Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Spitfire with 'pointy' wings

Clipped wings on Spitfires gave them better speed and manoeuvrability (especially roll rate) at low altitudes and I have a few Spitfire models with clipped wings in the collection (see here and here). The opposite of clipping a Spit's wings is to extend them. Having such extended, pointed wings generated more lift at high altitudes. 

Of course, I'd kept my eye out for a Spitfire model with 'pointy' wings, but it took me quite a long time before I saw a listing of a Mk VIII with pointed wings on eBay. This was an already built kit, but it looked absolutely fine, so ...

And as far as I can ascertain, this a picture of the actual aircraft (JF404) that the model is based on:


Increased performance aside, from an esthetical point of view, the standard elliptical wing shape, originally designed by Beverley Shenstone, leaves 'clipped' and 'pointy' wings far behind for me.

Spitfire with 'pointy' wings

Clipped wings on Spitfires gave them better speed and manoeuvrability (especially roll rate) at low altitudes and I have a few Spitfire mode...