The Submarine Spitfire fighter aircraft was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The British single-seat plane was designed as a short-range, high-performance interceptor aircraft.
Spitfires were supplied to allies such as France and Russia. Others later ended up in service as far afield as Indonesia, Israel and Thailand.
The Spitfire was almost christened the Shrew. Sir Robert McLean, boss of manufacturers Vickers-Armstrong, eventually used his daughter Ann's nickname. Ann McLean, who played a major role in its development, was known as a "right little spitfire."
Staffordshire-born engineer Reginald "R.J. "Mitchell (1895-1937) was chief designer of the Spitfire, but didn't live to see the plane's success. Diagnosed with cancer, he worked until weeks before his death.
The Spitfire was built in greater numbers than any other British aircraft during the Second World War and was the only fighter which remained in production throughout the conflict.
The first plane shot down by a Spitfire was an RAF Hurricane in 1939 in a friendly fire incident known as the Battle of Barking Creek.
The plane was so feared by the Luftwaffe that many Nazi crews claimed to have been shot down by one when they had really been downed by the slower, more numerous, Hurricane.
When Luftwaffe commander Hermann Göring asked his flying ace Adolf Galland what he needed to win the Battle of Britain, he replied: "A squadron of Spitfires."
After D-Day, flying ace Johnnie Johnson organised a supply run of Spitfires with barrels of beer slung under each wing to bring the "necessities of life" to pilots on front-line airfields in Normandy.
The sensational disclosure was made in the House of Commons on March 21, 1945 that at one time during the war Britain had only one drop hammer capable of forging the crankshaft of a Spitfire engine. MPs had guessed there were times when our resources were thin during the dark days, but probably had not thought we were as short as this.
Spitfires were occasionally painted pink to blend in with the sunset and sunrise when used for low-level reconnaissance flights.
Silk Scarves were obligatory for Spitfire pilots because constant turns of the head to look out for enemy fighters quickly caused a rash when wearing a cotton shirt
Alex Henshaw, MBE (7 November 1912 – 24 February 2007) was a test pilot for Vickers Armstrong during the Second World War. Between 1940 and 1946, Henshaw flew a total of 2,360 Spitfires and Seafires, more than 10% of total production.
In all, 20,351 Spitfires were produced for the RAF during the Second World War, in 24 different versions, at a cost of around £12,600 each.
There are 54 Spitfires in airworthy condition worldwide, although many air museums have examples on static display,
Experts say those Spitfires found in Myanmar would be worth at least £1million each to collectors nowadays, such is the rarity of the much-loved aircraft.
Source Daily Mail
The Spitfire was almost christened the Shrew. Sir Robert McLean, boss of manufacturers Vickers-Armstrong, eventually used his daughter Ann's nickname. Ann McLean, who played a major role in its development, was known as a "right little spitfire."
Staffordshire-born engineer Reginald "R.J. "Mitchell (1895-1937) was chief designer of the Spitfire, but didn't live to see the plane's success. Diagnosed with cancer, he worked until weeks before his death.
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| Spitfire LF Mk IX, MH434 Bryan Fury75 at French Wikipedia |
The Spitfire was built in greater numbers than any other British aircraft during the Second World War and was the only fighter which remained in production throughout the conflict.
The first plane shot down by a Spitfire was an RAF Hurricane in 1939 in a friendly fire incident known as the Battle of Barking Creek.
The plane was so feared by the Luftwaffe that many Nazi crews claimed to have been shot down by one when they had really been downed by the slower, more numerous, Hurricane.
When Luftwaffe commander Hermann Göring asked his flying ace Adolf Galland what he needed to win the Battle of Britain, he replied: "A squadron of Spitfires."
After D-Day, flying ace Johnnie Johnson organised a supply run of Spitfires with barrels of beer slung under each wing to bring the "necessities of life" to pilots on front-line airfields in Normandy.
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| Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk XIIs of 41 Squadron in April 1944 |
The sensational disclosure was made in the House of Commons on March 21, 1945 that at one time during the war Britain had only one drop hammer capable of forging the crankshaft of a Spitfire engine. MPs had guessed there were times when our resources were thin during the dark days, but probably had not thought we were as short as this.
Spitfires were occasionally painted pink to blend in with the sunset and sunrise when used for low-level reconnaissance flights.
Silk Scarves were obligatory for Spitfire pilots because constant turns of the head to look out for enemy fighters quickly caused a rash when wearing a cotton shirt
Alex Henshaw, MBE (7 November 1912 – 24 February 2007) was a test pilot for Vickers Armstrong during the Second World War. Between 1940 and 1946, Henshaw flew a total of 2,360 Spitfires and Seafires, more than 10% of total production.
In all, 20,351 Spitfires were produced for the RAF during the Second World War, in 24 different versions, at a cost of around £12,600 each.
There are 54 Spitfires in airworthy condition worldwide, although many air museums have examples on static display,
Experts say those Spitfires found in Myanmar would be worth at least £1million each to collectors nowadays, such is the rarity of the much-loved aircraft.
Source Daily Mail
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