An interesting wartime Spitfire Vc

To ID Mk.V vs Mk.IX, the 3 vs 4 blade prop is a bit of a give-away – as long as you can discount Seafires.

I wonder if it’s a Westland built machine? I’ve noted the stiffeners on several wartime photos of AR coded machines and ‘501 (also a C wing) certainly had them prior to her rebuild.

6 vs 12 stubs help, but it’s not an absolute for ID’ing a Mk V vs a Mk IX. Best chance, unless you can look at the mfg’s data plate, is the underwing radiators–on the Mk V, they an oil cooler under the port wing and a water radiator under the starboard. On the Mk IX, both intakes are the same size and shape because the Merlin 60 series had a two stage supercharger, and hence an intercooler was housed in a housing that shared the oil cooler.

“also seen” I don’t doubt, but is not the same as intended for. The A/B wing was notably weaker than the later design in this area, and there were a number of modification directed here prior to the redesign. As the wing root area remained a weak point of the Spitfire it is not surprising that on some occasions such mods ended up transferred across onto later airframes, and particularly those involved in high “q” maneuvres (fast and low).

I recall looking for examples of 12-exhaust Spitfires amongst published photographs of the LF Mk.V squadrons, and finding but few examples. I suspect this is partly a matter of dates, with the 12-stub examples being more common later. I am quite sure that 12-stubs was not one of the specific distinguishing feature of the LF Mk.V, but of course such convictions are always open to scrutiny.

However, the wing strengtheners were intended for the weaker A/B wing not the stronger universal wing, though they are also present on the restored example.

That’s popular belief, but in fact they were also seen on C-winged Spitfires (including Mk IXs).

12 exhausts were fairly common but there are plenty of LF Mk.Vs without them.

Plenty? Are you not thinking of non-LF Mk Vs with clipped wings?

As an interesting aside, I remember talking to an American Eagle Squadron pilot 20+ years ago at Reno, who had flown Spitfire Mk V’s in North Africa. He told me that when they went to pick up repaired/overhauled Spitfires from Cairo (IIRC), if it was fitted with the alloy DeHavilland propeller, it was rejected in favour of the wooden Dowty Rotol propeller. He said the lower inertia of the Dowty Rotol propeller gave them a slight edge, with better throttle response and acceleration.

However, the wing strengtheners were intended for the weaker A/B wing not the stronger universal wing, though they are also present on the restored example. 12 exhausts were fairly common but there are plenty of LF Mk.Vs without them.

When we rebuilt AR614 (MkVc), it had a number of fittings for the Gyro sight with it – though I don’t think they went back in….

Typical appearance appearance for a LF.V. The Merlin 45M frequently came with individual ejector exhausts as fitted to later Spitfire Marks. The propeller is a de Havilland, standard on Supermarine or Westland built Mk Vs.