Search results
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced continuously throughout the war. The Spitfire remains popular among enthusiasts.
The Spitfire was also adopted for service on aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy; in this role they were renamed Supermarine Seafire. Although the first version of the Seafire, the Seafire Ib, was a straight adaptation of the Spitfire Vb, successive variants incorporated much needed strengthening of the basic structure of the airframe and equipment changes in order to survive the demanding ...
- 11 ft 5 in (3.48 m)
- 242.1 ft 2 (22.5 m 2)
- 29 ft 11 in (9.12 m)
- 36 ft 10 in (11.23 m)
Mar 4, 2011 · His Supermarine Type 224, with its steam-cooled Rolls-Royce Griffon engine, could only manage a top speed of 230mph, against the Air Ministry’s rather modest specification, F7/30, for an all-metal, four-gun fighter, with a top speed of 250mph. This ugly duckling was nicknamed ‘Spitfire’ by the managing director of Vickers Supermarine.
On June 3, 1936, an order was given to Supermarine for 310 Spitfires. The order was part of the Air Force’s Expansion Scheme F, which called for 1,736 planes to be in service by 1939. The first Spitfire to be accepted for RAF charge was K9792, which went to the Central Flying Establishment at RAF Cranwell for evaluation by instructors.
- Harry Atkins
- It was a short-range, high-performance plane. Designed by R. J. Mitchell, chief designer at Supermarine Aviation Works in Southampton, the Spitfire’s specifications lent themselves to its initial role as an interceptor aircraft.
- It was named after the daughter of the manufacturer’s chairman. The Spitfire’s name is often assumed to derive from its ferocious firing capabilities.
- The Spitfire’s maiden flight was on 5 March 1936. It entered service two years later and remained in service with the RAF until 1955.
- 20,351 Spitfires were built in total. Of these, 238 survive today across the globe, with 111 in the UK. Fifty-four of the surviving Spitfires are said to be airworthy, including 30 of those in the UK.
Mar 18, 2024 · The Supermarine Spitfire was a single-seater fighter plane, one of the most important aircraft of the Second World War (1939-45). Employed by the Royal Air Force in such crucial encounters as the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940, the Spitfire gained legendary status thanks to its graceful lines and superlative manoeuvrability.
People also ask
What is a Supermarine Spitfire?
Why did Supermarine stop making Spitfire 310?
How many Spitfires did Supermarine have?
Why was the Spitfire renamed Supermarine Seafire?
How fast can a Spitfire wing go?
Who made Supermarine & Spitfire?
The Supermarine Spitfire is one of the most iconic aircraft of all time. Between 1937 and 1947 over 20,000 of them were built and in those 10 years, Spitfires changed dramatically from the Mk 1 to the Mk 24. More powerful engines, new wing shapes, different armaments, and more were added to the Spitfire in an attempt to maintain its edge over ...