Seafire xv and xvii canopies

It is said in some of the books that the last xxx Seafire XVs were built with the RV fuselage, but I am skeptical of this. One possible explanation is that this was the plan, but that these airframes evolved to the point that they ended up being XVIIs instead. (There were a number of improvements in the pipeline that came pretty much simultaneously.)

bob

Thank you Mark12 , I was sure that I’d seen that somewhere there had been a XV with teardrop canopy, thank you very much again for the confirmation.

NS493

The 3rd Prototype SF XV, tear drop canopy (later mod), original designated as “Seafire F.41”; later converted to SF XVII.

AAEE, A-Sqn 10.6.44, handling & performance trials (level speeds and positional error; CO contamination tests; engineering and maintenance; aftmost CG; reduced area rear fuselage, tear drop sliding hood with locking device. No IFF).

Rotol Staverton (performance tests with 4-blad prop).

Westland, converted to prototype SF XVII, ff in 1945; RAE, tests ì
of fuel transfer of wingtanks in 3.45;

787.Sqn West Raynham 5.46-6.46.

Yes sorry Mark12 it is the teardrop canopy that I mean, as fitted to low back Spitfires. Thanks

Do you mean the ‘Teardrop’ Canopy?

When they puffed out the straight sides of the early high back canopy, many, including myself, refer that as the ‘Bubble’ canopy.

Mark