Originally Posted by
DODGYOLDFART
Stoppages always were a problem with early wing mounted Hispanos.... This led to the belief that the cause of stoppages in the early Spitfires was due to the wings flexing. This may or may not have been a contributing factor as the later Hurricanes which had a stiffer wing had fewer stoppages than the Spits.
. The problem with the early cannon Spitfires was that the cannons were laid on their sides (rather than their belly) and were drum rather than belt fed. The reason they were laid on their sides was due to the shape of the Spitfire wing. Stoppages were an early problem. These issues weren't ironed out until autumn 1940. The early 8 gun, then 4 machine gun /2 cannon and later 4-8 machine gun and 2-4 cannon Spitfires, all had different wings.