Supermarine Spitfire (UK)
| Length | 911cm / 359in |
| Wingspan | 1,123cm / 442in |
| Crew | 1 |
| Armament | Eight Browning .303 calibre machine guns |
| Ceiling | 11,280m / 37,007ft |
| Range | 756km / 470m |
| Top speed | 602km/h / 374mph at 13,000ft |
The Supermarine Company had a heritage of building speed-record winning aircraft before they produced the Spitfire. Though the design was expensive to make, the Chief designer, Reginald Mitchell, believed it was a price worth paying for a class-leading fighter.
The ingenuity of the construction was based around a monocoque superstructure, which created an incredibly strong fuselage. The aluminium surface skin of the aircraft was used as an integral part of the machine's strength. The result was an exceptionally tough yet flexible fighter. The high specification of the build meant that repairs were often time consuming and difficult, but the performance of the advanced craft more than made up for it. The wonderful organic, elliptical profile of the Spitfire's wing makes it one of the most aesthetically beautiful aircraft ever designed.
