Supermarine Spitfire
.jpg) Supermarine Spitfire. Photo: Airwolfhound, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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| Make | Supermarine |
|---|---|
| Model | Supermarine Spitfire |
| Type | Fighter / Interceptor aircraft |
| Country |  United Kingdom
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| First flight | 5 March 1936
|
| Number built | More than 20,351 |
| Registered in the US | 19 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | 1 |
| Engine | Rolls-Royce Merlin 45, 1470 hp |
| Range | 479 mi (Spitfire Mk Vb) |
| Service ceiling | 36,500 ft (Spitfire Mk Vb) |
| Max weight | 6,700 lb (Spitfire Mk Vb)
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The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter flown by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during and after World War II, and the only British fighter built continuously throughout the war.[1] In the U.S. there are 19 Spitfires on the civil register.[2]
History
The Spitfire was a short-range, high-performance interceptor designed by R. J. Mitchell, chief designer at Supermarine, a subsidiary of Vickers-Armstrong from 1928. Its famous elliptical wing, designed by Beverley Shenstone, used sunken rivets for the thinnest possible cross-section, giving it a top speed above several fighters of its day, including the Hawker Hurricane. After Mitchell died of cancer in 1937, Joseph Smith led its development through many versions, from the Mk 1 to the Griffon-engined Mk 24.[1]
The first Spitfires had a 1,030 hp Rolls-Royce Merlin; the airframe was strong and adaptable enough to take ever more powerful Merlins and, later, Rolls-Royce Griffons of up to 2,340 hp, so its performance grew throughout its service. It fought in the Battle of Britain from July to October 1940 alongside the more numerous Hurricane.[1]
Survivors
About 240 Spitfires are preserved as of 2025, around 70 of them airworthy. The oldest surviving Spitfire, a Mark 1 numbered K9942, is preserved at the Royal Air Force Museum.[1]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 19 of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.[2]
| FAA model name | Registered |
|---|---|
| SPITFIRE MARK XIV | 2 |
| SPITFIRE MARK XVI | 2 |
| SPITFIRE MARK IX | 2 |
| SPITFIRE VB | 2 |
| SPITFIRE VIII | 2 |
| SPITFIRE LF IX E | 1 |
| SPITFIRE F MK XIV | 1 |
| SPITFIRE MK.VC | 1 |
| SPITFIRE MK.F IX | 1 |
| SPITFIRE LF XVI E | 1 |
| SPITFIRE MK.XIV | 1 |
| SPITFIRE 1A | 1 |
| SPITFIRE MK IX | 1 |
| SPITFIRE MK XVIII | 1 |
Specifications (Spitfire Mk Vb)
| Item | Spitfire Mk Vb |
|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
| Length | 29 ft 11 in |
| Wingspan | 36 ft 10 in |
| Height | 11 ft 5 in |
| Wing area | 242.1 sq ft |
| Empty weight | 5,065 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 6,700 lb |
| Engine | Rolls-Royce Merlin 45, 1470 hp (V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine) |
| Propeller | Rotol constant-speed propeller |
| Maximum speed | 370 mph |
| Range | 479 mi |
| Service ceiling | 36,500 ft |
| Rate of climb | 2,600 ft/min |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
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Spitfire XI EN 409 which was used in high speed diving trials in 1944. Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain -
Spitfire PL965 (G-MKXI) at Royal International Air Tattoo, Fairford, Gloucestershire, England. Photo: Adrian Pingstone (Arpingstone), Public domain -
Supermarine Spitfire. Photo: P.H.F. Tovey, En:Royal Air Force official photographer, Public domain -
Replica Supermarine Spitfire model Vb W3850 on display in 2009. Photo: Rodhullandemu, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
Supermarine Spitfire. Photo: RAF official photographer, Public domain -
A Royal Air Force Spitfire Mark VB (AD233, 'ZD-F') being flown by the Commanding Officer of No. Photo: RAF, Public domain -
Spitfire H.F Mk. Photo: NACA, Public domain -
Supermarine Spitfire. Photo: James Fitzpatrick, Public domain
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All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Supermarine Spitfire
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Wikipedia, "Supermarine Spitfire", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Federal Aviation Administration, Releasable Aircraft Database, file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.