Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX
Supermarine · United Kingdom · first flew 1942 · fighter
Developed as an emergency response to the Fw 190, the Mk IX proved so capable it became the second most-produced Spitfire and the backbone of late-war RAF fighter wings.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, elliptical |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Tall spine on early IXs; late LF IXs retrofitted with cut-down rear fuselage and teardrop bubble canopy |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Four-blade propeller is the single clearest mark-identifier — no earlier Merlin Spitfire flew one in service
- Symmetrical under-wing radiators: one starboard coolant plus one port oil cooler, giving a balanced silhouette absent from Mk V
- Tall spine on early IXs; late LF IXs retrofitted with cut-down rear fuselage and teardrop bubble canopy
Four-blade prop and twin symmetrical radiators immediately separate it from any Mk V. Against the Griffon-engined Mk XIV, the Mk IX has a shorter, narrower nose and the prop rotates clockwise viewed from ahead.
Specifications
- The Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX has a length of 9.47 m (31 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 11.23 m (37 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 657 km/h (408 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Rushed into service in June 1942 by mating the new two-stage Merlin 61 to the Mk V airframe, the Mk IX immediately recovered parity with the Fw 190A. It served in the Battle of Britain follow-on campaigns, the Normandy campaign and into 1945 with many Allied air forces.
Variants
HF IX (high-altitude, extended span), F IX (standard), LF IX (clipped wing, low-altitude optimised). Post-war conversions with bubble canopy are sometimes called 'LF IXe'.
Where you'll see it
The most common airworthy Spitfire type; multiple examples fly at Duxford with the Fighter Collection and Historic Aircraft Collection, and with the BBMF alongside their Mk II.
Related aircraft
- Supermarine Seafire
- Supermarine Spitfire Mk VIII
- Supermarine Spitfire Mk XII
- Supermarine Seafire Mk III
- Aichi E16A Zuiun
- Bell P-59 Airacomet
- Bell P-63 Kingcobra
- Bereznyak-Isayev BI-1
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