Reginald J. Mitchell
developed a racing seaplane, the Supermarine S6B, which won the
Schneider Trophy on 13th September, 1931. During the contest the
aircraft reached 340 mph (547 km/h).
In 1934 the Air Ministry
announced that it was looking for a new fighter plane. Mitchell,
whose company was now part of Vickers Aviation, decided to adapt
his Supermarine seaplane, in an attempt to meet the requirements
of the Royal Air Force.
The new all-metal single-seater
fighter plane, the Supermarine Spitfire Mk. I, had several technical
features of the earlier racing seaplane. It had the same structure
and aerodynamic lines. However, it had a new engine, the 1,030 hp
Rolls Royce Merlin II and carried 8 machine-guns.
The first Spitfire prototype
appeared on 5th March, 1936 and flew at 350 mph (563 km/h) and could
ascend at approximately 2,500 ft (762 m) per minute. With its slender
aerodynmamic lines and elliptical-plan wings, it was claimed at
the time, to be the smallest and cleanest aircraft that could be
constructed around a man and an engine.
The Royal Air Force was
impressed with its performance and in June, 1936, it ordered 310
aircraft. The Supermarine Spitfire Mk. I went into production in
1937 and was operational in June, 1938. Vickers Aviation could not
keep up with demand and most of Britain's manufacturers began building
Spitfires. By October, 1939, the Air Ministry had ordered over 4,000
of these aeroplanes.
The Supermarine Spitfire
Mk. II went into service in late 1940. These had a 1,150 hp Rolls
Royce Merlin XII engine. Other versions appeared throughout the
Second World War. This included Spitfire Mk. IV that was a photographic
reconnaissance aircraft. The Spitfire Mk. VC was the first model
to be used as a fighter-bomber and carried 500 pounds (226 kg) of
bombs.
At the beginning of the
Battle of Britain the RAF had 32 squadrons of Hawker Hurricanes
and 19 squadrons equipped with Spitfire. It was decided to use the
Hurricanes against the massive bomber formations of the Luftwaffe
whereas the Spitfires were employed against German fighters.
This Luftwaffe outnumbered
the RAF by four to one. However, the British had the advantage of
being closer to their airfields. German fighters could only stay
over England for about half an hour before flying back to their
home bases. The RAF also had the benefits of an effective early
warning radar system and the intelligence information provided by
Ultra.
The Focke Wulf Fw 190,
which appeared in July 1941, was superior to the Spitfire being
used by the RAF at the time but this changed with the production
of the Supermarine Spitfire Mk. XIV . Powered by a Rolls-Royce Griffon
65, 12-cylinder, 2,050 hp engine, it could reach a speed of 448
mph (721 km/h) and could reach a ceiling of 44,500 ft (13,560 m)
and had a range of 460 miles (740 km). It had two 20 mm cannons;
four machine-guns; 1,000 lb (454 kg) of bombs.
The Spitfire was constantly
improved during the Second World War. The Supermarine Spitfire F.22
that was used in 1945 could fly at more than 450 mph (724 km/h)
and could ascend at twice the speed of the Supermarine Spitfire
Mk. I.
Spitfires continued to
be produced after the war and by October 1947, 20,334 had been manufactured.
The last operational flight of a Spitfire, the Spitfire PR-19, took
place on 1st April, 1954.
