Supermarine Spitfire Mk V

Supermarine · United Kingdom · first flew 1941 · fighter

The most-produced Spitfire mark, serving on every front from Malta to Burma with Merlin 45-series engines and a definitive three-blade constant-speed propeller.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, elliptical
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	9.12 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Three-blade propeller and a deeper, broader chin intake than the Mk I — the Merlin 45 supercharger intake is clearly wider
Tall spine retained, framed canopy; some late aircraft fitted with 'Malcolm hood' sliding section
Tropical variants (Vc Trop) show a large Vokes sand filter under the nose, making the chin unusually bulbous

Compared with the Mk IX, the Mk V lacks the second (port-side) under-wing radiator and the four-blade prop. Compared with the Mk I, it has a broader chin intake.

Specifications

The Supermarine Spitfire Mk V 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

The Mk V entered service in February 1941 and dominated RAF fighter wings until the arrival of the Fw 190 in late 1941 rendered it temporarily outclassed. The Vc universal wing accepted both cannon and machine-gun armament, and tropical filter variants flew from North Africa to the Pacific.

Variants

Va (eight .303s), Vb (two cannon, four .303s), Vc (universal wing). Clipped-wing Vb and Vc variants traded climb for low-altitude roll rate and are visually shorter-spanned.

Where you'll see it

The BBMF flies Mk Vb AB910 permanently, and several other Mk Vs fly worldwide.

Related aircraft

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