Air Council Pilots Notes Dated 9/46 Spitfire IX,XI&XVI w Merlin 61,63,66,70,266

Description

The British
Supermarine Spitfire
was facing several challenges by mid-1942. The debut of the formidable Focke-Wulf Fw 190 in late 1941 had caused problems for RAF fighter squadrons flying the latest Spitfire Mk Vb.[2] Rolls-Royce engineers were already working on a new version of the Merlin incorporating a two-stage supercharger; the combination of the improved Merlin and the Spitfire Mk VC airframe in a "stop-gap" design allowed the RAF to combat the Fw 190 on equal terms. In a second stream of development Supermarine was working on an improved, reinforced, Spitfire airframe which incorporated several new features and was designed for the Merlin 60 and 70 series engines.[3] This new airframe later formed the basis for the Rolls-Royce Griffon powered Spitfires.