Sptfires sold to Belgium

[Brummy]

Hi all,

This is my first proper posting on this forum so please be gentle with me.

On a visit to the Royal Museum of the Army and military history ( web site) a couple of weeks ago, a friend and I came across a couple of ex Belgian military Spitfires, Both aircraft had the tips of their wings 'clipped off' . I had always presumed that this was only done to the sea born Seafires but my friend thaught that this was standard on later model Spitfires to improve airodynamics. Has anybody got the real story on this. I presume the Spitfires where baught second hand from the British millitary.

Brum

[STEVEN]

Brummy

I don't know the story about the Belgian Spitfires,but your friend is right some of the MUCH later versions of the Spitfire did indeed have "Clipped Wings".I don't know which Mk No's they were as i can't find my Spifire Book at the moment.Some of the last versions of the Spitfire even had "Bubble" canopies as well.

If i manage to find my book i'l post the information on here,but i'm positive that someone will have answered your query in much greater detail by then.

Stephen

[STEVEN]

Brummy

Just found my Spitfire Book,here's what it says.

Some MkV's (much earlier version than i thought) were adapted for "low altitude" by clipping the wings,(decreasing the wing span by 4ft 4ins).This increased the speed marginally but gave the aircraft a much better rate of roll.These clipped wing spitfires were also fitted with a modified supercharger to the merlin engine.

Belgium.

The belgiums flew spitfires with 349 and 350 squadrons of the RAF.They eventually moved to Belgium with their aircraft to join the Belgium airforce in October 1946.

The new Belgium airforce would eventually use 203 flying examples of the Spitfire (all i assume 2nd hand).This comprised of:-

26 Mk LF.XVIe's (loaned from the RAF until replaced by MkXIV's).
43 Mk LF.IXc/e's (stripped of armament for pilot training).
134 Mk F/FR.XIVc/e's (photo reconissence versions with the camera's removed !!).

Finally 2 Mk XIV's (for ground instructional use and for spares).

The last Spitfires went out of service some time in 1954,but ti doesn't give the exact date here.

Stephen

[STEVEN]

I used to live on the Castle Vale Estate in Birmingham.The estate is opposite the Jaguar Cars plant.During the War the majority of the Spitfires where built there.

On the traffic island outside the factory there is a rather impressive sculpture in steel that was unveiled in 2000.

[Brummy]

Thanks Steven

So I was wrong and my mate was right . And yes I remember that at least one of the aircraft had a bubble or teardrop cannopy.

Brum

[BlackSeptember1918]

Steven knows his stuff !. They clipped the wings of the Spit V hoping to give it equally good low altitude performance against the FW190 .
Many country's used 2nd hand Spits , including the Canadians , Israelis, Dutch , South African's to name a few . I've seen a pic of a clipped wing Mark IX of the 322 Dutch Royal Airforce Squadron crashed in Indonesia in January 49 . It's serial No was MK993 , which from a book I have makes it a LF.IX , built at Castle Bromwich between July 1943 and May 44 .
Phil.
P.S. Your querie reminded me of Adolf Galland's encounter with 2 Belgium Hurricanes early in the war, and his remark about them not being enjoyable to shoot down as it was too easy !!.