Griffon Spitfire question - tropical filters

[Tony Whittingham]

Hello Spitfire experts,

I’m curious to know whether or not the Mark 14/18/19 Spitfires had tropical filters. If not, were  filters fitted only to Seafires/Spitefuls?

 

regards,

TW

[Graham Boak]

I've seen no reference to this on Griffin Spitfires or Seafires.  Not have I seen any external changes  I therefore suggest that the Aerovee filter/intake as common to late Merlin Spitfires was fitted to all later aircraft, including Spitefuls, Seafangs and Griffon Spitfires.  Obviously larger as necessary.

Edited November 26, 2019 by Graham Boak

[Tony Whittingham]

Thanks,Graham!

My perusal of photos on the web doesn’t show any filter-like structure on the cowling bottom of Griffon Spitfires that resemble the Merlin filters. I’m still leaning towards the “no filter” option. The Spiteful seems to be the first, depending on whether or not you count the post war Fireflies. Then, there’s the Seafire 47.

 

regards,

TW

[Graham Boak]

Griffon Spitfires operated in tropical environments postwar, India and Palestine for example. It is difficult to see the RAF doing this without some kind of filter, internal or external.

 

The only difference with the Seafire 47 was the extension of the air intake forward, as a copy of the Mustang.  I recall Jeffery Quill commenting that he never saw any benefit from it.

 

[Work In Progress]

The Spitfire XIV/XIX, and presumably later versions, do have cockpit-selectable air filtration within the standard intake system, unlike, say, a Spitfire V where the standard intake feeds unfiltered air. There was no need for the ugly and draggy add-on filter.

 

There is a cockpit control with two positions, FILTER IN OPERATION and NORMAL INTAKE. You run it filtered on and near the ground, and unless you;re flying through unusually unpleasant conditions you can select NORMAL INTAKE in the climb at around 1000 feet.  Put it back into filtered air as you rejoin the circuit.

 

The Seafire 47 extended intake trunking does not contain any additional filtration system.

Edited November 27, 2019 by Work In Progress

[Tony Whittingham]

Thanks, gents!

Got it now. 
 

cheers,

TW

[Dave Swindell]

[Work In Progress]

That is a very helpful schematic for modellers as it shows why when you see an airworthy example on the ground all you can see down the intake is not a black hole but the slanted door like a ramp pretty near the mouth. 

[alt-92]

And it's Interior Green apparently.