View source for Spitfire Mk XVI

===Firepower===

Fairly good, the Spitfire comes with only one option of a pair of wing-mounted .50 caliber machine guns (250rpg) and a pair of 20mm Hispano Mk II cannons (120rpg).  The .50s are credible when the target is at convergence and also tend to create damage with some well placed hits.  They do not tend to give really quick results but they have to be respected as they tend to hole fuel-tanks, radiators and oil-coolers.  The 20mm Hispano cannons are very good, they offer superior ballistics to any other 20mm cannon in the game and hit amongst the hardest of the 20mm class of weapons.  Hispanos have been respected in the game for a long time and any aircraft carrying a pair of them should be effective against fighter sized aircraft with even quick snapshots. Firing time is a bit light, 18 seconds for the .50’s and 11 seconds for the 20mm, enough for a few kills at least.

External options are better than earlier Spitfires with wing mounts for 250lb bombs or a pair of 3.5inch rockets.  While basically a token attack ability, it is none-the-less something and gives some flexibility over the target to knock out light structures or go after lightly armored ground vehicles.  On the centerline is also a mount which can carry a 500lb bomb or 30 gallon drop tank.  Typically the drop tank is taken to provide some reasonable range but the bomb can be useful in close.  Performance suffers at high aircraft weights and high drags so flying around with a bunch of ordnance is not great if you are fighting.