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163 Spitfire facts, all checked

Every fact on this site in one place, each linked to its source. Our build checks each one against the source text; see the sources page. Figures that can change carry the date we checked them, and where sources disagree you’ll find both.

Jump to: Origins and early years | Production | Marks and variants | Identification | Specifications and engines | The Battle of Britain | Spitfires today (dated)

Origins and early years

  1. 1 One of Mitchell’s Schneider Trophy racing seaplanes, the S.6, set a world speed record of 357 mph (574 km/h) in 1929. Britannica: Spitfire (John F. Guilmartin)
  2. 2 On 13 September 1931 Mitchell’s S.6B won the Schneider Trophy for Britain for the third race running, which kept the trophy in Britain for good. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire HF. Mk. VIIc
  3. 3 The S.6B was an all-metal, aerodynamically clean design that reached 407 mph (656 km/h). RAF Museum: The first flight of the Spitfire (Kris Hendrix)
  4. 4 Just 18 days after that 1931 Schneider win, the Air Ministry issued Specification F7/30 for a modern all-metal, land-based fighter. RAF Museum: The first flight of the Spitfire (Kris Hendrix)
  5. 5 Mitchell’s first answer, the Model 224, had a fixed undercarriage and a cooling system that didn’t work properly. The Air Ministry ordered the Gloster Gladiator biplane instead. RAF Museum: The first flight of the Spitfire (Kris Hendrix)
  6. 6 Mitchell’s team kept going, adding a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, a retractable undercarriage, an enclosed cockpit and a new elliptical wing. RAF Museum: The first flight of the Spitfire (Kris Hendrix)
  7. 7 The real value of the elliptical wing was that it let the wing be as thin as possible, which cut drag. RAF Museum: The first flight of the Spitfire (Kris Hendrix)
  8. 8 Britannica says the Spitfire was designed in response to a 1934 Air Ministry specification for a high-performance fighter with eight wing-mounted 0.303-inch (7.7 mm) machine guns. Britannica: Spitfire (John F. Guilmartin)
  9. 9 Mitchell’s design for the eight-gun specification was the Supermarine Type 300. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire HF. Mk. VIIc
  10. 10 Its engine began as the Rolls-Royce PV-12, later named the Merlin. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire HF. Mk. VIIc
  11. 11 According to IWM, the name ‘Shrew’ was considered before ‘Spitfire’ stuck. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript)
  12. 12 Canadian aerodynamicist Beverley Shenstone contributed to the design. Ingenium, Canada Aviation and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire L.F. Mk. IX
  13. 13 On 5 March 1936 Captain Joseph ‘Mutt’ Summers flew the prototype, K5054, from Eastleigh Aerodrome, now Southampton Airport. RAF BBMF: Commemorating history, the 90th anniversary of the Spitfire (5 Mar 2026)
  14. 14 Summers was chief test pilot for Vickers. RAF Museum: The first flight of the Spitfire (Kris Hendrix)
  15. 15 The first flight lasted around eight minutes. RAF News: Spitfire flights mark 90th anniversary of first flight (5 Mar 2026)
  16. 16 The RAF Museum quotes Summers as saying ‘Don’t touch anything’ on landing. It explains that he wanted to report his observations before anything was changed, not that the aircraft was perfect. RAF Museum: The first flight of the Spitfire (Kris Hendrix)
  17. 17 The RAF’s 90th-anniversary article reports him as saying “Don’t change a thing.” RAF News: Spitfire flights mark 90th anniversary of first flight (5 Mar 2026)
  18. 18 The RAF gives the prototype’s first flight as 5 March 1936. RAF: Spitfire, fighter aircraft supreme
  19. 19 The RAF Museum also gives 5 March 1936 for K5054’s maiden flight. RAF Museum: The first flight of the Spitfire (Kris Hendrix)
