IL-2 Sturmovik: Spitfire Mk.XIVe with Teardrop Canopy

The Spitfire Mk. XIV, which entered service at the end of 1943, was originally built with a “high back” rear fuselage which restricted visibility to the rear of the plane. To rectify this problem, the Mk. XIV with a cut-down rear fuselage and tear-drop canopy began to be developed and built at the end of 1944.

These improved Spitfire Mk. XIVs featured full-span wings and were equipped with 2x .50 cal. machine guns and 2x 20 mm Hispano cannons; they could also be fitted with bomb racks to carry 250 lb. and 500 lb. bombs. The same Griffon engine that powered the original Mk. XIVs also powered this new model. For reconnaissance work, a camera could be fitted behind the canopy; such planes were known as Fighter Reconnaissance Mk. XIVs and were fitted with clipped wingtips as standard.

Spitfire Mk. XIVs with the cut-down rear fuselage and tear-drop canopy started entering service with the Royal Air Force’s 2nd Tactical Air Force in March 1945 and continued in operational service after the end of the war in Europe in May 1945. These improved Mk. XIVs also began to be sent to the South-East Asian Theater in June 1945 but arrived too late to see any combat against the Japanese.

In addition to Quick Mission Builder, Advanced Quick Mission Generator and Multiplayer modes, you can fly it in Career mode during the Battle of Bodenplatte timeframe.

• Default armament: two 20mm guns "Hispano Mk.II" (150 rounds per gun, 650 rounds per minute) and two 12.7mm machine guns "Browning .50" (250 rounds per gun, 850 rounds per minute).
  
• Bombs: 250 lb general purpose bombs "250 lb. G.P." and 500 lb general purpose bomb "500 lb. G.P."
  
• Length: 9.9 m
  
• Wingspan: 11.21 m
  
• Wing surface: 22.48 m²

Armaments and Modifications

• 150 grade fuel allowing +21 lb boost. Automatic supercharger gear shifting is disabled, stages should be manually switched at 11000ft altitude (20 km/h estimated speed increase at sea level).
  
• Two 250 lb G.P. bombs with racks (250 kg weight increase, 22 km/h speed loss, 11 km/h speed loss after drop).
  
• 500 lb G.P. bomb with rack (237 kg weight increase, 12 km/h speed loss, 6 km/h speed loss after drop).
  
• Replacement of MkII Gyro Gunsight with MkII* Reflector Gunsight.
  
• Clipped Wing (4 kg weight decrease).
  
• Rear view mirror (1 kg weight increase, 1 km/h speed loss).
  
• F.24 photo camera installation behind the cockpit (28 kg weight increase). Clipped wing only.
  
• Rounded exhaust pipes.

Skins

• Standard paint scheme (customizable tactical number).
  
• Temperate paint scheme, British India, 1946 (customizable tactical number).
  
• J. E. Johnson, awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Bar, Distinguished Sevice Order (DSO) and Bar, OC of No. 125 Wing, April 1945. Johnson was the Commonwealth top-scorer of WWII (41 confirmed victories) and retired in 1966 as an RAF Air Vice-Marshal.
  
• George Clinton Keefer, awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Bar, Distinguished Sevice Order (DSO), No. 125 Wing Commander, Fassberg, Germany, 1945. He survived the war and died in 1985.
  
• Douglas I. Benham, No. 41 Squadron Leader, Eindhoven, Netherlands, Spring 1945.
  
• "Lazy Lady". Jim Bernard Prendergast, No. 414 (RCAF) Squadron Leader, Lüneburg, Germany, May 1945.
  
• Flight Lieutenant Frederick A. O. Gaze, No. 41 Squardon, Kastrup, Denmark, May 1945.
  
• Flying Officer Eric Gray, No. 41 Squadron, Celle, Germany, May 1st, 1945.
  
• "Rabbit". No. 443 Squadron RCAF, Uetersen, Germany, January 1946.
  
• "Yvonne". No. 416 Squadron RCAF, Uetersen, Germany, January 1946.
  
• No. 151 Operational Training Unit, Peshawar or Ambala, British India, 1946.

  Technical details

  Indicated stall speed in flight configuration: 153..173 km/h
  
  Indicated stall speed in takeoff/landing configuration: 145..164 km/h
  
  Dive speed limit: 756 km/h
  Maximum load factor: 12.5 G
  Stall angle of attack in flight configuration: 19.0 °
  Stall angle of attack in landing configuration: 16.3 °
  
  Maximum true air speed at sea level, 2750 RPM, boost +18: 566 km/h
  Maximum true air speed at 4000 m, 2750 RPM, boost +18: 661 km/h
  Maximum true air speed at 8100 m, 2750 RPM, boost +18: 712 km/h
  
  Service ceiling: 13400 m
  Climb rate at sea level: 23.8 m/s
  Climb rate at 2650 m: 23.5 m/s
  Climb rate at 6750 m: 18.2 m/s
  
  Maximum performance turn at sea level: 18.1 s, at 270 km/h IAS.
  Maximum performance turn at 3000 m: 21.0 s, at 260 km/h IAS.
  
