Story of the Spitfire: An Operational and Combat History

Adored by its pilots and admired for its beauty and speed, the Spitfire symbolised Britain's courageous fight against the Luftwaffe during World War II. The Supermarine Spitfire, designed by R. J. Mitchell, was the only RAF fighter aircraft capable of outmanoeuvering and beating the German fighters. From the early Merlin-powered Marks to the cannon-armed and powerful Griffon variants, the Spitfire remained a truly astonishing aircraft. When combined with well-trained and aggressive RAF pilots it dominated the skies and became a war-winning weapon. Ken Delve explores the story of the Spitfire with the use of official accounts, pilot recollections, diagrams and statistics. He compares it to its main rivals, the Bf 109 and the Fw 190 and considers the Spitfire's continual evolution that kept it in the skies, before, during and after World War II.