The iconic Spitfire Supermarine..90th Anniversary of first test flight...
March 5, 1936…
The Spitire's first flight on March 5th 1936 marked the beginning of a new era in aviation history, the prototype, K5054, was flown by Captain Joseph "Mutt" Summers, and the aircraft's design was a result of efforts by Reginald J Mitchell and the Supermarine design staff.
The Spitfire's impact on the Battle of Britain, and it's role in the Second World War solidified it's status as a national treasure, and a symbol of British engineering excellence
Comments
-
What an aircraft this turned out to be, and still flying today in a flypast at Southampton where it was built...described at the time as incredible, and quoted as "Don't change a thing" by the test pilot at the time...1
-
I live near Biggin Hill and one often flies over my house from there, lovely airplane and that sound from the merlin engine🥰4
-
Surprised to read it was still in RAF service until 1957. No wonder I slept easy in my cot.0
-
The Hurricane, designed by Sir Sydney Camm shot down more German aircraft than the Spitfire.BUT , both planes were flown by remarkable pilots.We really do owe more than we ever know to these guys.4
-
You can't beat a Spit though, and up close...
7 -
Great shot BDL, and agree with comment...unless you were a Messerschmitt 109 of course...👌0
-
The more prosaic Hurricane has always taken 2nd place to the sexy Spitfire .. here are some facts n figures (from Co-Pilot)
🇬🇧 Core takeaway
Hurricanes were more numerous—typically around 500–600 available at any given time—while Spitfires numbered roughly 250–300. This meant Hurricanes made up about two‑thirds of Fighter Command’s frontline strength, with Spitfires forming the remaining one‑third.
📊 Key operational numbers during the battle
The clearest snapshots come from RAF strength reports during the height of the fighting:
Date (1940) Hurricanes Spitfires 21 August 615 326 30 August 580 287 8 September 530 275 15 September (Battle of Britain Day) 472 256 2 October 482 281 18 October 512 285 ✈️ Why Hurricanes outnumbered Spitfires
Hurricanes were quicker to build and used more traditional construction methods.
They were easier to repair, with shorter turnaround times between sorties.
RAF doctrine assigned Hurricanes primarily to attack bombers, while Spitfires engaged German fighters.
Despite the Spitfire’s iconic status, Hurricanes actually shot down more enemy aircraft during the battle.
Putting it all together
Across the battle, the RAF typically fielded:
~500–600 Hurricanes
~250–300 Spitfires
These numbers fluctuated daily due to losses, repairs, and reinforcements, but the ratio remained broadly consistent.
4 -
Makes sense that Hurricanes shot down more enemy than the Spitfire...there were twice as many...🤷♂️
The Spitfire was generally faster and more agile, it's elliptical wing shape provided a near ideal lift to drag ratio, allowing it to perform well across a wide speed range, making it an ideal interceptor, capable of easily outmaneuvering enemy aircraft...
Both had their part to play, and deserve equal praise I feel2
