One of the iconic, and perhaps best known, World War II fights is Great Britain’s Spitfire. Aircraft designer R. J. Mitchell (1895-1937) created racing aircraft between the wars and led the design team that created the speedy, agile Spitfire.
Mitchell joined the Supermarine Aviation Works in 1916. Between 1920 and 1936, he designed 24 airplanes. His masterpiece was the Supermarine Spitfire. The first Spitfire prototype flew in 1936.
The Spitfire was designed as a short-range, high-performance interceptor aircraft. The airplane features a distinctive elliptical wing designed by Beverley Shenstone (1906-1979), a Canadian aerodynamicist.
During World War II, more than 20,000 Spitfires were built, including the Supermarine Spitfire Mk. VC on display in the Flying Heritage and Combat Armor Museum in Everett, Washington. The Spitfire has a top speed of 374 mph, a range of 470 miles, and a ceiling of 37,000 feet.
The Spitfire on display was originally allocated to the Royal Air Force No. 312 Squadron (a Czech unit).
Note: These photos were taken on July 11, 2024.
More airplane museum exhibits
Historic Flight: Grasshopper, Texan, Spitfire (photo diary)
Museum of Flight: Some World War II fighters (photo diary)
Evergreen Aviation: World War II fighters (photo diary)
Yanks Air Museum: World War II Fighters (Photo Diary)
Planes of Fame: British Aircraft (Photo Diary)
Erickson Aircraft: Bell P-39Q Airacobra (photo diary)
Air Force Museum: World War II American fighters (photo diary)
Air Force Museum: World War II German Planes (photo diary)