La-7 vs ??? (attn Franek)

[Nash]

The weights for the Spitfire in that comparison are way over normal service load.

With full internal fuel and ammunition, the Spitfire IX weighed approx 7,450 lbs. The comparison on that site gives a weight of 4309 kg, which is 9,500 lbs.

So the Spitfire in that comparison is carrying 2,050 lbs of extra load, over and above normal fuel and ammunition.

The maximum load you could add to a Spitfire IX would be:

2 250 lbs bombs on the wings: 580 lbs (with bomb racks)

90 gallon drop tank on the centre line: 790 lbs

That's still 630 lbs short, which could only be made up by adding a rear fuselage fuel tank, of about 70 gallons.

That's way over maximum takeoff weight.

The power is correct, for a Merlin 63 at 21,000 ft, but I'd bet everything I own that the Russian fighters were not making 1850 hp at that altitude, and that their HP figures are the maximum they achieved. The Merlin 63, 66 and 70 were good for 1710 - 1720 hp with 100/130 octane fuel, around 2000 hp with 100/150 (less for the Merlin 63, as it couldn't run at 25 lbs boost, only 21, so approx 1900 hp).