Light fighter in 1938 and remained in production throughout the war. The empty weight of the Battle of Britain-era Spitfire IIA was 2,142 kg (4,723 lb), increasing to 2,984 kg (6,578 lb) in a later variant. It was highly maneuverable and was generally a match for its German opponents. Most Spitfires had a Rolls Royce Merlin engine, but later variants used one of the most powerful engines of the war – the Rolls Royce Griffon. The Spitfire was produced and improved throughout the war but was complex to build and had limited range. In other respects it was considered an outstanding fighter.
Rolls-Royce/SNECMA M45H The engine had a low turbine entry temperature and comparatively low rotational speed. The engine was designed to be uprated without drastic redesign. Three options were water injection (+10% thrust), improved HP turbine (+10% thrust), addition of a zero-stage to the LP compressor (+25% thrust). The engine was developed at the time of the Rolls-Royce bankruptcy which resulted in delays in developing the engine. A Rolls-Royce/SNECMA M45H engine is on display as part of the aero engine collection at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford. Rolls-Royce/SNECMA M45H The Rolls-Royce/SNECMA M45H was a medium bypass ratio turbofan produced specifically for the