Air Power Series>1:48 die-cast display model>Spitfire>HA8310
Spitfire Mk.VIII A58-484, flown by Group Captain Clive Caldwell, RAAF, Morotai 1944
General Background
The Spitfire Mk. VIII was to going to use the larger Merlin engines so the airframe of the earlier Mk. V had to be redesigned. This kept the new mark from entering service until June 1943. The Mk. VIII was produced in 3 versions; the standard fighter F.VIII with the 1,560 hp Merlin 61; the high altitude fighter HF.VIII with the 1,655hp Merlin 70 and the low altitude fighter LF.VIII with the 1,705 hp Merlin 66. The Mk. VIII was going to be the answer to the Fw-190.
The Aircraft
The leading RAAF ace in the Western Deserts of North Africa was Clive "Killer" Caldwell who
racked up 20.5 kills. When the RAAF squadrons were recalled for homeland protection Caldwell
was given command of the Darwin Wing where he scored 7 more victories against Japanese
aircraft. In November 1943 the RAAF started to receive 251 former RAF Mk. VIIIs. Caldwell flew 3
Spitfire Mk. VIIIs one of which was former RAF JG543. Caldwell was the highest scoring Spitfire
pilot and Australian pilot in the SWPA (South West Pacific Area).
Specifications :
| Role : | Fighter Bomber |
| Crew : | 1 |
| Crew : | 1 X pilot |
| Performance : | |
| Engine: | Rolls-Royce Merlin 70 liquid-cooled V-12 piston with 2 speed 2 stage supercharger |
| Horse Power: | 1,710 hp @ 11,000 ft |
| 1,475 @ 23,250 ft | |
| Propeller: | 4 x wooden blade Rotol Constant Speed 10 ft 9 ins (3.22 m) in diameter |
| Fuel: | Aviation Gasoline 100 Octane |
| Tanks: | Fuselage Capacity: 90 Imperial Gallons 108 U.S. Gallons (409 Litres) |
| Wing Capacity (2): 30 Imperial Gallons 36 U.S. Gallons (136 Litres) | |
| Speed: | @ 21,000 ft (6,400 m) – 404 mph (650 km/h) |
| Cruise: | 253 mph ( 407 km/h) |
| Climb To 20,000 ft (6,096 m): | 6.7 minutes |
| Service Ceiling: | 41,500 ft (12,649 m) |
| Range With drop Tanks: | 1,180 miles (1,900 km) |
| Dimensions: | |
| Wingspan: | 36 ft 10 ins (11.23 m) |
| Length: | 31 ft 3.5 ins (9.54 m) |
| Height: | 12 ft 7.75 ins (3.86 m) |
| Weight: | |
| Empty: | 5,800 lbs (2,631 kg) |
| Loaded: | 7,767 lbs (3,523 kg) |
| Armament: | |
| Wings: | 2 x 20 mm Hispano cannons |
| 4 x .303 Browning MGs | |
| Bombs: | 1 x 500 lbs (454 kg) or |
| 2 x 250 lbs (227 kg) |