WarSimBox
The two-stage supercharger
A supercharger keeps up a piston engine’s power at altitude by feeding it compressed air. In the Merlin 61 two superchargers worked in series, with an intercooler cooling the air in between, so the engine gave far more power high up. The airframe was almost the same as the Mk V’s; from outside, the clearest differences were the four-bladed propeller and the two equal radiators under the wings.
The answer to the Fw 190
When the Mk IX entered service in the summer of 1942 it could match the Fw 190 A at every altitude and still out-turned it. Because it looked so like the Mk V, German pilots often could not tell which Spitfire they faced. Versions with engines tuned for low, medium and high altitude were built as the LF, F and HF.
The Mk IX remained one of the RAF’s main fighters in Europe until the end of the war. After the war it flew with many air forces; the Turkish Air Force was among its users.
In WarSimBox
In the game its two-stage supercharger keeps it strong high up: it matches the Fw 190 at every altitude and out-turns it. It has a short burst of emergency power. It carries two 20 mm cannon and two .50 in machine guns.
Unlocked in the aircraft tree after researching Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb and Two-stage supercharger. Leads on to: Gloster Meteor F.3, de Havilland Vampire FB.5.
- Top speed
- 649 km/h · 6,500 m
- Climb
- 20 m/s
- Sustained turn
- 18.5 s
- Stall speed
- 145 km/h
These figures come from the game’s flight model (climb, turn and stall at sea level).
Fly it in WarSimBox