Spit-Firing Facts: 5 Surprising Things You Never Knew About the Iconic WWII Fighter Plane

Spit-Firing Facts: 5 Surprising Things You Never Knew About the Iconic WWII Fighter Plane - The Name Behind the Legend

The iconic Spitfire earned its legendary status not just from its performance, but also its memorable name. Unlike many aircraft of the era named after their manufacturer or technical specifications, the Spitfire was christened with a name evoking speed, agility and English heritage.

The origins of the Spitfire name are unclear, but most historians agree it was coined by Sir Robert McLean, director of Vickers-Armstrongs, the parent company of Supermarine. Supermarine was tasked with designing and building what would become the Spitfire. According to McLean's grandson, his grandfather scribbled "Spitfire" on the original design blueprint.

The word spitfire refers to a fiery, ferocious temperament, dating back to the 16th century. It likely draws inspiration from Shakespeare, who coined "spit fire" in his 1597 play Henry IV to describe the hot-blooded rebel Hotspur. Calling the plane the Spitfire evoked a fierce, spirited nature befitting an airplane designed to help Britain prevail in wartime.

The name Spitfire was formally announced to the public in 1936, when the prototype first took flight. Initial reactions were mixed, with some deriding it as undignified. However, the name quickly caught on with pilots and the public once the Spitfire proved itself in the skies over Britain.

Far from a stuffy technical name, Spitfire gave the plane personality. Pilots came to see their trusted steeds as living up to the connotations behind the name – spirited, swift and courageous. Memoirs of Spitfire aviators brim with affection for the planes.

Beyond Britain, the Spitfire name resonated around the world. As New Zealand pilot Geoffrey Page described, the Spitfire was "everybody's idea of what a fighter aircraft should look like." Its romantic, dashing name matched its elegant design and enhanced its legend internationally.

Spit-Firing Facts: 5 Surprising Things You Never Knew About the Iconic WWII Fighter Plane - Built for Speed

The Spitfire earned its reputation for speed thanks to its innovative elliptical wing design created by aerodynamics pioneer Reginald J. Mitchell. At the time, most fighter planes had rectangular wings. This gave plenty of lift but created substantial drag. Mitchell’s elliptical wings allowed the Spitfire to slice through the air with previously unmatched agility.

Wind tunnel tests showed Mitchell’s thin, curved elliptical wings reduced drag by 5-10% compared to conventional wings. This enabled the Spitfire to reach higher speeds without the excessive engine power required by rival fighters. Leading Luftwaffe designer Willy Messerschmitt ruefully praised the Spitfire’s superior aerodynamics. The early Spitfire Mark I’s top speed of 370 mph outstripped the 309 mph Messerschmitt Bf 109E. As aircraft historian Dr. Alfred Price noted, a speed advantage of 30-40 mph was an “enormous” edge in air combat.

Pilots relished putting the Spitfire through its paces. Jeffrey Quill, Vickers chief test pilot, described flying the prototype for the first time as “one of the most memorable moments of my life.” He enthused that “to take a Spitfire up for the first time was an unforgettable delight.” The Spitfire delivered a magic combination of maneuverability, responsiveness to controls, and blistering speed.

Another standout feature contributing to the Spitfire’s speed was its Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, which generated more horsepower than contemporaries. The Merlin was adapted from a civilian aircraft engine and proved rugged and reliable. Combined with Mitchell’s aerodynamic design, the Merlin gave the Spitfire enough power to exploit its streaming elliptical wings to the fullest.

Throughout the war, Supermarine strove to enhance the Spitfire’s rate of climb and speed through aerodynamic refinements and more powerful engines. The final Mark XIV variant attained a maximum speed of 448 mph, a 51% boost over the original Spitfire I. This cemented the Spitfire’s status as one of the fastest piston-engine fighters ever built. Its high-speed capability was essential in defeating the V-1 flying bombs terrorizing England in 1944.