  Flight endurance at 3000 m: 1 h 45 m, at 350 km/h IAS.
  
  Takeoff speed: 170..195 km/h
  Glideslope speed: 180..210 km/h
  Landing speed: 140..160 km/h
  Landing angle: 12.5 °
  
  Note 1: the data provided is for international standard atmosphere (ISA).
  Note 2: flight performance ranges are given for possible aircraft mass ranges.
  Note 3: maximum speeds, climb rates and turn times are given for standard aircraft mass.
  Note 4: climb rates and turn times are given for 2750 RPM and boost +18.
  
  Engine:
  Model: Griffon 65
  Maximum power in Take-off mode (2750 RPM, boost +12, low gear) at sea level: 1565 HP
  Maximum power in International power mode (2600 RPM, boost +9, low gear) at 4270 m: 1520 HP
  Maximum power in International power mode (2600 RPM, boost +9, high gear) at 8070 m: 1375 HP
  Maximum power in Emergency Max All Out mode (2750 RPM, boost +18, low gear) at 2134 m: 2063 HP
  Maximum power in Emergency Max All Out mode (2750 RPM, boost +18, high gear) at 6400 m: 1845 HP
  
  Engine modes:
  Max Cruising power (unlimited time): 2400 RPM, boost +7
  International power (up to 1 hour): 2600 RPM, boost +9
  Emergency Max All Out power (up to 5 minutes): 2750 RPM, boost +18
  
  Water rated temperature in engine output: 105..115 °C
  Water maximum temperature in engine output: 135 °C
  Oil rated temperature in engine intake: 90 °C
  Oil maximum temperature in engine intake: 105 °C
  
  Supercharger gear shift altitude: automatic with possibility of manual switch to low gear
  
  Empty weight: 3322 kg
  Minimum weight (no ammo, 10% fuel): 3444.2 kg
  Standard weight: 3906.9 kg
  Fuel load: 363.3 kg / 504.6 l / 111 gallons
  Maximum useful load: 1052 kg
  
  Combat debut: March 1945

  Operation features

  • The engine is equipped with the automatic governor of the manifold pressure that works when the throttle is set to 1/3 position or above.
    
  • The engine has a two stage mechanical supercharger which does not require manual control. It can be switched to the low gear manually.
    
  • The engine is equipped with an automatic fuel mixture control which maintains optimal mixture.
    
  • The propeller governor has two settings: in aft position it adjusts the propeller pitch automatically to maintain the optimal RPM at the current engine throtle while in forward position it maintains the constant, maximum possible propeller RPM.
    
  • The water and oil radiators shutters are operated automatically, but there is a special manual mode that forces radiator shutters to open completely.
    
  • The aircraft has a neutral static stability. The elevator effectiveness is high, so the aircraft should be controlled carefully, not giving too much flight stick input.
    
  • The aircraft becomes unstable with extended landing flaps.
    
  • The aircraft is equipped with elevator and rudder trimmers.
    
  • Landing flaps have a pneumatic actuator so they can be extended to maximum position only. Speed with extended landing flaps is limited to 160 mph.
    
  • The tail wheel rotates freely and does not have a lock. Since the landing gear wheels are relatively close to each other, it is necessary to confidently and accurately operate the rudder pedals during the takeoff and landing.
    
  • The aircraft has differential pneumatic wheel brakes with shared control lever. This means that if the brake lever is held and the rudder pedal the opposite wheel brake is gradually released causing the plane to swing to one side or the other.
    
  • The aircraft is equipped with a siren that warns a pilot if the throttle is set to low position with landing gear retracted.
    
  • It is impossible to open or close the canopy at high speed due to strong airflow. The canopy has an emergency release system for bailouts.
    
  • The aircraft is equipped with two underwing formation lights.
    
  • Standard gunsight is adjustable: both the target distance and target base can be set.
    
  • The gyroscopic gunsight automatically calculates required angular deflection while firing at a target. It has 4 modes: fixed reticle, fixed and gyro reticle, gyro reticle, gyro reticle with the target range fixed at 150 yards (night mode). The angular deflection will be calculated correctly only if the target range is set properly. To set the range, adjust the target base first using separate controls and then set the range by adjusting the size of the range finding reticle to be the same as the target size.
    
  • Both gunsights have sliding sun-filters.