http://www.pprune.org/members/440631-a0283
AO283
I think you are confused...
Spittfire tails did not come off. Perhaps you mean Hawker Typhoon
or Tempest? (which did lose tails during development).
the Spitfire in all it's guises over a 10 year development period
was considered incredibly strong and it had to be, having the highest
Critical Mach No of any piston/prop powered fighter, demonstrated repeatedly
post war from altitudes as high as 50,000.