Supermarine Spitfire Mk.21-24
| GENERAL DATA | |||
| Other Designation(s) |
Type 356 |
||
| Type | Fighter, Fighter
Bomber |
Crew | 1 |
| Manufacturer(s) | Castle Bromwich
(Mk.21), Supermarine, Castle Bromwich (Mk.22), Supermarine (Mk.24) |
||
| Production | Mk.21: 120 (from January 1944),
Mk.22: 287 (from March 1945), Mk.24: 54 (from March 1946) + 27 conversions
from Mk.22 |
||
| First Flight | July 1943 (Mk.21) 15 March 1944 (1st Mk.21 prod model) |
Introduction | January 1945 (Mk.21) March 1945 (Mk.22) February 1946 (Mk.24) |
50 Mk 45 were built by the Castle Bromwich
factory
only 24 Seafire Mk.46 (based on Mk.22) were built, all by Supermarine,
on 200 ordered.
90 F.Mk.47s and FR.Mk.47s were built, all by Supermarine.
| Variants | |||
| Mk.21 | The wings were redesigned with a new structure
and thicker-gauge light alloy skinning. The Mk 21 armament was standardised as four 20mm Hispano II cannon with 150 rpg and no machine guns. |
||
| Mk.22 | The Mk 22 was identical to the Mk 21 in all respects except for the cut-back rear fuselage, with the tear-drop canopy, and a more powerful 24 volt electrical system in place of the 12 volt system of all earlier Spitfires. | ||
| Mk.23 | was to be a Mk 22 incorporating a revised wing design which featured an increase in incidence, lifting the leading edge by 51 mm. However the tests were disappointing and this variant was not mass produced. | ||
| Mk.24 | Interceptor & Fighter-Bomber: similar to the Mk 22 except that it had an increased fuel capacity and zero-point fittings for rocket projectiles under the wings. | ||
| Seafire Mk.45 | The prototype had been modified from a Spitfire F.Mk 21 prototype by Cunliffe-Owen and featured a "sting" arrestor hook. First Seafire to use a Griffon 60 series engine with a two-stage, two speed supercharger. The fuel capacity of this variant was 545 L distributed in two main forward fuselage tanks: the lower tank carried 218L while the upper tank carried 163 L, plus two fuel tanks built into the leading edges of the wings with capacities of 57 L and 25 L respectively. | ||
| Seafire Mk.46 | Spitfire F.Mk 22 modified to naval standard and featured the cut down rear fuselage and "teardrop" canopy. Equiped with extra 145 L fuel tank in the rear fuselage. The wings were plumbed to allow for a 102 L combat tank to be carried underneath each wing. In addition a 227 L drop tank could be carried under the fuselage. In April 1947, a decision was made to replace the Griffon 61s or 64s driving a five bladed Rotol propeller unit with Griffon 85s or 87s driving two three bladed Rotol contra-rotating propellers. | ||
| Seafire Mk.47 | The final version of the Seafire. As the "definitive" carrier based Seafire, the Mk 47 incorporated several refinements over earlier variants. All Mk 47s adopted the Rotol contra-rotating propellers. The Mk 47 also featured a long supercharger air-duct, the intake of which started just behind the spinner and a modified curved windscreen, similar to that used on the Mk XVII. Other features unique to the Mk 47s were spring-loaded elevator tabs, a large inertia weight in the elevator control system and beading on the trailing edges of the elevators. | ||
| DIMENSIONS | |||
| Empty Weight | 3247 kg |
Loaded Weight | ? kg |
| Max takeoff weight | 5121 kg |
Length | 10.04 m |
| Wingspan | 11.26 m |
Wing area | 22.48 m² |
| Height | 3.86 m |
Wing loading | 133.5 kg/m² |
| ARMAMENT | |||
| Main Guns | 4 × 20 mm Hispano Mk II or
V Gun * |
Ammunition Carried | 4 x 150 |
| Secondary Guns | - |
Ammunition Carried | - |
| OTHER ARMAMENT | |||
| Bombs | 1 x 500 kg or 2 x 250 kg bomb |
Rockets | Up to 8 x 76.2mm rockets with 11 or 27kg warheads |
(*) Hispano Mk II for Mk.21/22, Mk.V for Mk.24
| POWERPLANT | |||
| Engine | 1 × Rolls-Royce Griffon 65 |
Type & Displacement | supercharged V12, liquid cooling,
27 L |
| Horsepower (maximum) | 2050
hp at 3000 rpm |
Power/Weight Ratio | 400.31 hp / ton * |
| Fuel Capacity | 554.6 L (internal)
+ 2 x 64 L drop tank (under wings) **
|
||
(*) with max takeoff weight, (**) increased fuel capacity for Mk.24, with two fuel tanks of 150 l each installed in the rear fuselage.
| PERFORMANCES | |||
| Maximum Speed | 731 km/h (at 7925 m) |
Cruise Speed | 394 km/h |
| Stall Speed * | ? km/h |
Service Ceiling | 13563 m |
| Rate of Climb | 23.26 m/s |
Range | 740 km, 1368 km (ferry range) ** |
(*) vitesse de décrochage, (**) more for Mk.24
| Sources | |||
| Wikipédia | - | - |
|
Drawings |
