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.
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
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.
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
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...
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...
64 years of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
On Sunday, the renowned historic display group celebrated its birthday. We’ve put together a collection of our favourite images to celebrate the milestone
FlyingIron Simulations’ Spitfire L.F Mk.IXC
The Supermarine Spitfire has been represented in flight simulation since the very beginning of the hobby. In this review, we will be examining the FlyingIron Simulations’ Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX for Microsoft Flight Simulator.
RAF Fighter Pilot Training in 1941
A fascinating insight into how the RAF was training its new fighter pilots for the Spitfire and Hurricane.
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.
Other military aircraft categories
Looking for military aircraft news or updates from your favourite military aircraft airshows? Or information on other military fighter aircraft?
Subscribe to Key.Aero for Over 100+ Pieces of New Content, Every Month
Become a part of our aviation community and subscribe to Key.Aero now. You can get all the aviation information you'll ever need, whenever you want, with access to all the latest aviation updates, news, events and more.