Description
No fighter aircraft in the history of aviation has evoked such passion and enthusiasm as the Supermarine Spitfire. The only Allied fighter to see continuous front-line service from 1939 to 1945, the Spitfire's aerodynamic curves, powerful Merlin engine and excellent high-altitude performance made it one of the finest fighters ever designed. Together with its naval version, the Seafire, it fought in every theatre, and in the immediate post-war years Spitfires also saw action in Malaya, Indo-China and Israel - where, in an ironic twist, Israeli and Egyptian Spitfires fought one another.
This book traces the development and operational record of the Spitfire, from the racing floatplanes designed for the Schneider Trophy, through the various Merlin- and later Griffon-engined types, and through its use in the air superiority, reconnaissance and ground-attack roles.
The reader will learn what it was like to fly at high altitude in a photo-recce Spitfire, always on the lookout for an ambush by enemy fighters, and to go into action in the desperate days of the Battle of Britain, the action for which the Spitfire is best remembered.
With over 110 colour and black-and-white photographs illustrating the Spitfire in action and from all angles, this book tells the spectacular and enthralling story of this legendary aircraft, and of the men who flew it to victory.
