenwood wrote:A Mk V may have a shorter nose and 6 into 3 exhaust stacks. Could always be some tricky version, rare or a field mod.

Bill's right, in the 6 exhausts on the short nose, and there's certainly been six stub exhausts on the earlier Merlin Spitfires, causing the confusion seen above!

daveymac82c wrote:Not to be a late comer on this one, but I also thought it was a mk IV at first glance.

The IV was a Photo Recon version, and as far as I know never available as a pocket money kit. Do you mean IX?

If it were a Mustang, it would be easy, cos it'd be a D. :roll:

Thu Mar 27, 2008 10:52 pm

You guys are right - it is a Mk V after all.

Thu Mar 27, 2008 11:43 pm

Dan Jones wrote:You guys are right - it is a Mk V after all.

Could be a IIc. :shock:

Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:21 am

JDK wrote:
Dan Jones wrote:You guys are right - it is a Mk V after all.

Could be a IIc.

No such animal. The first variant to have a C wing was the Mk V.

Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:25 am

Tsk. I meant IIb. :oops:

With replaced narrow ammunition blisters. :bs:

Fri Mar 28, 2008 1:22 am

OOOOOH does that mean I get the pony

I swore it was a MkV first :twisted:

Thanks guys.... I was staring and staring at the cowl and I could not for the life of me fit a 2 stage engine in there. darn..... I conceded defeat to easily on that one :shock:

Cheers all,
Chris

Fri Mar 28, 2008 1:35 am

ausflyboy wrote:I swore it was a MkV first

Your conclusion was correct, your theory was wrong. Like when teach says you got the right answer the wrong way in maths, '0' points, and a donkey.

As for me, it's certainly a puzzler!

Fri Mar 28, 2008 4:49 am

I am coming in to this a bit late but it is a Mk V. Examples surviving in to the late war period were often fitted with the six individual exhaust stacks giving it the later 'look' - but it is a short nose version and the give-away is you can just about see the edge of the underslung oil tank if you follow your eye down from the second stack (from the front). On the V and preceding versions, the external skin of the oil tank formed the centre panel of the chin cowl.

Fri Mar 28, 2008 5:47 am

I'm not that observant. I just reckoned it was a "short" nose.

Fri Mar 28, 2008 5:48 am

The photograph in question was published in Ian Allan publication "Spitfire Special" by Ted Hooton, 1972, on page 53. The caption reads as follows;

"A somewhat war-weary aircraft, this is a late-production Mark Vc with the cannon stubs removed, and six exhaust stubs, making it appear somewhat similar to the Mk. IX. This aircraft belonged to either 327 or 328 (Free French) Squadron based at Borgho, Corsica, in the summer of 1944. It bears evidence of previous American ownership, almost certainly the 52nd Fighter Group."

FITD