Spitfire: the Basics
The Spitfire was by no means the only combat aircraft on which Britain relied to ward off the threat of invasion during the second world war, but it quickly became the most celebrated.
Although the Hawker Hurricane may have fought alongside it in the Battle of Britain, it was the Spitfire – with its low-slung wings and rounded contours – that was most instantly recognisable.
Without the peacetime international air competitions of the 1920s, the Spitfire may never have been developed. Powered by the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, it owes its birth to the design genius of one man, RJ Mitchell, who sadly didn't live to see his plane play such a decisive role in wartime.
Although production stopped in the 1950s, the Spitfire has retained its fame through countless war movies, flypasts at air-shows and the Airfix model company, which has been producing self-assembly Spitfire kits for more than 50 years. Celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2006, the Spitfire is once again the focus for exhibitions and commemorative displays, reminding us of the crucial role it played in the air defence of Britain at a time of dire national peril.
