Supermarine Spitfire

The Supermarine Spitfire, often referred to as simply ‘Spitfire’, is a British fighter plane which gave the British dominance in the air in the Battle of Britain during World War 2. First produced in 1936 by manufacturer Supermarine, a handful of Spitfires have survived to still be airworthy well into the 21st century.

 

Get involved with Aero Legends' new Spitfire Restoration

Aero Legends has launched an experience package enabling you to witness first hand all the great milestones throughout the restoration of their Spitfire MJ444

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First flight beckons for Australian Spitfire

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX MH603 is expected to make its first post-restoration flight from Scone, New South Wales after extensive refurbishment from Vintage Fighter Restorations. The immaculate warbird is now also available to purchase via Platinum Fighter Sales

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Air-to-air with the Polish Heritage Flight

Established in 2019 to salute the heroism of Polish aircrew during World War Two, the Polish Heritage Flight possesses a Spitfire with significant history. Darren Harbar goes air-to-air with this magnificent machine and learns more about its provenance and role

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Wing Leader and top-scoring Allied fighter pilot of WW2 – ‘Johnnie’ Johnson

Following on from our piece on Roald Dahl, we thought it we’d share another of our favourite biographies, Wing Leader, the tail of a Leicestershire man who began the war as a sergeant pilot in the Volunteer Reserve, who went on to become one of WW2’s most celebrated fighter pilots.

Aeroplane Heaven Spitfire Takes Flight in MSFS

Aeroplane Heaven has released the Mk1A Supermarine Spitfire for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

AuthentiKit - An innovative modular flight control system Review Premium

AuthentiKit - An innovative modular flight control system

We look at a new set of controls that faithfully replicated those found in the Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX, designed by a company called AuthentiKit.

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Battle of Britain Film Engineer's Memories

Being involved in the Battle of Britain filming generated all sorts of emotions, and so it was for a member of the engineering team, tasked first with returning Spitfires to flight and then keeping them ‘on the line’

Salisbury Rugby Club celebrates the Spitfire

A rugby club in Wiltshire has erected a replica of the Spitfire to honour the people of Salisbury who manufactured the iconic aeroplane in secret

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PETER ARNOLD IS 'MR SPITFIRE'

Inside Stories: Peter Arnold has spent decades amassing an incredible collection of aviation artefacts. FlyPast reveals some of the finest items...

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SPITFIRE LETTERS

Less than a year before the Spitfire prototype first flew, RJ Mitchell received a letter telling him the aeroplane needed redesigning. FlyPast reveals the correspondence, along with Mitchell’s stinging response...

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Spitfire Plane Facts, News and Restorations

This page is the only place you need for everything Spitfire related; from interesting historical facts to the latest news on restoration projects, Spitfire appearances and more! For example, did you know that early models of the Spitfire had issues with their Browning machine guns freezing at higher altitudes, a problem that was not addressed until 1938 when a heating system was added to the gun bays.

No military plane has become such a renowned symbol of British Airforce superiority both in terms of its engineering prowess and illustrious military record. The Spitfire has become one of the most popular military aircraft amongst restorers, enthusiasts and airshow attendees alike and for the British represents a symbol of victory. Powered by two Rolls Royce Merlin or Griffon engines, the Spitfire was fast with later variants hitting a top speed of 454mph, making it a formidable and agile foe when it came to short range dog fights giving the RAF the slightest of advantages in critical battles of WW2.

Despite being outnumbered by the Hurricane during the battle of Britain, The Spitfire suffered fewer overall losses and had a higher victory to loss ratio. This, in part, is what lead many of the British to believe that the Spitfire was the reason the Battle of Britain was won. In reality the combination of the two planes and their skilful pilots is what lead the British to victory in the skies.

Of all the legendary fighter, bomber and transport military aircraft from this period, the Spitfire is the one that has captured the hearts and minds of countless enthusiasts and lead to a myriad of restoration projects, airshows and museum pieces.

Take a look at our Spitfire related articles below to find out more about this legendary Warbird aircraft. Discover more articles on vintage aircraft restorations.

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