The Spitfire is the most famous plane of World War Two. Its groundbreaking design and superior specifications gave the British a decisive advantage fighting the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain. But early models were often cruelly exposed in head-to-head duels with the enemy.

What was the Spitfire used for? Much loved by its pilots, the Spitfire served in several roles, including interceptor, photo-reconnaissance, fighter-bomber, and trainer, and it continued to serve in these roles until the 1950s.

also,  What is BF in Bf 109? Bf 109, in full Bayerische Flugzeugwerke 109, also called Me 109, Nazi Germany’s most important fighter aircraft, both in operational importance and in numbers produced.

Who invented the Spitfire? The prototype Spitfire was designed by R J Mitchell and first took to the air at Southampton Airport on 5 March 1936. With a powerful Rolls Royce Merlin engine and eight machine guns it was a formidable fighting aircraft.

Do we still use Spitfires?

07 Jun How many Spitfires are still flying? Out of the 20,000+ Spitfires that were built from 1938 to 1948, today, just a handful of these (around 60) are still airworthy. … This means our flights are authentic and a-once-in-a-lifetime experience.

similary Did the US use Spitfires?

1. Supermarine Spitfire. … The American Spitfires mostly saw service in North Africa and Italy, according to SpitfireSite.com, until they were replaced by P-51s. United States Army Air Force Spitfires scored almost 350 kills during World War II.

Did the Spitfire save Britain? Thanks to its sleek lines and blistering speed, the Supermarine Spitfire has gone down in popular lore as the plane that saved England during the Battle of Britain. Yet Spitfires only made up a third of the British fighters during the campaign.

Does Messerschmitt exist? The company survived in the post-war era , undergoing a number of mergers and changing its name from Messerschmitt to Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm before being bought by Deutsche Aerospace (DASA, now part of Airbus) in 1989.
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Messerschmitt.

What plane did Erich Hartmann fly?

While serving in Germany’s Luftwaffe in World War II, Erich Hartmann flew more than 1,400 missions in the Messerschmitt Bf 109, enabling him to score an astonishing 352 kills.

How good is Me 109? The climbing performance of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 K-4 was phenomenal and noticeably superior to any of the enemy aircraft. … Above 6,000 metres, the German plane was so clearly superior to the Soviet aircraft that the Soviet pilots strictly avoided any aerial combat at this altitude.

Did RJ Mitchell meet Messerschmitt?

It was not named after the wizard of Arthurian legend, as depicted in the film. It is believed that Mitchell visited Germany while convalescing from his 1933 surgery, but he never met aircraft designer Willy Messerschmitt.

What fuel did Spitfires use? He continued: “That process would make a crucial difference in mid-1940 when the Royal Air Force started filling its Spitfires and Hurricanes with the 100-octane gasoline imported from the United States instead of the 87-octane gasoline it had formerly used.”

How many airworthy Bf 109 are there?

As of December 2016 there are 67 known existing Bf 109 airframes. About twenty of the surviving Bf 109s existent in the 21st century served at one time with the Luftwaffe fighter wing Jagdgeschwader 5 , more than with any other Axis military aviation unit of World War II.

Where are the Spitfires now?

In 1947 it was transferred to the Royal Hellenic Air Force and later retired to The Hellenic Air Force Museum. In 2018, the aircraft went to the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar in the UK to be restored to fly. The Spitfire made its first flight after restoration on 19 January 2020.

How many Lancasters are left? The Avro Lancaster is the most famous and successful RAF heavy bomber of World War Two. There are only two airworthy Lancasters left in the world – 7,377 were built.

Did Russia use Spitfires? The Soviet Air Force modified some Spitfires as two-seat trainers and in the post-war period some were used as trainers.

Did France use Spitfires?

A single Spitfire Mk I was delivered and tested by the French air force in July 1939. After the war, France also operated the Spitfire during several years, notably using it in combat during the Indochinese war, while the French navy operated the naval version of the Supermarine fighter, the Seafire.

What country used Spitfires? The Spitfire, renowned for winning victory laurels in the Battle of Britain (1940–41) along with the Hawker Hurricane, served in every theatre of the war and was produced in more variants than any other British aircraft.

What saved England in WW2?

The Battle of Britain was the successful defense of Great Britain against the air raids conducted by the German air force in 1940 after the fall of France during World War II.

What was the most feared plane in WW2? Junkers Ju87 Widely known as the “Stuka”, the Ju87 was one of the most feared aircraft during World War Two. It had a fearsome siren which terrified those who heard it. Lockheed Hudson Useful aeroplane. The wooden lifeboat was designed to be dropped by Hudsons to rescue airmen who had ditched.

How do you tell the difference between a Spitfire and a Hurricane?

The Spitfire has a distinctive elliptical wing. The Hurricane has a more regular wing that is rounded. The Hurricane has a rectangular canopy. The Spitfire has a rounded canopy.

When did BF become? The company was renamed Messerschmitt AG after 11 July 1938 when Erhard Milch finally allowed Willy Messerschmitt to acquire the company. All Messerschmitt aircraft that originated after that date, such as the Me 210, were to carry the “Me” designation.

How good is FW 190?

The Fw 190 was well-liked by its pilots. … The Fw 190 had greater firepower than the Bf 109 and, at low to medium altitude, superior manoeuvrability, in the opinion of German pilots who flew both fighters. It was regarded as one of the best fighter planes of World War II.

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