Production F Mk IX Spitfires began to emerge from British factories in June 1942, to be delivered to the first RAF fighter squadrons to reequip with the new variant.
The Spitfire F.IX was powered by a two-speed, two-stage supercharged Rolls-Royce Merlin 61 engine and, compared with the earlier Mk V Spitfires, had much improved performance that matched or in some respects even bettered the German’s formidable Focke-Wulf Fw 190 at high altitudes. However, in the 15-25,000 feet altitude band, where most combats took place, its performance was slightly inferior.
In March 1943, F.IX Spitfires were joined by a version powered by the Merlin 66 engine, which had rescheduled supercharger gear ratios to improve power output below 25,000 feet. This closed the gap in performance between the Spitfire and the Fw…
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Flight Journal (Digital) - 1 Issue, November/December 2024