Spitfire Mk Vc/trop

Spitfire Mk Vc/trop

Spitfire F Mk XVI

Spitfire Mk Vc

Spitfire Mk Vc/trop

Spitfire F Mk XVI

Spitfire Mk Vc

Britain

III Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
5.3	4.7	4.7

Class:

Fighter

Research:26 000

Purchase:76 000

Show in game

This page is about the British fighter Spitfire Mk Vc/trop. For the non-tropical version, see Spitfire Mk Vc. For other uses, see Spitfire (Family).

Description

The Spitfire Mk Vc/trop is a rank III British fighter with a battle rating of 5.3 (AB) and 4.7 (RB/SB). It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.29, originally under the name Spitfire Mk Vc, however this was changed in Update 1.77 "Advancing Storm" to the current and accurate name.

The Spitfire Vc/trop is a plane with two major advantages over its opposition: turn performance, engine performance below 3000 metres, and armament. The plane is blessed with a Merlin 45M engine that grants it phenomenal acceleration below that altitude compared to German opposition, as well as a hard-hitting armament of four Hispano Mark II cannons that gives it an exceptionally high burst mass of 5.17 kg/s- putting it on the same level as the Fw 190 A-5!

Due to its BR of 4.7 in realistic battles, the Vc/trop will be matched against planes such as the Bf 109 G-2/trop, which performs better in the vertical (climbing/diving), or the A6M5, which performs better in the horizontal (turning). In an uptier into a 4.7/5.0 battle - which is an odd-to-regular occurrence depending on whether players are playing more of rank III or IV aircraft - this aircraft faces opposition such as the Fw 190 A-8, the Fw 190 C, the Bf 109 G-6 the A7M1 (NK9H), and even (in the worst scenarios) the Re.2005 serie 0, which outperforms it in all aspects save for turn time.

In arcade battles, where it possesses a BR of5.3, it will be put with far superior planes such as the Fw 190 D-9 and Spitfire F Mk 22.

While this aircraft faces tricky opposition, it is far from helpless as one might come to expect from an aircraft with the airframe of a 3.3 aircraft at 4.3. If used correctly, this aircraft can easily ruin the day of any axis pilot.

General info

Flight Performance

The Spitfire Mk Vc/trop's engine performs best at low altitudes: between the 2000 m and 3500 m. At these low levels, the Spitfire has a competitive top speed, and a decent climb rate. Above this altitude, engine performance begins to suffer dramatically, as acceleration and climb rate decrease. The engine's power output can be maximized by using WEP, without which the plane lacks much of its performance. The Spitfire's acceleration in a dive is less than that of the Bf 109 and Fw 190.

Like all Spitfires, the Vc/trop has above-average manoeuvrability, including a good turn rate and competitive roll rate. It also has decent energy retention both in flat turns and vertical manoeuvres. Watch out though, Fw 190s still have better energy retention and roll rate than the Spitfire, and A6Ms can out-roll it can low speeds.

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 3,963 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	562	543	10500	17.2	17.8	14.4	14.4	340
Upgraded	628	592		15.8	16.2	27.1	19.5

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	+	-
760	270	N/A	N/A	230	~11	~6

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 321	< 400	< 350	> 450

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
3,800 m	1,200 hp	1,704 hp

Survivability and armour

• 38 mm Bulletproof glass - Armoured windscreen
• 4 mm Steel - Armoured plates behind pilot, coupled with another 6-7 mm Steel plate behind that
• 3 mm Steel - Armoured plate in front of engine above propeller
• 1 mm Steel - Armoured plate in front of front top fuel tank
• 3 mm Steel - Armoured plates around ammunition

Armaments

Offensive armament

The Spitfire Mk Vc/trop is armed with:

• 4 x 20 mm Hispano Mk.II cannons, wing-mounted (120 rpg = 480 total)

The Spitfire Mk. Vc/trop is armed with four Hispano Mk.II cannons with 120 rounds per gun. While this is double the cannon capacity of earlier Spitfires, such as the Spitfire Mk Vb/trop, it is still quite small, and unsuitable for flying while firing long bursts at the enemy.

Usage in battles

The Spitfire Mark Vc/trop, unlike the older Mark IIb variant, no longer has overwhelming edges in performance over its opposition. This aircraft is heavier than its predecessors, and has an engine that does better at an altitude range that is much lower than its predecessors. The Spitfire Mk Vc/trop flies best at altitudes between the 2000m and 3500m range, and above this altitude range, its engine starts to suffer above this altitude. This plane must be played radically differently in terms of when and where you pick your fights.

As usual, the 7 P's of Combat apply: Proper Perusal, Planning and Preparation Prevent Poor Performance.

With previous Spitfires, in order to use your plane most effectively, these were more or less suggestions. Flat-turning allowed you to take down enemies relatively consistently even without advanced knowledge. With this Spitfire, and arguably the 3.7 Spitfire Mk Vb before it, it is absolutely essential to follow these. Without fulfilling these criteria, you will not be able to succeed with flying the Spitfire Vc/trop.

You need to know your opposition inside-out, but also your own plane (Perusal). In order to fight, you need to plan your every move well and have a good idea of how you're going to start your match and at what point you're going to return-to-base (Planning). You need to know and be prepared to fight enemies that may have better performance than you in a turn, in the vertical, in a straight line, or all three (Preparation).

