Origin: Great Britain
Year: 1938
Type: Fighter
Weight: 2,415 kg (5,332 lb)
Height: 3.48 m (11 ft 5 in)
Wingspan: 11.22 m (29 ft 11 in)
Length: 9.12 m (29 ft 11 in)
Max Speed: 571 km/h (355 mph) at 5,800 m (19,000 ft)
Ceiling: 10,360 m (34,000 ft)
Engine: Rolls-Royce Merlin II
Range: 805 km (500 mi)
Armament: 8 .303 caliber machine guns
Crew: 1

With a lineage that traces back to the racing of the interwar period, the Supermarine Spitfire is one of the most iconic fighter aircraft of the Second World War. Alongside the older Hawker Hurricane, the "Spit" would be responsible for saving Great Britain during her darkest hour. Tangling with the Messerschmitt Me.109 while the Hurricanes attacked the bombers, the Spitfire proved itself as a worthy opponent to the best fighter aircraft the Luftwaffe had at the time. The Spitfire continued to evolve throughout the war in order to counter the improving performance of German fighters such as the Me.109 and Fw.190. The improvements to the Spitfire include changes in engine, increased armament, and improved visibilty (starting with the Malcolm hood canopy and eventually ending in a bubble canopy). The Spitfire was also modified for naval use and fielded by the Fleet Air Arm as the Seafire.

Britain and the Commonwealth weren't the only nations to use the Spitfire. A large number were flown by the USAAF, particularly in North Africa and the Mediterranean. A number of the type were also sent to the Soviet Union as part of Lend-Lease. While more positively received than the Hurricanes, the Soviet Spitfires saw limited action. The Spitfire also played a prominent role in the early days of the Israeli Air Force, where the type would replace the Avia S-199 (itself a clone of the Me.109) that had been the IDF's first fighter aircraft.