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Supermarine Spitfire

The Spitfire is the most famous of all British combat aircraft.

The Spitfire played a vital role in the Battle of Britain in 1940. More than 20,000 were built between 1936 and 1948.

This Spitfire was built in July 1945, too late to see combat in the Second World War. It flew with a Flying Refresher School in Yorkshire which retrained Royal Air Force pilots. You can find out more about the Spitfire here.

Supermarine Spitfire fact file

Date:    1945
Mark:  LF.XVIe
Crew: 1 (pilot)
Top speed:  405 mph (652 km/h)
Range: 980 miles (1,577 km)
Weapons: 2 x 20mm Hispano-Suiza cannons
2 x 0.50 inch (12.7mm) Browning machine guns
Up to 1,000lb (454 kg) of bombs

Supermarine Spitfire on display at the National Museum of Flight

Spitfire

Cockpit view

Spitfire cockpit

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