  20. 20 The Smithsonian also gives 5 March 1936, from Eastleigh Airfield, Southampton. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire HF. Mk. VIIc
  21. 21 Ingenium (Canada Aviation and Space Museum) gives the prototype’s first flight as 6 March 1936. Ingenium, Canada Aviation and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire L.F. Mk. IX
  22. 22 Britannica says the Spitfire first flew in March 1935. Britannica: Spitfire (John F. Guilmartin)
  23. 23 After the first flights a new propeller raised the top speed to 348 mph (557 km/h), faster than the newest Hawker Hurricane. RAF Museum: The first flight of the Spitfire (Kris Hendrix)
  24. 24 The armament was doubled from four to eight Browning machine guns. RAF Museum: The first flight of the Spitfire (Kris Hendrix)
  25. 25 On 3 June 1936 the Air Ministry ordered 310 Spitfires, a big order for the time. RAF Museum: The first flight of the Spitfire (Kris Hendrix)
  26. 26 The Spitfire, and especially its wings, proved hard to produce, so work went to subcontractors and a new factory was built at Castle Bromwich. RAF Museum: The first flight of the Spitfire (Kris Hendrix)
  27. 27 Because of the delays, the Air Ministry at first planned to stop Spitfire production after the first 310. RAF Museum: The first flight of the Spitfire (Kris Hendrix)
  28. 28 IWM says a Spitfire wing took three times as many man-hours to build as a mass-produced Messerschmitt Bf 109 wing. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript)
  29. 29 Reginald Joseph Mitchell was born on 20 May 1895 at Talke, near Stoke-upon-Trent. Britannica: R.J. Mitchell
  30. 30 He began as an apprentice at a locomotive works, studied at night classes, and in 1916 joined Supermarine in Southampton, where he stayed for the rest of his life. Britannica: R.J. Mitchell
  31. 31 Mitchell died of cancer on 11 June 1937, aged 42, before the Spitfire reached production. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire HF. Mk. VIIc
  32. 32 IWM says the only Spitfire Mitchell ever saw fly was the prototype, K5054. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript)
  33. 33 Joe Smith took over and oversaw the Spitfire’s development all the way from the Mk I to the F.24. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript)
  34. 34 On 4 August 1938 K9789, the third Spitfire off the production line, was delivered to the RAF at Duxford. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire HF. Mk. VIIc
  35. 35 The first Mk I went to No. 19 Squadron at RAF Duxford on 4 August 1938. RAF: Spitfire, fighter aircraft supreme
  36. 36 No. 66 Squadron, also at Duxford, began receiving Spitfires soon after. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire HF. Mk. VIIc
  37. 37 At a Duxford press day in May 1939, a magazine writer called the Spitfire “a poem of speed and precision”. IWM: Duxford and the Spitfire (audio slideshow transcript)
  38. 38 When war broke out, the commanding officer of No. 611 Squadron drove into Cambridge to buy car mirrors for his Spitfires, because they had none. IWM: Duxford and the Spitfire (audio slideshow transcript)
  39. 39 The RAF Museum says that at the outbreak of war the RAF had 306 Spitfires in service, 71 in reserve and 2,000 on order. RAF Museum: The first flight of the Spitfire (Kris Hendrix)
  40. 40 The Smithsonian says that when war was declared, 400 Spitfires were already in service and 2,160 were on order. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire HF. Mk. VIIc
  41. 41 The RAF says ten Spitfire squadrons were operational by September 1939. RAF: Spitfire, fighter aircraft supreme
  42. 42 The Smithsonian says nine fighter squadrons were fully equipped with Spitfires when war was declared, and two more were converting. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire HF. Mk. VIIc
  43. 43 It became the RAF’s main fighter from 1941 and stayed with fighter squadrons until the early 1950s. RAF Museum: The first flight of the Spitfire (Kris Hendrix)

