Spitfire LF Mk IXc (USA)

This page is about the American fighter Spitfire LF Mk IXc (USA). For other versions, see Spitfire (Family).

▃Spitfire LF Mk IXc

360://https://wiki.warthunder.com/images/1/17/Cockpit_spitfire_ix_usa.jpg

▃Spitfire LF Mk IXc

USA

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
5.3	5.7	5.0

Class:

PREMIUM

Fighter

Purchase:4 880

Show in game

Description

The ▃Spitfire LF Mk IXc is a premium rank IV American fighter with a battle rating of 5.3 (AB), 5.7 (RB), and 5.0 (SB). It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

General info

Flight performance

Max speed

at 4 878 m659 km/h

Turn time15 s

Max altitude11 500 m

EngineRolls-Royce Merlin-66

TypeInline

Cooling systemWater

Take-off weight4 t

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 4,878 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	632	611	11500	16.4	17.0	22.2	22.2	320
Upgraded	735	690		14.8	14.8	43.3	31.8

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
X	X	✓	X	X

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
774	270	N/A	N/A	230	~10	~4

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 321	< 400	< 350	> 470

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural774 km/h

Gear270 km/h

• 38 mm Bulletproof glass in front of the pilot
• 3 mm Steel plate on top of fuel tanks
• 4 mm Steel plate on pilot's seat. Behind pilot is another 6-7 mm steel plate
• 3 mm Steel plates around ammunition

• Critical components located at the front of aircraft (fuel, pilot, engine, controls)
• Additional fuel tanks are located in the wings near the fuselage

Modifications and economy

Repair cost

AB1 941

RB4 721

SB6 013

Crew training10 000

Experts320 000

Aces1 100

Research Aces1 050 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

2 × 100 / 230 / 480 %

2 × 172 / 172 / 172 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Radiator Compressor Wings repair Engine Engine injection 150 octane fuel	Airframe Cover	bmg303_belt_pack hispano_belt_pack bmg303_new_gun hispano_mk2_new_gun SBC mark 25 Mk.II year 1942 SMBC mk.2 Mk.II year 1943

Armaments

Offensive armament

Weapon 12 x 20 mm Hispano Mk.II cannon

Ammunition240 rounds

Fire rate600 shots/min

Weapon 24 x 7.7 mm Browning machine gun

Ammunition1 400 rounds

Fire rate1 000 shots/min

The Spitfire LF Mk IXc (USA) is armed with:

• 2 x 20 mm Hispano Mk.II cannons, wing-mounted (120 rpg = 240 total)
• 4 x 7.7 mm Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (350 rpg = 1,400 total)

Suspended armament

List of setups (3)

Setup 11 x 250 lb AN-M57 bomb

Setup 21 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bomb

Setup 31 x 500 LB S.A.P. Mk.II bomb

The Spitfire LF Mk IXc (USA) can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 1 x 250 lb AN-M57 bomb (250 lb total)

Usage in battles

All Spitfire versions served primarily as fighter aircraft. Due to its high manoeuvrability, the Spitfire LF Mk IXc excels in dogfighting, matched only by a few opponents (mainly Japanese). Due to its vulnerabilities, namely its low ammunition load and somewhat flimsy airframe, it is not recommended to attack bombers with heavy defensive armament. Its climb rate is one of the Spitfire's greatest advantages, being able to outclimb many rivals at its rank. Despite this, it is not recommended to try to catch up with zoom-climbing enemy fighters, because the Spitfire will most likely run out of speed before you manage to engage the opponent. Therefore, go into a shallow but high-speed climb to patiently gain the same altitude as the foe. Do not waste too much speed or altitude to the Boom & Zoom bounce from above, or else it will not work. In emergency situations, when an opponent is diving onto you, your speed is insufficient to face them and, when there are no clouds to hide in, you can descend to the tree-top level and use sharp turns and preferably uneven terrain to make dive attacks impossible for your opponent. He will most likely have to pull up before he can attack, due to his high speed. Exactly at that moment when he is pulling up, you can take initiative.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable Auto control available	Not controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Auto control available	Combined	Controllable 2 gears	Not controllable

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Excellent rate of climb which will rival later Griffon Spitfires and most late war props
• Excellent acceleration from a standing start due to the boost configuration
• Good manoeuvrability, albeit lower than other Spitfires (I-V Marks)

Cons:

• Features the British 7.7 mm 303 Browning machine guns
• Tendency to break its wings during high-speed manoeuvres
• Very low ammunition count, must be very conservative
• Poor engine performance at high altitudes
• Expensive to purchase

History

In-game description

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX (Type 361) single-engine interceptor fighter/front-line fighter

A single-seat, single-engine, all-metal, low-wing cantilever monoplane fighter.

Not only the British but also quite a few pilots from other countries fought on Supermarine Spitfire fighters. The Americans used Spitfires, as well..

The beginning of the Spitfire was marked by volunteers who had joined the ranks of the British RAF before the USA joined the war. In 1941, there were three full-fledged American fighter squadrons in Britain, named the Eagles. The Americans originally flew Hurricanes, but in August 1941 they started their retraining on Spitfires. Until the autumn of 1942, the Eagles were common British squadrons with the corresponding staff, uniforms, and markings. On September 29, 1942, thanks to an intergovernmental agreement, the Eagles were transferred to the command of the Eighth Air Force of the USAAF, located in Great Britain. Three squadrons were combined to form the 4th Fighter Wing, and the tricolour British cockades on the planes were replaced with American ones.

Beginning in 1942, a number of the USAAF's fighter units which had arrived at the West European theatre of war without planes received British fighters as part of the so-called "Reverse Lend-Lease". These squadrons were originally based in Great Britain. Later, they were also based in North Africa. A total of about 1,000 Spitfires of various versions were handed over to the USAAF by the RAF.

For example, the 52d Fighter Wing was redeployed in July 1942 from the USA over the ocean to Northern Ireland. It was there that American fighter pilots had to master the Spitfire. The Americans flew Spitfires when they joined the North African Campaign in November 1942. American pilots fought in Spitfires in the North African theatre of war until the German troops were defeated in May 1943.

The Americans used Spitfires (Mk.VIII and Mk.IX variants) in the skies over Italy as part of the Twelfth Air Force. By March 1944, the majority of the British planes had been replaced with Mustangs, but there were still some planes with those white stars on their fuselages all the way up until the Capitulation of Germany.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Spitfire LF Mk IXc (USA) from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

Premium Review: US Spitfire LF. Mk. IXc [Beauty&Beast] - Jengar

See also

Other late Merlin-engine LF variant Spitfires

• Spitfire LF Mk IX
• Plagis' Spitfire LF Mk IXc
• Spitfire LF Mk.IX Weizman's (Israel)

External links

• Official data sheet - more details about the performance