Six Spectacular Spitfires

Editors’ picks roundup

Coming out of the days when most aircraft were still biplanes utilizing wood and fabric, the Supermarine Spitfire was a modern design featuring all-metal construction. And while other aircraft designs faded away, the Spitfire was constantly upgraded to allow for greater power and armament, and it stayed in production throughout World War II. Making its first flight in March 1936, the Spitfire had the greatest production run of any other British aircraft, and eventually more than 20,000 were built. For the RC modeler, there are a whole bunch of Spitfire types from which to choose. From the original Mk I, all the way to the final Spitfire variant, the Seafire F Mk 47, these sleek, graceful, and deadly dogfighting machines stir the emotions. For all WW II warbird fans, the Spitfire has to be high on the list of the greatest fighters in the world. It certainly is for us. We went back over our many RC warbird reviews and we scanned all our flight tests and articles to come up with the editors’ top six Spitfire choices. If you’re itching for some true Battle of Britain dogfights, then one of these bad boys is sure to fit the bill.

The elegant but supercomplex wing planform of the Spitfire is universally recognized. It was, theoretically, the best shape for a wing because it matched the span-wise lift distribution and produced the least drag for the lift. The fact that it is downright beautiful is just a happy byproduct of engineering.