Production

  1. 44 Britannica: when production ended in 1947, 20,334 Spitfires of all versions had been built, 2,053 of them Griffon-powered. Britannica: Spitfire (John F. Guilmartin) · checked 29 Oct 2026
  2. 45 RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight: 20,341 were built, more than any other British combat aircraft before or since the Second World War. RAF: Battle of Britain Memorial Flight · checked 29 Oct 2026
  3. 46 Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: 20,351 Spitfires were built. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire HF. Mk. VIIc · checked 29 Oct 2026
  4. 47 Ingenium: 21,554 were built in 24 versions, including some 1,220 Seafires for aircraft carriers. Ingenium, Canada Aviation and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire L.F. Mk. IX · checked 29 Oct 2026
  5. 48 IWM’s Duxford history: 24 different marks and 22,000 built. IWM: Duxford and the Spitfire (audio slideshow transcript) · checked 29 Oct 2026
  6. 49 IWM’s Spitfire evolution video: over 20,000 built between 1937 and 1947. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript) · checked 29 Oct 2026
  7. 50 Ingenium says Supermarine produced the Spitfire from 1938 to 1948. Ingenium, Canada Aviation and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire L.F. Mk. IX
  8. 51 The Smithsonian says that when the war ended, the Spitfire was the only aeroplane that had been in continuous production all the way through it. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire HF. Mk. VIIc
  9. 52 IWM calls it the only Allied front-line fighter in continuous development all the way through the Second World War. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript)
  10. 53 As the war went on it got heavier armament and more powerful engines, until it was twice as heavy and twice as powerful as the original mark. Ingenium, Canada Aviation and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire L.F. Mk. IX
  11. 54 The L.F. Mk IX in Canada’s national collection, NH188, was built at the Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory in 1944. Ingenium, Canada Aviation and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire L.F. Mk. IX
  12. 55 During the war small numbers were exported to Portugal, Turkey and the Soviet Union, and US Army Air Forces units flew them in Europe. Britannica: Spitfire (John F. Guilmartin)
  13. 56 Belgian, Free French, Polish, Czech, American and British Commonwealth pilots all flew Spitfires. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire HF. Mk. VIIc

