The Spitfire is 70 years young today (BBC video). Heaven only knows how we’d have fared in the Battle of Britain without it: it took on the fighters enabling the Hurricanes to go after the bombers.
That is one sweet aircraft, no doubt about it.
Thanks to R.J.Mitchell
My favorite all-time combat aircraft (followed closely by its distant cousin, the Mosquito). Of course it wouldn’t have been worth much without the brave men who flew it and the hardworking ground crews and radar operators et al. whose help was invaluable.
Obligatory link of a reporter introducing the Spitfire.
Same pilot different setting. This time filmed for the series “A Piece of Cake.”
Definitely my favourite plane, in particular I think that the Spitfire Pr XIX is the most beautiful thing to ever grace the sky.
It was also, probably, the last fighter built on beauty, in the book The Spitfire Story (IIRC) it is narrated how Mitchel worked and reworked the plane’s lines until “they looked about right” or something to that effect. No wind tunnel, no calculations, it was made to look great and since to it’s designer beauty was not just looks but performance too a real pure breed was created.
Mine too, but I like the Mk.V and the Mk.IX. Spits are the most beautiful planes ever built.
Hurricanes were pretty handy as well. They were very sturdy- sort of like cat walk model versus country girl- but yes the Spitfire is the stuff of legends.