The Spitfire Mk.XVIE was the last mass-produced Spitfire variant with a Merlin engine. It was a derivative of the Mk.IXE powered by the American-built Packard Merlin 266 engine, produced under Rolls-Royce license. This engine differed from its British original in the technical solutions employed. The new aircraft first flew in December 1943.
Nearly all Mk.XVIE machines were adapted for low-altitude operations — hence the “LF” designation (“low altitude fighter”). All aircraft of this version had clipped wings, the E-type armament variant and a vertical stabilizer modelled on the late Mk.XI series (a rudder with a longer chord and a pointed top). Most of the Mk.XVI production series had a lowered rear fuselage spine behind the pilot’s cockpit, which allowed for a bubble canopy and improved rearward visibility. A total of 1055 Mk.XVIE aircraft were produced.
Polish squadrons 302 (Poznan), 308 (Krakow) and 317 (Vilnius) flew “Spitfire” LF Mk.XVIE aircraft in England. After the war, two LF Mk.XVIE machines were presented at a Warsaw exhibition showcasing the RAF’s war effort in World War II. After the exhibition ended, they were donated to the Polish Army Museum, where they were displayed for a short time and then scrapped.
It is currently displayed in the colours of the Polish 308 Krakow Fighter Squadron, as aircraft TB995 ZF-O. The original aircraft was delivered to the squadron on 15 March 1945. The “Zephyrs”, along with the entire 131st Polish Fighter Wing, were stationed at the former Luftwaffe base at Gilze-Rijen airfield in the Netherlands.
Aircraft of this squadron carried out combat sorties, attacking ground targets, waterway transport routes and V-1 and V-2 weapon positions. The final wartime operations of the 131st Wing included participation in Operation Plunder. After the war ended, the squadron became part of the British Air Forces of Occupation.
The Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk.XVIE bearing the markings AU-Y, held in the Museum’s collection, was produced in 1944 and assigned to 421 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). In 1956 it was placed in the RAF Museum at Hendon. In 1967 it took part in filming for the movie Battle of Britain, and in 1977 it was transferred to the Aviation Museum in Krakow.
| Wingspan | 9.93 m |
| Length | 9.54 m |
| Takeoff weight | 3400 kg |
| Maximum speed | 652 km/h |
| Ceiling | 12900 m |
| Range | 690 km |
| Armament | 2 British Hispano cannons cal. 20 mm and 2 Colt Browning machine guns cal. 12.7 mm, plus 2 x 113 kg bombs under the wings and one 113 or 227 kg bomb under the fuselage |
| Engine | 12-cylinder, inline Packard Merlin 266 with 1390 hp (1015 kW) power |
