The Supermarine Spitfire is perhaps the most famous British fighter aircraft from World War II. It was a fully metal machine with a low-wing configuration, characteristic elliptical wings, a classic tail, and a retractable landing gear system.

The original flight took place on March 5, 1936. The Spitfire proved to be the cornerstone of the RAF's war effort, which continued to perform well after the war, remaining in production for 10 years.

The story of the Spitfire began at the design office of RJ Mitchell, the chief designer of Supermarine. The first aircraft were delivered to RAF units in 1938, but when the Battle of Britain began in the summer of 1940, there were already 19 squadrons of modern fighters at the airfields—alongside the slightly older Hurricanes of the islands, defending with 600 aircraft.

As hostilities expanded, the Spitfire served wherever the RAF operated in the Far East, North Africa, and Italy.