In the world of aviation, is there any aircraft which can even come close to matching the iconic status the supermarine spitfire enjoys, a legacy which is as strong today as it was during the wartime years a modern monoplane fighter aircraft which made its first flight from eastleigh aerodrome on 5th march 1936, the spitfire would earn its legendary reputation during the battle of britain, when the pilots of the royal air force stood defiantly against the overwhelming might of the all-conquering luftwaffe, an aviation beacon of hope for a nation and its people during their darkest hour. Elegant and graceful to look at, the spitfire s appearance masked the fact that this was a deadly fighting aeroplane and one which was adaptable enough to undergo almost constant development throughout the wartime years, allowing later marks of the fighter to post speeds which were almost 100 mph faster than the first machines to enter service. With a service career which extended well into the post war years, the spitfire outlived all its aviation contemporaries and with over 22,000 spitfires of all variants including seafires eventually being built, spitfires are still a regular sight at airshow events all over the world, as an ever increasing number of restored airworthy aircraft continue to write the enduring spitfire story. Even though the prototype spitfire made its first flight over 85 years ago, the aircraft is still widely regarded as britain s most famous aircraft type and instan...
In the world of aviation, is there any aircraft which can even come close to matching the iconic status the supermarine spitfire enjoys, a legacy
