Supermarine Spitfire Mk VC
Supermarine / Westland / Castle Bromwich · United Kingdom · first flew 1941 · fighter
The Spitfire Mk VC introduced the universal 'C' wing capable of mounting four 20 mm cannon, two cannon plus four machine guns, or eight machine guns, making it the most flexible Mk V variant. It was built in the largest numbers of the Mk V series and served in virtually every theatre.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, elliptical |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 9.12 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Universal 'C' wing accepting cannon or machine-gun fits
- Merlin 45 engine with single-stage supercharger
- Tropical filter under nose on desert-deployed aircraft
Shared elliptical wing of all Spitfires, but the VC is often identified by the chin-mounted Vokes tropical filter on desert/Pacific examples, and by the universal wing's slightly different gun-bay profile.
Specifications
- The Supermarine Spitfire Mk VC has a length of 9.12 m (30 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 11.23 m (37 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 602 km/h (374 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory produced the majority of Mk VCs alongside Supermarine's own lines. The type served in the Middle East, Malta, the Pacific with the RAAF, and on the Eastern Front with Soviet forces under Lend-Lease. Malta-based VCs engaged Axis bombers during the island's siege of 1942.
Variants
The Mk V family comprises the VA (eight guns), VB (two cannon, four guns), and VC (universal wing); tropical variants received a Vokes filter under the chin, visually prominent on desert aircraft.
Where you'll see it
Operated by the RAF, RAAF, RCAF, SAAF, RNZAF, Soviet Air Forces, and the US Army Air Forces; one of the most widely exported British fighters of the war.
Related aircraft
- Supermarine Spitfire Mk VB
- Bisnovat SK-2
- Boulton Paul P.92
- Brewster SB2A Buccaneer
- Curtiss P-40 E Kittyhawk
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