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Originally Posted by Kurfürst
The Spitfire was designed for four MGs originally, then came the Air Ministry's specs for eight machineguns, leading to the re-design of the wings which were now of elliptic form.
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I'll take your word for it, although the specification was issued a year before the first Spitfire flew. The point is that the Air Ministry (or Ralph Sorley) had studied armament needs and come up with the 8 MG specification. They were thinking ahead.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kurfürst
If you mean the introduction of cannon armament, it was introduced on the E-3 first (two MGs, two cannons), and the E-3 production run parallel to the all-MG E-1 from the end of 1938.
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So the Bf 109's cannon came years later than the 8 MG specification — which was kind of my point. Also consider what was actually in service. Wasn't the Bf 109 D in use in the Polish campaign and (as an earlier post on this thread said) the E-1 a significant element of strength in the BoB?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kurfürst
In all fairness, neither could the RAF for about another six months if I recall correctly.  Its true that the first AI systems were employed in 1940 by a Blenheim, but it was more an experimental set in field test rather than anything more serious. |
From memory, RAF night fighters practically doubled their kills each month through the Blitz months of 1941.