Hobby Master 1/48 - Spitfire PR.XIX 1st Flight F11 Wing, Swedish Air Force

Hobby Master 1/48 - Spitfire PR.XIX 1st Flight F11 Wing, Swedish Air Force

The Spitfire PR.XIX was the last Spitfire with elliptical wings and was the last RAF Spitfire type in front-line service. The PR.XIX was a combination of power by the Griffon engine of the Mk.XIV and the wings of the PR.XI making it the fastest Spitfire. Weapons were removed to allow for larger fuel tanks in the leading edge of the wings making it possible to fly missions as far as Berlin at altitudes over 40,000 feet. By the end of production 225 XIX had been made.

The Aircraft

In 1949 the Swedish Air Force took delivery of 50 former RAF Spitfire PR.XIX and designated them S-31. They came equipped for reconnaissance flights and were based with F.11 Flight Reconnaissance Wing at Nyköping south of Stockholm. These aircraft would penetrate Soviet airspace in the Baltic area and record activity at air and naval bases. At that time the Soviets didn’t have an aircraft that could catch these S-31s. The S-31 was replaced in 1954 by the Saab 29 jet. Ten of the 50 crashed and the rest were scrapped.

Specifications :

Number Produced :	225
Performance:
Engine:	(1) Rolls-Royce liquid-cooled Griffon 66 / 12-cylinder developing 2,035 HP @ 2,134 m (7,000 ft.) The difference between the Griffon 65 and the 66 was the 66 had a blower to provide cockpit pressurization.
Fuel Capacity:
Internal:	954 L (252 gal)
External:	Optional slipper tank/drop tank 85 L or 643 L (90 gal or 170 gal) these were seldom used on this Spitfire model because the added drag eliminated any benefits.
Maximum Speed:	735 km/h (457 mph)
Cruise Speed:	580 km/h (360 mph)
Maximum Altitude:	Approximately 14,000 m (approximately 45,000 ft)
Normal altitude for vertical photography:	9000 m (29,530 ft)
Range:	880 km (547 miles)
Maximum Range:	1,125 km (699 miles) with a slipper tank/drop tank
Dimensions:
Length:	9.96 m (32.68 ft)
Wingspan:	11.23 m (36.84 ft)
Weapons:	None, only equipped with (2) vertical cameras with a focal length of 920 mm and (1) oblique camera with a focal length of 350 mm.