FACTFILE

SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE MK1

Crew: One pilot Length: 29ft 11in Wingspan: 36ft 10in Max speed: 355mph at 19,000ft Mission range: 470 miles Service ceiling: 36,500ft Rate of climb: 2,600 ft/min

Production started in June 1936 with an order of 310 from the Air Ministry at a cost of £4,500 each (£225,000 in today’s money)

SPITFIRE PRODUCTION Overall, 1,556 Mark 1s were built and 22,789 Spitfires in total, with 19 ‘Marks’ and at least 52 variants. The most produced version was the Mark IX with 5,665 built, while the most powerful was the Mark XIV, powered by the mighty Rolls-Royce Griffon 2,025hp engine.