Vickers Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX - History, technical details and picture

Spitifire history

During the brief period of peace before the Second World War, British military engineers developped a modern and heavily armed fighter.

The first prototype of this aircraft was produced in 1938 and went into service during the Munich crisis the same year. Initially, several pilots have suffered from claustrophobia in the small cockpit, and many people preferred to fly without closing it.

It was also one of the first aircraft to be equipped with retractable wheels, and initially, the tests were punctuated by accidents during the landings, the pilots routinely forgetting to start the implementation of the wheels.

Thus have been trained the first pilots to fly the Spitfire fighters. 1,160 aircrafts were ordered in 1939 to the Supermarine company, 1, 000 others to the Nuffield company.

Many versions of the Spitfire were built, for example the Seafire. 55 Spitfire squadrons were involved in the invasion of Normandy, from June 5 to June 7, 1944, mainly engaged in bombing missions on the ground, the enemy having only a very small amount of fighters. General Rommel himself was wounded on July 17, 1944 during an attack of a Spitfire fighter.

The Spitifire, which has received 380 liters additional tanks, also escorted heavy bombers during Allied air raids over Germany, bringing close support against the German fighters.

After the Second World War, new versions have been invented, but the production in Britain has slowed sharply, while many units have been exported abroad, including in the Middle East, where Spitfires were used until 1951.