Marks and variants

  1. 57 The marks ran from 1 to 24 with many sub-marks in between, and not every number went into production. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript)
  2. 58 IWM says the Mk I’s Merlin gave about 990 hp as first designed and over 1,100 hp in fighter trim. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript)
  3. 59 Britannica gives the Merlin in the Battle of Britain version as 1,030 hp. Britannica: Spitfire (John F. Guilmartin)
  4. 60 The Mk I’s ailerons were covered in Irish linen, hand-doped to shape. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript)
  5. 61 Early on, a metal two-blade controllable-pitch propeller replaced the original two-blade, fixed-pitch mahogany one, and a tailwheel replaced the tail skid. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire HF. Mk. VIIc
  6. 62 Later changes, a three-bladed metal propeller and a new cockpit hood, gave the Spitfire its familiar look. RAF Museum: The first flight of the Spitfire (Kris Hendrix)
  7. 63 The planned Mk III, with an improved wing and a Merlin XX, had been in development for two years, but the RAF couldn’t wait for it. The Mk IV designation was already taken by another version. National Museum of the US Air Force: Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vc
  8. 64 IWM puts it simply: after the Battle of Britain’s Mks I and II, the next full production Spitfire was the Mk V. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript)
  9. 65 The Mk V was a hurried interim answer to the Messerschmitt Bf 109F, which outperformed the Spitfires of the time at high altitude. National Museum of the US Air Force: Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vc
  10. 66 The Mk V was essentially a modified Mk II airframe with a new Rolls-Royce Merlin 45 engine. National Museum of the US Air Force: Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vc
  11. 67 Wing letters showed the armament: the Mk Va had eight .303 Browning machine guns, the Mk Vb two 20 mm Hispano cannon and four machine guns, and the Mk Vc a ‘universal’ wing for different combinations. National Museum of the US Air Force: Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vc
  12. 68 The C wing carried 120 rounds per cannon, against 60 on the B wing. National Museum of the US Air Force: Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vc
  13. 69 The universal wing had strengthened landing gear moved two inches forward, to stop the Spitfire tipping onto its propeller. National Museum of the US Air Force: Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vc
  14. 70 More than 100 Mk Is were converted into Mk Vs and began reaching squadrons in March 1941. National Museum of the US Air Force: Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vc
  15. 71 In total 6,464 Mk Vs were built between 1941 and 1943, equipping more than 140 RAF squadrons. National Museum of the US Air Force: Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vc
  16. 72 In March 1942 tropicalised Mk Vcs flew from the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle to the besieged island of Malta. Shuttleworth Collection: Supermarine Spitfire Vc
  17. 73 Tropicalised Mk Vs were fitted with a Vokes or a smaller Aboukir air filter to protect the engine in the desert. National Museum of the US Air Force: Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vc
  18. 74 In 1941 the new Focke-Wulf Fw 190 could outclass a Mk V in most respects. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript)
  19. 75 Clipping the wingtips helped the Mk V roll faster, at the cost of a less tight turn. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript)
  20. 76 Most Mk Vs had their wingtips removed to improve low-altitude performance, and these low-altitude fighters carried the prefix L.F. National Museum of the US Air Force: Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vc
  21. 77 Built as a short-range home-defence fighter, the Spitfire got 30- and 90-gallon drop tanks under the fuselage once the RAF went on the offensive in 1941. National Museum of the US Air Force: Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vc
  22. 78 The Mk VII was the second high-altitude version, with a pressurised cockpit and extended wingtips. Only 140 were produced. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire HF. Mk. VIIc
  23. 79 The Mk IX (around 1943) had a two-speed, two-stage, intercooled supercharged Merlin of 1,650–1,700 hp, a four-bladed propeller and two large radiators underneath. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript)
  24. 80 The Mk IX successfully countered the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. Ingenium, Canada Aviation and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire L.F. Mk. IX
  25. 81 Many wartime fighter pilots called the Mk IX their favourite Spitfire. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript)
  26. 82 The L.F. Mk IX had an engine tuned to give its best power lower down, and some had their wingtips removed for more speed and a faster roll. Ingenium, Canada Aviation and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire L.F. Mk. IX
  27. 83 IWM says that by the Mks VIII, IX and XVI the Merlin had been tuned about as far as it could go, at around 1,700 hp. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript)
  28. 84 The Mk XVI was the last production version with a Merlin engine. Several stayed in service until 1950. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire HF. Mk. VIIc
  29. 85 Rolls-Royce’s Griffon was a 36.9-litre V12, nearly 10 litres bigger than the Merlin and good for over 2,000 hp. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript)
  30. 86 The Griffon went first into the Mk XII and reached squadrons mainly in the Mk XIV, which had a five-bladed propeller. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript)
  31. 87 Britannica: Griffon Spitfires of up to 2,050 hp entered service from late 1943, with top speeds of 440 mph (710 km/h) and ceilings of 40,000 ft (12,200 m), and were used to shoot down V-1 flying bombs. Britannica: Spitfire (John F. Guilmartin)
  32. 88 Photo-reconnaissance Spitfires, from early 1941, replaced guns and ammunition bays with fuel tanks. Their high-altitude performance made them all but immune from interception. Britannica: Spitfire (John F. Guilmartin)
  33. 89 The PR Mk XIX is a later, Griffon-powered mark. RAF BBMF: Spitfire PR Mk XIX PM631 flies again (14 Oct 2024)
  34. 90 The RAF’s last operational Spitfire sortie was flown by a PR Mk XIX over Malaya on 1 April 1954. RAF: Spitfire, fighter aircraft supreme
  35. 91 Britannica: fighter Spitfires left RAF service in the early 1950s, while photo-reconnaissance Spitfires carried on until 1954. Britannica: Spitfire (John F. Guilmartin)
  36. 92 Seafires, with tail hooks and strengthened tails, flew from Royal Navy aircraft carriers from June 1942. Britannica: Spitfire (John F. Guilmartin)
  37. 93 Fighter-bomber versions could carry a 250 or 500 lb bomb under the fuselage and a 250 lb bomb under each wing. Britannica: Spitfire (John F. Guilmartin)
  38. 94 Over the war, the eight .303 machine guns gave way to four 20 mm cannon. By the end there were more than 20 fighter versions alone, with Merlins of up to 1,760 hp. Britannica: Spitfire (John F. Guilmartin)
  39. 95 The first cannon had to be tilted on their sides to fit the thin wing, and they could jam when a pilot pulled high-g manoeuvres. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript)
  40. 96 The F.24, with the 36.9-litre Griffon, was the last mark, in 1947. IWM says only 80 were made. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript)
  41. 97 The F.24’s five-bladed propeller turned the opposite way to a Merlin Spitfire’s, and it had a much bigger tail and rudder. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript)
  42. 98 IWM Duxford’s F.24, VN485, was built in 1947, served with the Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force and last flew in 1955. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript)
  43. 99 Spitfires also flew air-sea rescue, dropping a dinghy and emergency supplies to pilots down in the sea. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire HF. Mk. VIIc
  44. 100 Variants included photo-reconnaissance, high-altitude and low-altitude versions. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire HF. Mk. VIIc

