Spitfire VIII MT928 Credit - Kogo
Spitfire Facts
Here are some facts about the Spitfire;
* It has a wingspan of 11 metres / 36.08ft.
* It's top speed is 584 km/h or 362 miles per hour.
* It was nearly called Shrew! Reginald Mitchell, the chief designer of Supermarine who built the Spitfire, suggested the name Shrew, but the government decided on Spitfire. He is reported to have said "What a blood stupid name" after hearing about the decision.
* The designer of the Spitfire was R.J Mitchell, who sadly died of cancer before World War * Two began and never lived to see how his Spitfires helped Britain during the war.
* It can travel 680 km or 422 miles before requiring refuelling.
* The company that produced the Spitfire was Supermarine, which had it's main works in Southampton, on the south coast of England, although the main Spitfire production factory was at Castle Bromwich in the West Midlands, where over 12,000 planes were built.
* It is powered by a Rolls Royce Merlin engine, which is what gives it, it's distinct sound as it it flies across the sky.
* In 1940, it cost £12,604 to make a Spitfire, in today's money, taking into account inflation, the cost to build a Spitfire was £717,688
* The plane was first revealed in 1936, at an air display at RAF Hendon, North London.
* The first battle the Spitfire assisted in, was the Battle of Dunkirk over northern France, no Spitfires were based in France, but flew from airfields in Southern England.
* There was approximately 20,000 Spitfires built, and there was 16 different versions, plus one that was built to fly from air craft carriers.
* There is 53 Spitfires still airworthy and can be seen flying at air shows in various parts of the world. 29 of the 53 planes are located in the UK. There is also another 150 or so planes that are on static display in museums or in storage and some of these are being restored.
