Spitfire Mk Ia - Revision history

U38088265: /* Flight performance */

2024-09-01T07:44:37Z

‎Flight performance

U178117757: /* Flight performance */ AB and RB performance

2024-09-01T02:28:03Z

‎Flight performance: AB and RB performance

U38088265: /* Description */ Updated to new standard

2023-07-23T17:30:58Z

‎Description: Updated to new standard

U9202753: Specs-Card ArtImage Added

2023-02-09T17:25:04Z

Specs-Card ArtImage Added

U44629479: Edits

2022-11-17T10:38:57Z

Edits

U44629479: Reverted

2022-11-17T10:30:55Z

Reverted

U132149638: /* Pros and cons */

2022-11-17T10:12:41Z

‎Pros and cons

U132149638: /* Pros and cons */

2022-11-17T10:10:51Z

‎Pros and cons

U132149638: /* Pros and cons */

2022-11-17T10:09:14Z

‎Pros and cons

U38088265: /* In-game description */ Reformatted

2022-10-20T21:35:43Z

‎In-game description: Reformatted

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 ! Upgraded
-| 617 || 584 || 14.1 || 15.0 || 26.6 || 19.5
+| 617 || 584 || 14.1 || 15.0 || 26.2 || 19.5
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 ! Stock
-| 527 || 507 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 16.7 || 17.7 || 10.7 || 10.7 || rowspan="2" | 300
+| 528 || 506 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 16.7 || 17.7 || 10.7 || 10.7 || rowspan="2" | 300
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 ! Upgraded
-| 617 || 584 || 14.6 || 15.0 || 26.2 || 19.5
+| 617 || 584 || 14.1 || 15.0 || 26.6 || 19.5
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 * 153 rounds per second total output (1150 rpm x 8 / 60).
-* Muzzle velocity 810 m/s (2,660 feet/second). <ref>[http://www.aviation-history.com/guns/303.htm <nowiki>[The Aviation History Online Museum]</nowiki> Browning .303 Mark II Machine Gun]</ref>
+* Muzzle velocity 810 m/s (2,660 feet/second). <ref>[http://www.aviation-history.com/guns/303.htm <nowiki>[The Aviation History Online Museum] Browning .303 Mark II Machine Gun</nowiki>]</ref>
 * The .303 was a rifle round, accurate but fairly ineffective in air combat unless in skilled hands. The calibre was chosen over the .50 as it was lighter, had a higher rate of fire and was less susceptible to jamming. However, it required an average 4,500 rounds to disable an enemy aircraft <ref>Flying Guns: World War II by Anthony G Williams, Emmanuel Gustin (2003), p95</ref>, of which 250 rounds needed to hit (i.e. a full 2-second burst). The accurate placing of the shot was essential, as it lacked sufficient energy to cause structural damage.
 * The design used an open bolt mechanism to allow air to flow through the barrel and prevent overheating. This worked well at lower altitudes but caused icing at high altitude. The red canvas wing-port covering kept the gun clean and warm; later marks also ducted hot air from the engine to regulate the gun's breech temperature. <ref>[[wikipedia:Supermarine_Spitfire#Armament|[Wikipedia] Supermarine Spitfire - Armament]]</ref>

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 == Description ==
 <!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of and the creation and combat usage of the aircraft, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the aircraft in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
-The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.
+The Supermarine Spitfire was one of the most world's most successful aircraft lines, with over 20,000 built across its 24 marks and numerous sub-variants. One of the most famous British WW2-era aircraft, its distinctive thin, elliptical wings allowed it a greater aerodynamic top speed than most of its contemporaries, while its adaptable airframe allowed the basic design to be continually upgraded into the 1950s. The prototype first flew on 5th March 1936 (four months after the maiden flight of the contemporary [[Hurricane Mk I/L|Hawker Hurricane]]), and the plane was quickly ordered into mass production upon demonstration of its capabilities. However, delays in initiating production lines for the aircraft meant that the first production models were only completed by mid-1938. Despite arguably being less important than its Hurricane counterpart, the Spitfire quickly became an icon of the war, particularly with its performance against the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain and beyond. While the majority of Spitfires participating in the Battle of Britain were of the Mk I variant, most would be replaced by the [[Spitfire Mk IIa|Mk II]] by the end of 1940.
-The Spitfire Mk Ia is one of the first monoplane fighter designs in the British tree, alongside the [[Hurricane (Family)|Hurricanes]]. The Spitfire is distinctive with its sleek and thin elliptical wing design, a characteristic seen in most future Spitfire variants. The wing on the Spitfire is a Type A, which contained four .303 machine guns per wing for a total of eight machine guns.
+In the game since the start of the Open Beta Test, the Spitfire Mk Ia is equipped with a Rolls-Royce Merlin III engine, producing 1,030 hp; coupled with its light and sleek design, the Spitfire has excellent climb rate and is relatively fast, but its main strength is the extremely tight turn radius. This allows the pilot to confidently draw any opponent into a turning engagement and emerge victorious (bar the occasional biplane and Japanese fighters, against which the superior speed and energy characteristics of the aircraft can be utilised). However, the key drawback of the Spitfire Mk Ia is the mediocre armament. While the 8 Browning machine guns present great volume of fire, they are rather weak and quite limited by convergence due to their spread-out nature across the wings, and thus may require a long time on target to successfully down an opponent.
 == General info ==

