The Supermarine Spitfire was a British military fighter designed by R. J. Mitchell and developed into a succession of wartime and postwar versions. It entered Royal Air Force service in August 1938 and became closely associated with the Battle of Britain. Its subsequent career extended well beyond that campaign: it remained the RAF's principal fighter through much of the Second World War.[1]
Origins and development
Mitchell's experience with fast Supermarine racing seaplanes contributed to the background of the design, but the Spitfire required a new aircraft suited to military service. The prototype appeared publicly at the 1936 RAF Display at Hendon. Bringing the design into quantity production proved difficult, and early deliveries were slower than the Air Ministry had expected.[2][1]
No. 19 Squadron received the first service Spitfire in August 1938. Changes during early production included a different cockpit hood and a three-bladed metal propeller.[1]
The Battle of Britain
Fighter Command retained its Spitfire force in Britain during the German offensive in France in 1940. By July, nineteen Spitfire Mk I squadrons were available. The aircraft fought alongside the Hawker Hurricane in the defence of Britain, rather than conducting that defence alone.[2][1]
The RAF Museum emphasises both tactical adaptation and pilot skill when describing combat with the Messerschmitt Bf 109E. Changes to propellers and the use of higher-octane fuel also improved performance. The outcome of an engagement therefore cannot be reduced to a single comparison of published top speeds.[2]
Continuing service
After 1940 the Spitfire progressively displaced the Hurricane in Fighter Command. Continued development allowed the family to remain in fighter service into the early 1950s, while production eventually exceeded 20,000 aircraft.[1]
Mk I configuration
The early Spitfire Mk I combined an enclosed cockpit and retractable landing gear with its characteristic elliptical wing. The RAF Museum's specification for the Mk I records a single Rolls-Royce Merlin III liquid-cooled V12 engine and eight .303-inch machine guns, four in each wing.[1][3]