Identification

  1. 101 The elliptical wing became the Spitfire’s most distinctive feature. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire HF. Mk. VIIc
  2. 102 The Hurricane had a traditional wood-and-metal framework covered in fabric. The Spitfire had an advanced all-metal airframe. IWM: Iconic aircraft of the Battle of Britain
  3. 103 The Spitfire took longer to build and was less sturdy than the Hurricane, but faster. The Hurricane was easier to maintain and repair. IWM: Iconic aircraft of the Battle of Britain
  4. 104 Early Spitfires had one wing painted white underneath and one black, so British gunners could recognise them. The idea was soon dropped, because the Germans would know it too. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript)
  5. 105 On a Mk IX, look for the longer nose and two symmetrical radiators. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript)
  6. 106 The familiar features carry through the Merlin marks: the wing shape, the curved underside and the small fin and rudder. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript)
  7. 107 A wartime film describes the Mk V as essentially a Mk I or II with squared-off wingtips, mostly seen with cannon. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript)
  8. 108 IWM says MH434, a Mk IX at Duxford, probably started down the Castle Bromwich line as a Mk V: its tail fin is exactly the same as a Mk V’s. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript) · checked 29 Oct 2026

Specifications and engines

  1. 109 Battle of Britain version (Britannica): Merlin of 1,030 hp; span 36 ft 10 in (11.2 m); length 29 ft 11 in (9.1 m); top speed 360 mph (580 km/h); ceiling 34,000 ft (10,400 m). Britannica: Spitfire (John F. Guilmartin)
  2. 110 Mk Vc (US Air Force museum): Merlin 45, 1,470 hp; top speed 374 mph; ceiling 37,000 ft; span 36 ft 10 in (32 ft 7 in on L.F. versions); length 29 ft 11 in; height 11 ft 4.75 in; weight 6,785 lb. National Museum of the US Air Force: Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vc
  3. 111 Mk Vc (Shuttleworth’s G-AWII): Merlin 45M, 1,440 hp; top speed 357 mph; span 32 ft 2 in; length 29 ft 11 in; weight 5,065 lb. Shuttleworth Collection: Supermarine Spitfire Vc
  4. 112 HF Mk VIIc (Smithsonian): Merlin 61 with a two-speed, two-stage supercharger, 1,565 hp; two 20 mm Hispano cannon and four .303 Browning machine guns; 9 ft 11 in high, 29 ft 11 in long, 36 ft 10 in span; 2,570.5 kg. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire HF. Mk. VIIc
  5. 113 L.F. Mk IX NH188 (Ingenium): span 32 ft 7 in (9.9 m); length 31 ft 4 in (9.5 m); 5,816 lb empty, 7,500 lb gross; top speed 404 mph (650 km/h); ceiling 42,500 ft; range 434 miles. Ingenium, Canada Aviation and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire L.F. Mk. IX
  6. 114 The Mk I’s eight machine guns were set to concentrate their fire on a point 300 yards ahead. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire HF. Mk. VIIc
  7. 115 The Merlin is a 27-litre engine, just under 1,650 cubic inches. The Daimler-Benz 601 in the Bf 109 was 39 litres, and the BMW 801 in the Fw 190 was 42. IWM: The Rolls-Royce Merlin engine (video transcript)
  8. 116 Rolls-Royce developed the Merlin from 1933, from an engine called the PV12, at first giving about 900–990 hp on the test bench. IWM: The Rolls-Royce Merlin engine (video transcript)
  9. 117 Over 50 development types of the Merlin were built, from just over 1,000 hp to 2,050 hp. IWM: The Rolls-Royce Merlin engine (video transcript)
  10. 118 The Merlin also powered the Hurricane, the Mosquito, the Mustang and the Lancaster. IWM: The Rolls-Royce Merlin engine (video transcript)
  11. 119 The carburettor-fed Merlin could flood and cough in a negative-g manoeuvre, which was bad news in a dogfight. IWM: The Rolls-Royce Merlin engine (video transcript)