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 {{Specs-Card
 |code=spitfire_mk1
-|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
+|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
 }}

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 * 153 rounds per second total output (1150 rpm x 8 / 60).
-* Muzzle velocity 810 m/s (2,660 feet/second). <ref>http://www.aviation-history.com/guns/303.htm</ref>
+* Muzzle velocity 810 m/s (2,660 feet/second). <ref>[http://www.aviation-history.com/guns/303.htm <nowiki>[The Aviation History Online Museum]</nowiki> Browning .303 Mark II Machine Gun]</ref>
 * The .303 was a rifle round, accurate but fairly ineffective in air combat unless in skilled hands. The calibre was chosen over the .50 as it was lighter, had a higher rate of fire and was less susceptible to jamming. However, it required an average 4,500 rounds to disable an enemy aircraft <ref>Flying Guns: World War II by Anthony G Williams, Emmanuel Gustin (2003), p95</ref>, of which 250 rounds needed to hit (i.e. a full 2-second burst). The accurate placing of the shot was essential, as it lacked sufficient energy to cause structural damage.
-* The design used an open bolt mechanism to allow air to flow through the barrel and prevent overheating. This worked well at lower altitudes but caused icing at high altitude. The red canvas wing-port covering kept the gun clean and warm; later marks also ducted hot air from the engine to regulate the gun's breech temperature. <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermarine_Spitfire#Armament</ref>
+* The design used an open bolt mechanism to allow air to flow through the barrel and prevent overheating. This worked well at lower altitudes but caused icing at high altitude. The red canvas wing-port covering kept the gun clean and warm; later marks also ducted hot air from the engine to regulate the gun's breech temperature. <ref>[[wikipedia:Supermarine_Spitfire#Armament|[Wikipedia] Supermarine Spitfire - Armament]]</ref>
 * RAF recommended convergence in 1939 was 365 m (400 yards) in contrast to the Luftwaffe, with experience from the Spanish Civil War, using 200 m (which the RAF adopted by mid-1940). Although many high scoring pilots reduced this, close to 137 m (150 yards) or less for an accurate kill, others ignored convergence altogether or went to a box-shot where paired guns were set to different convergences.
-* Choice of ammunition is essential as AP and ball rounds rely on kinetic energy to cause damage, which is lost quickly in small calibre rounds. The API round will also transfer chemical energy into the target and so will be more effective on lightly armoured targets, particularly if they hit something flammable. Pure tracer rounds help to target, especially in combat manoeuvres where lead varies, but have little penetration on contact. <ref>http://users.skynet.be/Emmanuel.Gustin/fgun/fgun-fi.html</ref>
+* Choice of ammunition is essential as AP and ball rounds rely on kinetic energy to cause damage, which is lost quickly in small calibre rounds. The API round will also transfer chemical energy into the target and so will be more effective on lightly armoured targets, particularly if they hit something flammable. Pure tracer rounds help to target, especially in combat manoeuvres where lead varies, but have little penetration on contact.
 == Usage in battles ==
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 * [[:Category:Japan aircraft|Japanese aircraft]] - Fighter planes like the [[Ki-43 (Family)|Ki-43]] and [[A6M (Family)|A6M]] will turn all over the Spitfire. As such, the Spitfire's famous turning ability is actually considered wide and sluggish against a Japanese opponent. Instead, the Merlin engine power on the Spitfire can be used to try and outrun the Japanese plane. When attacking a Japanese plane, Boom & Zoom tactics are recommended, rather than turning, to keep an energy advantage over the opponent.
 * Biplanes - Biplanes like the [[Ki-10 (Family)|Ki-10]], [[I-15 (Family)|I-15]], and [[CR.32 (Family)|CR.32]] may be slow, but they are among some of the most manoeuvrable aircraft in War Thunder. It is highly recommended not to turn-fight them and to use Boom & Zoom tactics instead. Luckily, most biplanes are fragile and your eight machine guns will tear them apart.
-* [[:Category:Bombers|Large bombers]] - Although you have eight machine guns, they are only 7.7 mm caliber. With larger aircraft, you may find yourself expending all of your ammunition and not even coming away with a kill. The Spitfire is also quite fragile, so you should be careful of defensive turrets. Even light machine guns can take out your engine, kill your pilot and destroy important combat surfaces.
