The Spitfire was conceived about the time that the importance of speed and climb rate was being discovered. Subsequently, the early Spitfires were rather slow with poor climb rates, but (being very light weight) possessed excellent turn performance.
The Spitfire Ia and the early Bf109 are well-matched, with the 109 being slightly faster in level flight and accelerating quicker in a dive. At slow speeds, however, the Spitfire is much more maneuverable and rolls faster than the 109. The Spitfire Ia suffers at high altitude, however, with the Bf109E clearly superior above 20,000 feet. The Spitfire Ia is under armed; its light punch can't guarantee lethality against targets with self-sealing fuel tanks (such as the He111 bomber). Further, the Spitfire Ia's carburated engine will cut out under negative G, something the fuel-injected Bf109 doesn't have to worry about. The Spitfire Ia must watch out for high-speed bandits diving from above, and generally needs to sucker the opponent into a low-speed turning fight.
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Wingspan: 36 ft. 10 in.
With over 15,000 Hurricanes built, the aircraft served on virtually every front; even remaining in front-line service as a ground-attack aircraft well after production ended. During the Battle of Britain, the Hurricane downed more Luftwaffe aircraft than any other aircraft type, accruing over 1,500 confirmed victories.
Despite its record, the Hurricane is slow, under-powered, maneuvers poorly, and lacks acceleration. The early Bf109s and Bf110s had little problem contending with the Hurricane. During the Battle of Britain, the Hurricane's main advantage came from fighting over friendly territory against opponents operating at the very edge of their combat range. On the average, though, the Hurricane was outclassed by most of its air-to-air opponents.
The Hurricane is a relatively stable aircraft and generally less difficult to fly than the Spitfire. The Hurricane reaches maximum power between 16,000 to 18,000 feet, but performance falls off sharply above 18,000 feet. Typically, the Hurricane should engage inbound bombers while Spitfires engage the escorting Bf109s.
Wingspan: 49 ft. 0 in.
Length: 31 ft. 5 in.
Height: 13 ft. 2 in.
Wing Area: 258 sq. ft.
Engine: Rolls-Royce Merlin III rated at 1,030 hp.
Fuel: 110 gal. internal
Loaded Weight: 6,600 lb.
Wing Loading: 26 lb./sq. ft.
Maximum Speed: 316 mph.
Service Ceiling: 33,200 ft.
Rate of Climb: 2,300 ft./min
Combat Radius: 140 miles
Armaments: 8 x .303 cal. Browning machine guns
Ammunition: 334 rds/gun
Note:
Once the aircraft caught fire, it was quickly engulfed in flames. Many pilots suffered the effects of 'Hurricane burns'. The Hurricane is only capable of being flown in a clean configuration.
The Bristol Blenheim Mk1 started life as a high speed private plane for a newspaper magnate in England. It was so fast, that the design was procured by the military and pushed into production by 1939. But, by the time the aircraft was militarized, it had turned into an unspectacular aircraft that suffered greatly at the hands of the Luftwaffe. It is equipped with floats that enabled it to fly off of water or snow. It's done in a night attack/fighter scheme.
Crew: 3 Wingspan: 56 feet 4 inch Length: 39 feet 9 inches Powerplant: (2) Bristol Mercury VIII 9 cylinder radial air cooled (840 hp each) Maximum Speed: 260 mph @ 11,800 feet Armament: (5) 7.7mm Browning machine guns, and a 1,000 lb bomb load.
Two-seat fighter with the four-gun armament concentrated in a powered turret. The Defiant was a fine aircraft, but the tactical concept was bad and the weight of the gun turret detoriated performance. After the initial succes heavy losses followed; it was then used as a night fighter for some time and later as a target tug. 1064 built. Manufacturer: Boulton Paul Type: night-fighter Crew: two Engine: one 1,030-hp Rolls-Royce Merlin III twelve-cylinder liquid-cooled engine Max speed: 303 mph at 16,500 feet Range: 470 miles Service Ceiling: 30,500 feet Dimensions: wingspan 39 feet, 4 inches; length 35 feet, 4 inches; height 12 feet, 2 inches Weight: empty 6,000 lbs; maximum 8,350 lbs Armament: four Browning 7.7-mm (.303 in) machine-guns mounted in power-operated dorsal turret