About The Hawker Hurricane Though powered by the same Merlin engine it was a little slower than the Spitfire, but a steadier gun platform and could out-turn both the Spitfire and the Luftwaffe's Me109.
As a fighter, the Hurricane had some drawbacks. It was slightly slower than both the Spitfire I and II and the Messerschmitt Bf 109E, and the thicker wing profiles compromised acceleration; but it could out-turn both of them.
The Zero could comfortably out-turn the Spitfire and could remain airborne three times as long as the British fighter. What accounted for the Zero's performance? It was a very light fighter built of a new lightweight aluminium alloy called extra super duralumin. Its weight saving measures bordered on the extreme.
Which plane was better the Spitfire or the Hurricane?
The Spitfire was a technologically advanced fighter with excellent speed, maneuverability, and climb rate. It had a higher top speed than the Hurricane and was more agile. The Spit was particularly effective in engaging German fighters, due to its superior performance at higher altitudes.
In July 1940, when the fight began, the RAF Fighter Command had 396 operational Hurricanes and 228 Spitfires. That ratio, three Hurricanes to two Spitfires, held through the summer.
Battle of Britain's Finest: Spitfire and Hurricane fighter aircraft compared
Why was the Hurricane better than the Spitfire?
The thick wing created excellent lift, which meant HC was a good climber - it had better climbing rate than Spitfire and similar as Bf 109 E. HC was also easy to maintain and the guns were easy to reload. As the rear fuselage was fabric, it was also easy to repair. Some early models had also fabric wings.
X4474, a late production Mk I of 19 Squadron flown by Sergeant Jennings in September 1940. The Spitfire and Bf 109E were well-matched in speed and agility, and both were somewhat faster than the Hurricane.
The Mosquito reached 408 mph in level flight, which was faster than the operational version of the Spitfire at the time, whose top speed was 370 mph. After this demonstration flight, the airplane almost failed its acceptance for the Royal Air Force.
Was the Messerschmitt Me 262 the fastest plane in WW2? Nowhere near the fastest. The Me163 Komet had a top speed about 100 mph faster than the Me262, at 659 mph vs 559 mph.
What was the fatal flaw of the Spitfire fighter plane?
The Spitfire's original engine couldn't handle barrel rolls. The throttle valve would get flooded with fuel as the plane turned upside-down. German pilots quickly caught on to this particular flaw because black smoke would puff out of the Spitfire whenever it flipped over.
Depends on the mark… early model's II and III no , the Spitfire V and V-1 were just about equal in low altitude level speed so the Spit needed an altitude advantage and dive to catch V-1's . The Spitfire IX had a 70–80 mph speed advantage over the V-1 so catching was relatively easy.
The Zero had excellent maneuverability and most likely would out maneuver a Spitfire Mk-V. But the Oscar would completely outclass in a dog fight the Spit. The only advantage the Spit would have is in firepower and the ability to make a fast diving attack.
Spitfire was more than 100 mph faster than the zero and the P40b which the Flying Tigers used. The Spitfire had a higher altitude ceiling, more fire power and could out dive the Zero. The Spitfire sacrificed maneuverability and range to the Zero. The Spitfire had about half the range, 1000 miles verse nearly 2000.
The weather conditions that could affect us are: visibility, cloud base, wind and rain. Please note that ground conditions can also affect the Spitfire. Grass aerodromes are subject to becoming soft under foot. The Spitfire is a heavy aircraft and under these circumstances, we might deem it to be safer not to fly.
The Spitfire IX and P-51 have similar climbing abilities at 3200 feet per minute, the P-51 is faster at 440 to the Spits 404 mph, and the Spit is far lighter by 2 full tons (much of that in fuel) and far more maneuverable as a result.
Did the Spitfire and the Hurricane use the same engine?
The Rolls-Royce Merlin Engine powered some of the most famous aeroplanes of World War II, including the Spitfire, the Hurricane, the Mosquito, the Mustang and the Lancaster. The Merlin was also used in aeroplanes like the Fairey Battle and the Boulton Paul Defiant.
The P-47 Thunderbolt was a World War II-era fighter aircraft that was renowned for its toughness, firepower, and versatility. However, despite its many strengths, the P-47 was notoriously difficult to fly, particularly for novice pilots. There were several factors that contributed to the challenges of flying the P-47.
Junkers Ju87 Widely known as the “Stuka”, the Ju87 was one of the most feared aircraft during World War Two. It had a fearsome siren which terrified those who heard it. Lockheed Hudson Useful aeroplane. The wooden lifeboat was designed to be dropped by Hudsons to rescue airmen who had ditched.
How long could a Spitfire fly for with a full tank?
The early versions had two fuel tanks in front of the pilot, 48 Imperial gallons for the top tank and 37 gallons for the lower (feed) tank, and that one became self-sealing, as a "get you home" tank. That gave them a max range of around 450 miles and about 1.5 hours endurance.
Over the bumps and now at 85 m.p.h. plus, the Spitfire rises into the air. Hold steady the control column and feel the lift as the plane becomes airborne. Do not start to climb before a speed of 140 mph is reached.
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was the equivalent of the Supermarine Spitfire. Both were developed in the early/mid 1930s and first flew within about ten months of each other in 1935 (Bf 109) and 1936 (Spitfire). Both proved capable of further development, serving until the end of the war in 1945.
While there isn't a definitive 'score' for the Spitfire, the available statistical evidence points to the Spitfire shooting down more planes than its rivals.
At the beginning, the best interceptor was the Spitfire, the best long-range escort and carrier fighter was the Japanese Zero, the best bomber was probably the German JU 88. The Americans and the Russians didn't count so much.
