War thunder spitfire squadron12/31/2023 ![]() You can feel the aircraft rocking back and forth when using the throttle to get the aircraft moving which is just small indicator on how much power and torque the Griffon is putting out. Forwarded with that knowledge still wasn’t able to fully prepare me for managing this beast and I did end up ground looping a few times. Good management and keeping the throttle low will result in generally straightforward taxiing and any over exuberance of throttle will cause an almost immediate ground loop. Taxiing requires a bit more concentration than in the Spitfire IX although the overall outcome is very similar. Going back and forth between V/IX and XIV will require very careful re-calibration of muscle memory to make sure that you’re using the correct pedal. Many pilots, both virtual and in real life, prepared to counter rudder on the takeoff roll only to find out that the aircraft wanted to go into the other direction. With the narrow undercarriage and over 2,000 hp on tap, the Mark XIV and other so equipped Spitfires were well known for ground looping and various other mishaps on takeoff and landing.Ĭontributing to this reputation was the opposite spin of the Griffon engine versus that of the Merlin. The Griffon powered Spitfire models were known for tricky handling characteristics in some specific circumstances – mostly while on the ground. Once the V-1 attacks on London and the south of England subsided, Spitfire XIV squadrons were moved to the continent in the fall of 1944 and served alongside the other frontline Spitfire squadrons (most of them with the Mark IX and Merlin 266 powered XVI) as well as the Typhoon and Tempest. ![]() Spitfire XIV models first appeared in January of 1944 on the channel front before being reserved for V-1 chasing as the new threat materialized. The Spitfire XIV was the definitive Griffon Spitfire and it did that with a two stage supercharger, longer nose, enlarged vertical stabilizer, and several other refinements to the design. Development on prototypes lead to the Mark XII, the first production version of a Griffon Spitfire which had superb low altitude performance. The short version of the Spitfire XIV’s history starts in 1941 where Supermarine and the designers of the Spitfire explored a new Rolls Royce engine, the Griffon, as an alternative powerplant that the Spitfire might be able to grow into. If you want the full read, check that out here. I also answered some of the questions out there about why this later model of Spitfire is arriving in Battle of Normandy and how it and the Spitfire IX fit into the mix of late war Spitfire models. I’ve written a piece not too long ago about the type and how it came to be. I always like to start an aircraft review off with some history. Now that it’s out many of you may be asking what the new Spitfire is like, how it performs in combat, and how does it compare versus other Spitfire models and versus other aircraft in the series? This is my in-depth review of the aircraft in IL-2! But first, some history ![]() And now we can, thanks to the release of the Spitfire XIV in IL-2: Great Battles patch 4.6. In either case, it’s been a long time since we had the opportunity to fly one of the ultimate Spitfire models in action. For some of you, the last time you flew an XIV may have been in European Air War by Microprose in 1998. ![]() ![]() The last time I flew one was in Aces Over Europe by Dynamix in 1993. I’ve been patiently waiting for a combat flight simulator to do a Spitfire XIV for a couple of decades. ![]()
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