The Spitfire was conceived about the time that the importance of speed and climb rate was being discovered. Subsequently, the early Spitfires were rather slow with poor climb rates, but (being very light weight) possessed excellent turn performance.

The Spitfire Ia and the early Bf109 are well-matched, with the 109 being slightly faster in level flight and accelerating quicker in a dive. At slow speeds, however, the Spitfire is much more maneuverable and rolls faster than the 109. The Spitfire Ia suffers at high altitude, however, with the Bf109E clearly superior above 20,000 feet. The Spitfire Ia is under armed; its light punch can't guarantee lethality against targets with self-sealing fuel tanks (such as the He111 bomber). Further, the Spitfire Ia's carburated engine will cut out under negative G, something the fuel-injected Bf109 doesn't have to worry about. The Spitfire Ia must watch out for high-speed bandits diving from above, and generally needs to sucker the opponent into a low-speed turning fight.

IA STATS

Wingspan: 36 ft. 10 in.
Length: 29 ft. 11 in.
Height: 11 ft. 5 in.
Wing Area: 242 sq. ft.
Engine: Rolls-Royce Merlin II rated at 1,030 hp.
Fuel: 102 gal. internal
Loaded Weight: 5,784 lb.
Wing Loading: 24 lb./sq. ft.
Maximum Speed: 355 mph.
Service Ceiling: 34,000 ft.
Rate of Climb: 2,500 ft./min
Combat Radius: 190 miles
Armaments: 8 x .303 cal. Browning machine guns
Ammunition: 350 rds/gun (.303cal)

Notes: The Spitfire I suffered from a carburetor problem which caused the engine to cut out if the pilot performed an inverted maneuver like a Split-S. The Spitfire Ia can only be flown clean.

HAWKER HURRICANE MK1

With over 15,000 Hurricanes built, the aircraft served on virtually every front; even remaining in front-line service as a ground-attack aircraft well after production ended. During the Battle of Britain, the Hurricane downed more Luftwaffe aircraft than any other aircraft type, accruing over 1,500 confirmed victories.

Despite its record, the Hurricane is slow, under-powered, maneuvers poorly, and lacks acceleration. The early Bf109s and Bf110s had little problem contending with the Hurricane. During the Battle of Britain, the Hurricane's main advantage came from fighting over friendly territory against opponents operating at the very edge of their combat range. On the average, though, the Hurricane was outclassed by most of its air-to-air opponents.

The Hurricane is a relatively stable aircraft and generally less difficult to fly than the Spitfire. The Hurricane reaches maximum power between 16,000 to 18,000 feet, but performance falls off sharply above 18,000 feet. Typically, the Hurricane should engage inbound bombers while Spitfires engage the escorting Bf109s.

MK1 STATS

Wingspan: 49 ft. 0 in.
Length: 31 ft. 5 in.
Height: 13 ft. 2 in.
Wing Area: 258 sq. ft.
Engine: Rolls-Royce Merlin III rated at 1,030 hp.
Fuel: 110 gal. internal
Loaded Weight: 6,600 lb.
Wing Loading: 26 lb./sq. ft.
Maximum Speed: 316 mph.
Service Ceiling: 33,200 ft.
Rate of Climb: 2,300 ft./min
Combat Radius: 140 miles
Armaments: 8 x .303 cal. Browning machine guns
Ammunition: 334 rds/gun

Notes: Once the aircraft caught fire, it was quickly engulfed in flames. Many pilots suffered the effects of 'Hurricane burns'. The Hurricane is only capable of being flown in a clean configuration.