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The Spitfire Mk.VI and Mk.VII were high-altitude fighters developed to counter the Luftwaffe’s high-altitude bombers, but as there were no enemy bomber incursions, the pressurized cabin was removed and the Spitfire Mk.VIII was made into a normal fighter model.

However, mass production was delayed, so the Mk.IX was released to replace the Mk.VIII and compete with the Luftwaffe’s Fw109A.

The Mk.IX was a minimal improvement on the existing Mk.Vc airframe,equipped with a Merlin 61 engine,and the first mass-produced model was completed in June 1942.

By June 1945, a total of about 5,600 of each type had been produced, with the mainstay being the low-altitude (LF) model equipped with the Merlin 66 engine,followed by several hundred medium-altitude (F) models equipped with the Marine 61 or 63 engine,and just under 600 high-altitude (HF) models equipped with the Merlin 70.

Initially, the main armament was the C-wing,but later the E-wing equipped with two 20mm cannons and two 12.7mm machine guns was also adopted,and standard and cut-off wings were used for the main wings,and the rudders were enlarged in later production models.

In addition, to make up for the shortage of engines due to the mass production of the Mk.IX, about 1,000 Mk.XVIs were produced, which were basically the same as the Merlin 66, but were equipped with the Packard Merlin 266 licensed from the United States, and had the same appearance and performance as the Mk.IX.

Data:
Mk.IX

Crew: 1
Width: 11.227m (standard wing)
Length: 9.474m (standard rudder)
Height: 3.494m
Total weight: 3,572kg
Engine: Merlin 66km/h (for low altitude)
Power: 1,580hp
Range: 698km
Maximum speed: 650km/h (for low altitude)
Armament (C-wing): 20mm cannon x 2, 7.7mm machine gun x 4/7.7mm machine gun x 8 or 20mm cannon x 4