SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE MK. II - 1940

Description

The Spitfire Mk II differed from late production Mk Is in two ways. The aircraft itself used the Merlin XII engine, providing 1,150 hp, an increase of 120 hp over the engines used in the Mk I. This engine could be used with either the de Havilland or Rotol propellers. The second main difference is that while the Mk I was built by Supermarine at Southampton, the Mk II was produced in a new giant factory at Castle Bromwich. This causes inevitable delays, as the new factory was tooled up and gained experience in producing the complex fighter. The first Mk II flew on 24 September. Full production began at Castle Bromwich in June 1940. No. 611 squadron at Digby was the first squadron to receive the Spitfire Mk II in August 1940. The wisdom of the shadow factory scheme that had produced the Castle Bromwich plan was demonstrated in September 1940 when the Supermarine factory in Southampton was bombed, and production there temporarily stopped. 920 Mk IIs were built. Of them the majority (750) were Mk IIas, with eight .303 Browning machine guns while 170 were Mk IIbs, with two 20mm cannon and four .303 machine guns. The Mk II appeared in time to take part in the battle of Britain (see Mk I for more details). Both the Mk I and Mk II were phased out in 1941 in favour of the Mk V. Of the original order for 1000 Mk IIs, the last 80 were built as Mk Vs. (Scale : 1/48e)