The ability of a pilot to fight using this plane is determined primarily by their skill and ability to pick their fights against their enemy wisely. Charging headlong into Axis teams, which usually will have an energy advantage over you, will result in the Spitfire's instant and explosive disassembly from the hands of Bf 109G-2s and C.205s eager to get an easy hit on an allied fighter at a lesser altitude and travelling at a lower speed while within their favoured altitude range (4000-5500 metres).

One way to use this fighter to its best advantage is to use it as a "Vulture". Climb to 3500 metres and then proceed to roam around the map looking for aircraft low and slow, or for furballs where an enemy aircraft is pursuing a friendly. Dive on these people and "Bounce" them, shooting and entering a furball with them. These tactics will yield great success, provided that you are not bounced yourself. One important thing to note, however, is that this aircraft, especially while stock, cannot fire its weapons in long bursts. While stock, it will result in quick weapon jamming, and even when upgraded, its ammo capacity is absolutely abysmal.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable Not auto controlled	Not controllable Auto control available	Controllable Not auto controlled	Separate	Not controllable 1 gear	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair	Radiator		Offensive 20 mm
II		Compressor	Airframe	New 20 mm cannons
III	Wings repair	Engine		Mk.II year 1942
IV		Engine injection	Cover	Mk.II year 1943

Pilots should invest heavily in the Weapons Maintenance skill of their crew in order to prevent guns from jamming as much. Pilots should only really need the first or second cannon upgrade. The 1943 cannons are useful to have, but not strictly necessary to perform well in this aircraft.

Priorities, in order, are:

1. Offensive 20mm Belts
2. Radiator
3. Compressor
4. New 20mm cannons
5. Engine
6. Mk.II Year 1942 (optional)
7. Engine Injection
8. Cover
9. Wings Repair
10. Airframe
11. Fuselage Repair
12. Mk. II Year 1943

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Great forward armament in 4 x 20 mm Hispano cannons
• Great ammo belts
• Good manoeuvrability thanks to the (relatively) light airframe as compared compared to German and Italian fighters
• Decent Energy Retention - can keep speed fairly well in flat turns and yo-yos
• Competitive Roll Rate that outperforms or is comparable to the majority of its opponents
• Good engine performance below 3000 metres
• Competitive speed below 3000 metres
• Decent sustained climb rate
• High SL multiplier that actually is comparable to rank IV planes

Cons:

• Fw-190s still have better energy retention and roll rate at all speeds despite the upgraded engine
• Very low pilot survivability due to the lack of any substantial armour
• Engine uses fuel quickly during combat, but flying with substantial amounts of fuel (30 minutes) severely reduces the aircraft's performance on smaller maps (RB)
• Weak module strength - aircraft gets easily damaged
• A6Ms outroll the plane at speeds below 350 km/h IAS
• Low ammo capacity at only 120 rounds per gun (12 seconds of sustained fire)
• No bomb options unlike other contemporary fighters
• Massively reduced engine performance at altitudes above 3500m
  • Struggles to accelerate at altitudes above 3500 metres
  • Struggles to regain speed after a turn at these altitudes
  • Struggles to climb above 3900 metres
  • Outperformed by the Spitfire Mark IX at all altitudes in terms of engine power
• Poor engine performance unless using W.E.P. compared to its contemporaries
• Poor maximum speed compared to other axis and allied fighters at all altitudes
• Mediocre durability - performance suffers harshly from even slight damage to wing modules
• Poor dive-speed acceleration compared to Bf 109s and Fw 190s
• High Silver Lion repair cost comes with the high SL multiplier

History

In-game description

A single-seat, single-engine all-metal monoplane fighter, this variant of the Spitfire Mk V was fitted with the new Type C "universal" wing, capable of being fitted with a variety of armaments. The Mk VC could be fitted with four 20mm Hispano cannons, or it could carry two 20mm Hispano cannons and four 0.303 inch Colt-Browning Mk II machine guns. The cannons in the type C wings had a tape supply and so could carry up to 120 rounds per gun, unlike the type B wings, which were limited to 60 rounds. In addition, the Mk VC had other modifications to the airframe such as a strengthened fuselage, more armor, larger oil cooler and a new windscreen design.

Production of the Mk VC variant began in October of 1941, with the first aircraft being equipped with a Rolls Royce Merlin 45 or 46. However, with the appearance of the German Focke-Wulf FW190 fighter, Spitfire pilots found themselves being outmanoeuvred at low and medium altitudes.

The Mk VC was then fitted with Merlin 50, 50A, 55, and 56 engines. To improve performance characteristics at low and medium altitudes, some of these engines were fitted with a cropped supercharger impeller to allow maximum power to be reached at lower altitudes. Engines designed this way included the 45M, 50M, and 55M.

On the lower altitude models, further changes were implemented. To reduce drag and moment of inertia on the aircraft's longitudinal axis, the wingspan was reduced and the elliptical wingtips were redesigned to be nearly rectangular. Fighters designed with low-altitude combat in mind were designated Spitfire LFMk Vs (Low Flight). Aircraft optimized for mid-altitude combat were designated Spitfire FMk Vs (Flight) and fighters fitted with the Merlin 46, 50A, or 56 were designated Spitfire HFMk Vs (High Flight) and had an increased wingspan with elongated, elliptical wingtips.

The Spitfire VC fought in all theatres in which the RAF was active from 1941 to 1944. A total of some 6,500 Spitfire Mk V fighters were produced, of which 2,467 were Mk VCs.

Media

The Shooting Range #92 - Metal Beasts section at 04:21 discusses the Spitfire Mk Vc/trop.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• [Devblog] Spitfire Mk.V: model update and new modifications