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November 1942 photo of a very early Mk IXb of 306 (Polish) ToruĊski Squadron.. The Supermarine Spitfire, the only British fighter to be manufactured before, during and after the Second World War, was designed as a short-range fighter capable of defending Britain from bomber attack [1] and achieved legendary status fulfilling this role during the Battle of Britain. [2]
At the time the record of 352 mph (566 km/h) was held by Howard Hughes flying a Hughes H-1 racing aircraft. [nb 6] Although an early Spitfire I was capable of 362 mph (583 km/h), this was at a full-throttle height of 16,800 ft (5,100 m); the regulations for the world speed record demanded that the aircraft fly a 1.86-mile (2.99 km) course at an ...
It is one of only four flying MK 1 Spitfires in the world. The aircraft fetched a record £3.1 million at auction on 9 July, beating the previous record for a Spitfire of £1.7 million set in 2009. [173] In 2021, Duxford hosted an exhibition of the Spitfire's evolution with twelve of the aircraft on display.
Operation Big Ben was the title given to the dive-bombing British Spitfire missions against German mobile V-2 rocket launch sites in Holland between October 1944 - April 1945, during World War II. [1]
Although many earlier Spitfires had been modified to carry bomb racks capable of carrying 250 lb (110 kg) bombs the first Spitfires to be specifically modified for the fighter-bomber role (known as Modification 1209) were those of the Second Tactical Air Force. The first Mk IX Spitfires started being used in the role in June 1944. [7]
Between the war's start last October and recent days, the United States has transferred at least 14,000 of the MK-84 2,000-pound bombs, 6,500 500-pound bombs, 3,000 Hellfire precision-guided air ...
A Supermarine Spitfire aircraft landing at Biggin Hill airport in June. The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force along with many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War and afterwards into the 1950s as both a front-line fighter and also in secondary roles.
Using day fighters to act as night fighters without radar was largely unsuccessful in intercepting German bombers during the Blitz; Johnson's only action occurred on 22 February 1941 when he damaged a Messerschmitt Bf 110 in Spitfire R6611, QJ-F. [32] A week later, Johnson's squadron was moved to RAF Tangmere on the Channel coast. [32]