Spit-Firing Facts: 5 Surprising Things You Never Knew About the Iconic WWII Fighter Plane - Mark of the Merlin

The throaty growl of the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine became synonymous with the Spitfire, powering it to victory in the Battle of Britain. This innovative V12 powerplant was perhaps the Spitfire’s most vital component. The Merlin imbued the nimble fighter with enough speed and altitude performance to triumph over German foes.

Early Merlin engines generated just over 1,000 horsepower, already surpassing contemporary fighter powerplants. But Rolls-Royce engineers kept fine-tuning the supercharger, carburetor, and fuel injection to wring out more power. By war’s end, late-model Merlins delivered over 2,000 horses.

This additional grunt gave Spitfires a decisive advantage engaging heavier German fighters. As pilot Johnnie Johnson described, the boost in power meant “we could now catch the Hun...this little extra speed was enough to give us mastery of the air.” Outpowered early in the war, British pilots now relished chasing down German aircraft.

The Merlin was also remarkably reliable, proving resistant to battle damage. Spitfire ace Bob Doe recalled his Merlin kept purring away despite receiving enemy cannon fire through the engine cowling and coolant system. Pilots naturally developed deep affection for the mechanically sympathy Merlin.

Plus, the Merlin’s distinctive metallic rasp reminded pilots of home – its burbling lilt was described as “like the noise of London’s traffic.” For pilots enduring endless hours of tense flying, that touch of familiarity cheered the spirit.

The Merlin’s design allowed quick maintenance, with several mechanics able to swap out the entire engine within hours. This kept precious Spitfires flying rather than languishing on the ground.

The legendary engine also contributed one further gift - its stirring soundtrack. Aviation writer Paul Beaver felt the resonant Merlin represented “the audible symbol of the brave few.” The evocative howl of a Merlin-powered Spitfire still makes Air Show crowds go misty-eyed with pride.

While German engines often produced greater outright horsepower, the Merlin’s harmonious marriage with the Spitfire produced greater performance. One Air Ministry official summarized: “While the Merlin engine on its own was good, it was outstanding in the Spitfire.”

This shockingly powerful yet sweet-handling fighter needed the Merlin’s smooth, abundant power to realize its potential. Their partnership allowed the Spitfire to dominate the skies, saving Britain in its darkest hour.

The Merlin was a marvel of British engineering, conceived by Rolls-Royce’s genius designers Arthur Rubbra and later Henry Royce. Its development focus on reliability and maintainability paid dividends in combat.

Spit-Firing Facts: 5 Surprising Things You Never Knew About the Iconic WWII Fighter Plane - Taking to the Skies

The iconic Spitfire stirs the soul whenever it takes to the skies. For pilots and spectators alike, seeing a Spitfire aloft evokes intense emotions tied to this legendary plane's role securing freedom in World War II. Many consider the Spitfire the most beautiful aircraft ever built, a perfect synthesis of aeronautical artistry and lethality.

Watching a Spitfire slip the surly bonds of Earth is an unforgettable experience. The elliptical wings cut smoothly through the air as the growling Merlin engine propels the plane faster and faster. Then suddenly the Spitfire zooms skyward at a breathtaking 50-degree angle. Veteran pilot John Romain called flying the Spitfire “as near to having wings of your own as any earth-bound man has achieved.”

The Spitfire was designed for agility, to be at home darting and swooping through the skies. Pilots marveled at how crisply the Spitfire responded to controls. Canadian ace Johnnie Johnson said "I don't think I have ever found an aircraft so perfect for aerobatics." He enthused that Rolls Royce and Supermarine had created "a pilot's aeroplane if ever there was one.”

Johnson vividly described the Spitfire’s aerobatic prowess: “To throw a Spitfire about the sky in a mad display of loops, rolls, spins, and stall turns was to experience the nearest thing to heaven itself." It may have been built for war, but pilots reveled in the sheer joy of guiding this masterpiece of aerial engineering.

Seeing the iconic fighter dance nimbly overhead leaves onlookers rapt with admiration. Aviation photographer Kedar Karmarkar seeks to capture the magical feeling of a Spitfire sortie. He has spent countless hours poised patiently near airfields, waiting to photograph Spitfires taking wing. Karmarkar treasures moments like when the late Ray Hanna flew a Spitfire in a graceful swooping pass just 20 feet over his head. The Spitfire seems to defy gravity, tacking sharply one way then another as if animated with a life of its own.

