Spitfire

Reginald Mitchell designed the Spitfire drawing on his experience with Schneider Trophy racing seaplanes. The elliptical wing was aerodynamically efficient but complex to manufacture, a trade-off Mitchell considered essential for performance. When the Spitfire entered service in 1938, it was the fastest fighter in the RAF. During the Battle of Britain in 1940, Spitfires and Hurricanes together defeated the Luftwaffe, but it was the Spitfire that captured the public imagination. The aircraft evolved through 24 marks, gaining more powerful Griffon engines and clipped wings, serving in every theater of the war. Over 20,000 were built, and the Spitfire remains the most revered fighter in aviation history.