A Case of a Good Bubble
The legendary Supermarine Spitfire is often credited with saving England during WWII. Among its many variants was the Mk.XVI, which was a Mk.IX airframe that was powered by a Merlin 266 engine license-built by Packard Motor Car Company in the United States. Most Mk.XVIs featured the larger rudder and E Type wing with two 20mm cannons and two 12.7mm machine guns. With the introduction of the teardrop canopy, the rear upper fuel tank capacity was reduced to 33 gal. and that of the forward lower fuel tank was increased to 48 gal. to compensate. 1,054 Mk.XVIs were produced from September 1944 until July 1945. During the war, they were deployed on the European front and served as fighter-bombers. In the post-war period, the Mk.XVI was used by the RAF as well as the Belgian and Greek air forces until the early-1950s.