How fast could a Spitfire go?

[flyingjibus]

Re: How fast could a Spitfire go?

It was not 490, I think it was something like 467 or maybe 476.

[Sky Critter]

Re: How fast could a Spitfire go?

Rare Bear's top speed last year was 479.088 for Sunday's Gold race. I don't recall what his fastest lap was. Pretty quick for a nearly stock engine.

[First time Juke]

Re: How fast could a Spitfire go?

How much fuel the Mustang could carry has nothing to do with drag. The Spit's eliptical wing has much more area, and the fact that it's a non-laminal flow design means that it creates far more drag than the Mustang's wing. I stand by my statement that the Spit would never be as fast of a racer as the Mustang.

Grampi is correct.

I had been "diverted" by some web-info...Mike Spick book says Mk XVIII went 442 mph and suffered from floating ailerons at 470mph and thus vne became 470 mph.

Fastest wartime Spit was unarmed XIX at 460 mph.

Spitfire wing was very thin at the time ( root 13 % and tip 6% ) hence fast.

Mustang is also a saga and some models went 480 mph already in 1944-1945 G-H-J among others. Thus gampi is correct againg since later Packards produced 2180 hp niveau outputs.

Have a good race gentlemen !

Mk XVIII; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_JxWfNF5xA