+* [[:Category:Bombers|Large bombers]] - Although you have eight machine guns, they are only 7.7 mm calibre. With larger aircraft, you may find yourself expending all of your ammunition and not even coming away with a kill. The Spitfire is also quite fragile, so you should be careful of defensive turrets. Even light machine guns can take out your engine, kill your pilot and destroy important combat surfaces.
 * The [[I-180S]] premium Soviet fighter is extremely manoeuvrable and has great energy retention which can sometimes even out-turn Spitfires at higher speeds, thus it is recommended to be very careful when engaging these planes, making sure you have an energy advantage, or it will be a difficult battle.
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 Despite the British Air Ministry's preference for biplane fighters in the early 1930s, Supermarine designer RJ Mitchell began work on an all-metal construction, single-engine, single-seat monoplane fighter with an enclosed cockpit and retractable landing gear. The Spitfire (Prototype K5054) made its first flight on March 5th 1936, and after demonstrating superb handling qualities, was ordered into mass production for the RAF. The first Spitfires entered service with No.19 Squadron at RAF Duxford in August 1938.
-Initially, the Mk I variant was equipped with type A wings and four wing-mounted Colt-Browning Mk II .303 (7.7mm) machine guns, although this was soon increased to eight. Further upgrades included the use of a Rolls-Royce Merlin III engine instead of the original 1,030 HP Merlin II; the original two blade fixed pitch wooden propeller was also replaced with a metal, variable pitch three bladed propeller of either Rotol or De Havilland design. A bulged canopy, bullet proof windscreen, armour plating and hydraulics to operate the gear and flaps were also introduced, partly as a result of the combat experience gained by Hurricane squadrons during the Battle of France.
+Initially, the Mk I variant was equipped with type A wings and four wing-mounted Colt-Browning Mk II .303 (7.7 mm) machine guns, although this was soon increased to eight. Further upgrades included the use of a Rolls-Royce Merlin III engine instead of the original 1,030 HP Merlin II; the original two blade fixed pitch wooden propeller was also replaced with a metal, variable pitch three bladed propeller of either Rotol or De Havilland design. A bulged canopy, bullet proof windscreen, armour plating and hydraulics to operate the gear and flaps were also introduced, partly as a result of the combat experience gained by Hurricane squadrons during the Battle of France.
 The first Spitfires had a basic targeting system consisting of a ringed sight, but by July of 1939 a more sophisticated collimator sight, the GM2 Mk II, began to be used; machines already in service were retrofitted with the new sights.
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 === Aces ===
-The Spitfire Mk.1A was the iconic British aircraft of the Battle of Britain. Leading Spitfire aces of this battle were: <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Few</ref>
+The Spitfire Mk.1A was the iconic British aircraft of the Battle of Britain. Leading Spitfire aces of this battle were: <ref>[[wikipedia:The_Few|[Wikipedia] The Few]]</ref>
 {| class="wikitable"
 |-

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 * Pulling back hard on the joystick can cause dangerous flat-spins in Simulator mode
 * Poor simulator cockpit visibility
 == History ==

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 == History ==
-<!-- Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable). -->
+<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
-=== In-game description ===
+{{break}}
 Despite the British Air Ministry's preference for biplane fighters in the early 1930s, Supermarine designer RJ Mitchell began work on an all-metal construction, single-engine, single-seat monoplane fighter with an enclosed cockpit and retractable landing gear. The Spitfire (Prototype K5054) made its first flight on March 5th 1936, and after demonstrating superb handling qualities, was ordered into mass production for the RAF. The first Spitfires entered service with No.19 Squadron at RAF Duxford in August 1938.
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 At the time of its introduction, right through the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940, the Spitfire Mk I was considered by many to be the greatest fighter aircraft in the world. By the time the Spitfire Mk II began to replace it, 1,566 Mk Is had been built.
 === Aces ===