SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE XVIE

Manufacturer       (Principal):                                                                               Supermarine Division of Vickers-Armstrongs in factories at, Southampton, Winchester, Swindon and Castle Bromwich.
  
                   (Subcontracted to): 
  
Manufacturer DesignationType 361
  
Aircraft Mk.                           (2)Mk. XVIE
  
RAF Designation:                  (2)Mk. XVIE
  
Construction:All – metal monocoque with pressurised cockpit.
  
Crew:One
  
Wing Span:                            (1)32ft. 8in.
  
Length:                                    31ft. 4in.
  
Height:                                    (7)12ft. 8in.
  
Engine:1,720hp. Packard merlin 266
  
Fuel: 
  
        Internal Tanks                 (3)66 or 85 gallons.
  
        Supplemental Tanks 
  
Maximum: 
  
Weight: 
  
Empty:                                  7,500lb.
  
Loaded:                                 9,900lb.
  
Range:                                     (4)434 miles with 85 gallons or 721 miles with 175 gallons.
  
Bomb Load:N/A.
  
Armament:20mm Hispano cannon (2 Nr.) 1in each wing.
  
 ·50 Browning machine gun (2 Nr.) 1 in each wing.
Speed: 
  
Maximum:405mph. at 22,000ft.
  
Cruising:                                 (5)300mph.
  
  
Service Ceiling Height:40,500ft.
  
Initial Rate of Climb:            (6)6.7 min. to 20,000ft.
  
  
  
  
Bradwell Bay Service: 
  
Squadron:287
  
Motto:C’est en forgeant  Practice makes perfect
  
Code:KZ
  
Dates:August – 10th September 1945
  
Missions:Attack simulations in order to provide continuation train for anti-aircraft units.
  
Colour Scheme.                    Standard RAF pattern: Dark green and Ocean grey upper surfaces. Medium Sea Grey lower surfaces.
  
Aircraft Nickname/s:Shrew – is what R. J. Mitchell wanted call it, he thought Spitfire to be a “dammed silly” name. 
  
 Spit.
  
Technical data: Aircraft of the RAF 1918 by Owen Thetford and jane’s Fighting Aircraft of World War II
(1) The XVI was usually flown as the clipped wing variety – this measurement follows that trend.
(2) Rickard, J (30 September 2011), No. 287 Squadron (RAF): Second World War, http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/287_wwII.html
(3) Many XVIs featured cut-down rear fuselages with bubble canopies. On these aircraft the rear fuselage tank capacity was limited to 66 gal.
(4) Some production aircraft had rear fuselage fuel tanks in addition to the main tank allowing it to fly approximately as far as the Spitfire Mk VIII.
(5) www.warplane.com/aircraft/collection/details.aspx?aircraftId=36
(6) Taken from Mk. IX Spitfire – performance were deemed to be very similar.
(7)  Height of Mk. IX used, no definitive XVIE height found.