The Battle of Britain

  1. 120 The Battle of Britain was fought between July and October 1940. The main German offensive began on 13 August. IWM: 8 things you need to know about the Battle of Britain
  2. 121 Germany needed control of the skies over southern England before it could attempt an invasion, codenamed Operation Sealion. IWM: 8 things you need to know about the Battle of Britain
  3. 122 The Dowding System brought radar, ground defences and fighter aircraft together into a single system of defence. IWM: 8 things you need to know about the Battle of Britain
  4. 123 31 August 1940 was Fighter Command’s worst day of the whole battle. IWM: 8 things you need to know about the Battle of Britain
  5. 124 On 15 September Fighter Command repelled another massive Luftwaffe assault. Hitler then postponed Operation Sealion indefinitely. IWM: 8 things you need to know about the Battle of Britain
  6. 125 At the height of the battle the RAF had only 749 fighters available, against 2,550 Luftwaffe aircraft. RAF: Battle of Britain anniversary
  7. 126 ‘The Few’ were 2,945 aircrew, joined by volunteers from 13 nations. Roughly a fifth were not British. RAF: Battle of Britain anniversary
  8. 127 544 of ‘The Few’ were killed during the battle. RAF: Battle of Britain anniversary
  9. 128 The average RAF pilot in 1940 was 20 years old, and in August 1940 a fighter pilot’s training could take just two weeks. RAF: Battle of Britain anniversary
  10. 129 No. 303 (Polish) Squadron joined the battle on 31 August and became Fighter Command’s highest-claiming squadron, with 126 kills. IWM: 8 things you need to know about the Battle of Britain
  11. 130 Ground crew, factory workers, the Observer Corps and the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, as radar operators and plotters, were all part of the defence. IWM: 8 things you need to know about the Battle of Britain
  12. 131 IWM says that by September 1940 Spitfires were in service with 18 RAF squadrons. IWM: Iconic aircraft of the Battle of Britain
  13. 132 The RAF says 19 Spitfire squadrons were ready to engage the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain. RAF: Spitfire, fighter aircraft supreme
  14. 133 The Hurricane was Fighter Command’s most numerous fighter in the battle, equipping 33 squadrons by September 1940. IWM: Iconic aircraft of the Battle of Britain
  15. 134 IWM says Spitfires shot down 529 enemy aircraft in the battle, for the loss of 230 Spitfires. IWM: Iconic aircraft of the Battle of Britain
  16. 135 Hurricanes accounted for 656 German aircraft, more than the Spitfire. IWM: Iconic aircraft of the Battle of Britain
  17. 136 More Hurricanes than Spitfires served in the battle, and they were credited with more ‘kills’. Britannica: Spitfire (John F. Guilmartin)
  18. 137 Where possible, Hurricane squadrons were sent against the bombers while Spitfires took on the fighter escorts. IWM: Iconic aircraft of the Battle of Britain
  19. 138 IWM: the Bf 109 was faster than the Spitfire at high altitude, while the Spitfire was superior at lower altitudes. IWM: Iconic aircraft of the Battle of Britain
  20. 139 Britannica: the Spitfire was faster than the Bf 109 above 15,000 ft (4,600 m) and just as manoeuvrable. Britannica: Spitfire (John F. Guilmartin)
  21. 140 The Bf 109 couldn’t fly beyond London and carried only about seven seconds’ worth of cannon ammunition. IWM: Iconic aircraft of the Battle of Britain
  22. 141 Duxford’s Spitfires flew most of the battle from Fowlmere, which was basically a farm with a couple of Nissen huts. IWM: Duxford and the Spitfire (audio slideshow transcript)
  23. 142 At first most Spitfires were held back in Britain. They came to the fore over the Dunkirk evacuation and then in the Battle of Britain. RAF Museum: The first flight of the Spitfire (Kris Hendrix)
  24. 143 After 1940 the Spitfire gradually replaced the Hurricane in Fighter Command. RAF Museum: The first flight of the Spitfire (Kris Hendrix)
  25. 144 P7350 is the last Spitfire still flying that fought in the Battle of Britain. RAF News: RAF Digby marks the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain · checked 29 Oct 2026

