Wikipedia

"The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, using several wing configurations, and it was produced in greater numbers than any other British aircraft. It was also the only British fighter produced continuously throughout the war. The Spitfire continues to be popular among enthusiasts; nearly 60 remain airworthy, and many more are static exhibits in aviation museums throughout the world.'

Role

Fighter / Interceptor aircraft

National origin

United Kingdom

Manufacturer

Supermarine

Designer

R. J. Mitchell

First flight

5 March 1936

Introduction

4 August 1938

Retired

1961 Irish Air Corps

Primary users

Royal Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
United States Army Air Forces

Produced

1938–1948

Number built

20,351[3]

Unit cost

£12,604 (£774,905 in 2017) (Estonian order for 12 Spitfires in 1939)[nb 1][4]

Variants

Supermarine Seafire
Supermarine Spiteful

'The Spitfire was designed as a short-range, high-performance interceptor aircraft by R. J. Mitchell, chief designer at Supermarine Aviation Works, which operated as a subsidiary of Vickers-Armstrong from 1928. Mitchell pushed the Spitfire's distinctive elliptical wing with cutting-edge sunken rivets (designed by Beverley Shenstone)[5] to have the thinnest possible cross-section, helping give the aircraft a higher top speed than several contemporary fighters, including the Hawker Hurricane. Mitchell continued to refine the design until his death in 1937, whereupon his colleague Joseph Smith took over as chief designer, overseeing the Spitfire's development throughout its multitude of variants.

During the Battle of Britain, from July to October 1940, the public perceived the Spitfire to be the main RAF fighter, though the more numerous Hurricane shouldered a greater proportion of the burden against Nazi Germany's air force, the Luftwaffe. However, Spitfire units had a lower attrition rate and a higher victory-to-loss ratio than those flying Hurricanes because of the Spitfire's higher performance. During the battle, Spitfires were generally tasked with engaging Luftwaffe fighters—mainly Messerschmitt Bf 109E-series aircraft, which were a close match for them."
(Thanks Wiki for the info)

Paint scheme

supermarine spitfire fr mk.xviiie