Spitfire offers a compact illustrated guide to this most iconic of aircraft, with chapters divided by type and time period. If asked to name a British aircraft of World War II, many people would pick the Spitfire. In production and frontline service throughout the war, this Supermarine design matured to become one of the greatest fighter aircraft of all time. Find out about the Mk VB, the most numerous and hardy model that served in every theater of war, including flying with the Soviet Air Force on the Eastern Front; marvel at EN409, a Mk XI that achieved a speed record of 975 km/h (606 mph) in high-speed diving trials; learn about the Spitfire's role in the Dieppe Raid in 1942, where the Mk Vs and Mk IXs flew over 2,000 sorties in support of the landing; and discover well-known Spitfire pilots, included "Johnnie" Johnson, who shot down 34 enemy aircraft and who flew the Spitfire right through his operational career from late 1940 to 1945.