Spitfires today (dated)

  1. 145 To mark the 90th anniversary, a civilian-owned two-seat Spitfire painted as K5054 made nine flights around the UK between 7 and 17 April 2026, raising money for the Mark Long Trust and the RAF Benevolent Fund. RAF News: Spitfire flights mark 90th anniversary of first flight (5 Mar 2026)
  2. 146 The tour began and ended at Southampton Airport, calling at RAF Coningsby, RAF Leuchars, RAF Lossiemouth, Glasgow Prestwick, RAF Valley, MOD St Athan, RAF St Mawgan and Exeter. RAF News: Spitfire flights mark 90th anniversary of first flight (5 Mar 2026)
  3. 147 The Mark Long Trust gives disabled people opportunities to fly, in memory of Squadron Leader Mark Long, who died in a Spitfire accident. RAF News: Spitfire flights mark 90th anniversary of first flight (5 Mar 2026)
  4. 148 The RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, based at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, flies five Spitfires, two Hurricanes, a Lancaster, a C-47 Dakota and two Chipmunks. RAF: Battle of Britain Memorial Flight · checked 29 Oct 2026
  5. 149 The BBMF’s own 90th-anniversary news (5 March 2026) also says it operates five Spitfires. RAF BBMF: Commemorating history, the 90th anniversary of the Spitfire (5 Mar 2026) · checked 29 Oct 2026
  6. 150 An older RAF Battle of Britain page still says the BBMF operates six Spitfires and two Hurricanes. RAF: Battle of Britain anniversary · checked 29 Oct 2026
  7. 151 BBMF aircraft can regularly be seen over the UK from May to September each year. RAF: Battle of Britain Memorial Flight · checked 29 Oct 2026
  8. 152 The flight was founded on 11 July 1957 at RAF Biggin Hill as the Historic Aircraft Flight, with three PR Mk XIX Spitfires and the RAF’s last airworthy Hurricane, LF363. RAF: Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
  9. 153 Its motto is ‘Lest We Forget’. RAF: Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
  10. 154 BBMF Spitfire Mk Vb AB910 flew again on 28 January 2026 after more than two years of major maintenance, now in the markings it wore on D-Day with 402 (City of Winnipeg) Squadron RCAF. RAF BBMF: Spitfire AB910 flies again (23 Feb 2026) · checked 29 Oct 2026
  11. 155 PR Mk XIX PM631 flew again on 3 October 2024 after a three-year major overhaul, repainted in the all-over PR Blue it wore at the flight’s founding in 1957. RAF BBMF: Spitfire PR Mk XIX PM631 flies again (14 Oct 2024) · checked 29 Oct 2026
  12. 156 Only 12 airworthy Hurricanes are left in the world, out of 14,533 built. RAF: Battle of Britain Memorial Flight · checked 29 Oct 2026
  13. 157 IWM Duxford’s Mk I N3200 is the only airworthy aircraft in IWM’s own collection. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript) · checked 29 Oct 2026
  14. 158 IWM says there are probably more Spitfires gathered at Duxford than anywhere else in the world, from early Mk Is to the last Mk 24. IWM: The evolution of the Supermarine Spitfire (video transcript) · checked 29 Oct 2026
  15. 159 The Smithsonian’s HF Mk VIIc is on display in the World War II Aviation exhibition at the National Air and Space Museum. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire HF. Mk. VIIc · checked 29 Oct 2026
  16. 160 That Mk VII went to the US Army Air Forces in 1943 for evaluation and passed to the museum in 1949. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire HF. Mk. VIIc
  17. 161 The National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, Ohio shows a Mk Vc in its World War II Gallery. National Museum of the US Air Force: Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vc · checked 29 Oct 2026
  18. 162 The Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa shows L.F. Mk IX NH188 in its Second World War exhibition. Ingenium, Canada Aviation and Space Museum: Supermarine Spitfire L.F. Mk. IX · checked 29 Oct 2026
  19. 163 The Shuttleworth Collection near Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, owns Mk Vc G-AWII, built by Westland at Yeovil and flown by No. 310 (Czech) Squadron from 1942. Shuttleworth Collection: Supermarine Spitfire Vc · checked 29 Oct 2026