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Originally Posted by Rumcajs
The wing is elliptical. Lift distribution is modified to a certain degree that's true, but it still has lift more evenly distributed than the wing of a 109. And the elliptical shape is responsible for that.
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I'd love to see some lift distribution graphs to support that.
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Your claim is not exactly true, because induced drag simply has something to do with the shape and lift distribution. You are right that the wing of a spit is large and that's why lower angle of attack ... ok. But the shape contributes too.
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Certainly shape is a factor, but I do not think it's a major or measurable factor compared to sheer wing size. The Spitfire had a very large wing for a very small airframe, much larger than any other with the possible exception of the Zero.
If wing shape would have been such a factor, planes like the Curtiss Hawk, Zero or Hawker Hurricane wouldn't run circles around the Spitfire, but they did.
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BTW if the elliptical shape didn't bring advantages, why would the Brits bother to manufacture them?
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Simply because the British Air Ministry specified an 8-gun armament, and Supermarine could not find space in the wings to house them without enlarging the original trapezoid wing of the Spitfire (which was meant for a four gun armament). The design team was simply practical about it.