The tropical version of the Spitfire Mk.V featured both a factory produced air filter under the nose, or a locally produced version know as the Aboukir filter.
The Spitfire Mk Vb is a single-engine, single-seat, multi-role combat aircraft famed for its aerial exploits in World War II. The aircraft is an all-metal, low-wing, cantilever monoplane design. It features a traditional empennage, a standard undercarriage, and retractable main landing gear. It has a semi-bubble canopy for enhanced visibility.
This version uses a tropical filter for the engine. The tropical filter was used to keep dust from entering the engine aspiration system and was employed in North Africa. During operations, the Spitfire Mk Vb used two types of tropical filters, a factory filter and one that was produced in North Africa called an Aboukir filter.
The Mk Vb is one of many variants of the legendary Spitfire family, which is famed for participating in the entirety of World War II. The Spitfire Mk Vb performed a number of roles, notably interception, air superiority, and bomber escort. During combat, it was renowned for its speed, agility, acceleration, and resiliency.
The aircraft, when operational, was armed with two 20-millimeter autocannons with 60 rounds per gun and four.303-caliber machine guns, each with 350 rounds of ammunition. It could also be fitted with rockets and a light load of bombs for ground attack roles.
The airframe measures 29 feet, 11 inches in length, stands 11 feet, 5 inches tall, and has a distinctive elliptical wing with a span of 36 feet, 10 inches.
The Spitfire Mk Vb is powered by a liquid-cooled, supercharged, V-12 Merlin 45 engine generating 1,470 horsepower. The powerplant turns a 3-blade Rotol constant-speed propeller. It has a range of 470 miles, a ceiling of 37,500 feet above sea level, an overall climb rate of 2,600 feet per minute, and a top speed of 375 miles per hour. It can climb to 20,000 feet in 6 minutes, 24 seconds from sea level and 30,000 feet in 12 minutes, 12 seconds from sea level. Use of the tropical filter affects aircraft performance; it slows top speed by up to 35 miles per hour at high altitude and lowers operating ceiling by about 500 feet.
| LENGTH | 29 ft 11 in (9.12 m) |
| WINGSPAN | 36 ft 10 in (11.23 m) |
| ENGINE | RR Merlin 45 |
| MAX WEIGHT | 6525 Lb (3071 kg) |
| MAX ALTITUDE | 35000 ft (10668 m) |
| RANGE | 248 mi (400 km) |
| FUEL CAPACITY | 85 Imp gal (386 L) |
| EMPTY WEIGHT | 4963 Lb (2251 kg) |
| CRUISE SPEED | 272 mph (437 kmh) |
| MAXIMUM SPEED | 371 mph (597 kmh) |
