Why did the early spits have three stubs each side while ix and later had 6 stubs each side?
The six stubs spits are also alot louder, and that was problably not an advantage back in the war. So it has to be either cost or performance?
Spitfire AB910 just replaced the six stubs with three stubs, any pilot here who noticed any difference?
By: Treadstone - 14th December 2007 at 14:10
Thanks…
I also wonder why the Spit MK IX had four blade props and the late LF V’s had three? They had approximately same amount of power.
By: Martin W - 14th December 2007 at 01:18
I guess it had to do with aerodynamic efficiency (extra thrust) which increased with each exhaust modification. Please note that there were two production three-stack manifolds, Mk. I-pattern and Mk. V “fishtail” exhausts. Additionally, several more variants were tried on the Spitfire prototype.
Six-stack exhausts gave more thrust to the cost of more noise and glare. Up to the Mk. V development the Spitfire was supposed to be able to operate an night, so exhaust glare was considered to be a serious issue.
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December 13, 2007 at 8:10 pm