Many accounts speak to the spine-tingling effect of seeing a Spitfire skimming through the skies. Writer Caroline Alexander recounts watching in awe as Spitfires wheeled and arced during an airshow. She found it "impossible not to feel a frisson of wonder, and of poignancy, that the Spitfire still flies while the human pilots who guided them are long gone." Each flight honors those brave pilots.

Seeing a Spitfire airborne connects viewers viscerally to the past. Alexander Rae describes the emotions stirred watching a Spitfire sortie over rural Scotland: “There’s something about seeing the aircraft and the landscape together that really takes you back in time.” The sight binds past and present in a powerful, bittersweet way.

Spit-Firing Facts: 5 Surprising Things You Never Knew About the Iconic WWII Fighter Plane - A Star is Born

The Spitfire earned everlasting fame during the epic air battles over southern England in 1940. This was the Spitfire’s – and the free world’s – finest hour. The outnumbered Royal Air Force faced the skilled pilots of the German Luftwaffe as Nazi Germany attempted to bomb Britain into submission. Britain’s survival seemingly hung by a thread, relying on the young RAF pilots able to get their Spitfires airborne each day.

Through that long summer, the Spitfire entered legend. As waves of German bombers and fighters attacked, the British public fixated on the Spitfire versus Messerschmitt clash raging in the skies above Kent. Radio broadcasts, newspapers, and propaganda films heightened the drama: “The fate of civilization depends on the outcome of the titanic struggle in the skies over England.”

Gripping accounts of dogfights between Spitfires and Messerschmitts captivated the British public. The image of lone RAF fighters taking on swarms of German planes inspired nationwide pride in the courage of “The Few”. Winston Churchill himself memorably declared: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”

While Hurricanes actually outnumbered Spitfires during the Battle of Britain, the Spitfire garnered the lion’s share of acclaim. Its sweeping elliptical wings and bullet-like fuselage looked the epitome of an interceptor's form. And its greater speed gave Spitfires the edge engaging Messerschmitts once the German escort fighters had shed their drop tanks.

RAF pilot Johnnie Johnson described the Spitfire’s superior speed as a critical advantage: "We could pick and choose our moment to attack the enemy...I whooped with sheer joy as I bore down on my first victim.” The Spitfire’s performance edge allowed RAF pilots to REALLY take the fight to the Luftwaffe. Its agile grace boosted British morale.

As the Battle of Britain raged, the Spitfire became a national symbol of defiance. British citizens enthused “Our Spits will get them!” whenever German aircraft appeared overhead. Here was a British-designed, British-built fighter to rival the vaunted German technologists. On summer days, the drone of Merlin engines signaled hope of victory.

Squadron Leader Peter Townsend recalled the significance of the Spitfire’s stirring soundtrack: “The noise of Merlins seemed at times to take on a deeper note - as if the presence of so many of them signified Britain’s refusal to be beaten down.” The Spitfire’s distinctive howl became part of the nation’s psychological armour.

Spit-Firing Facts: 5 Surprising Things You Never Knew About the Iconic WWII Fighter Plane - Altered States

The versatility of the Spitfire airframe lent itself to adaptation into an astounding array of experimental variants. Supermarine engineers explored every avenue towards wringing more performance from this phenomenal design. This willingness to push boundaries led to some radical departures from the classic Spitfire shape.

One particularly shocking manifestation was the Type 387, which did away with the elegant elliptical wing altogether. Dubbed the “Boffin Spitfire,” it had a rounded straight-taper wing optimized for ultra-high altitude flight. Pilots found the Boffin sluggish to handle versus the standard Spitfire, but it could reach an unprecedented 49,000 feet. Nicknamed “high hat” for its bulbous cockpit fairing, the bizarre Boffin was ultimately not put into production.

Even more exotic was the Type 337, which aimed to break the world air speed record. To slash drag, it had a pencil-slim, needle-like fuselage and drastically clipped wings. Bereft of its distinctive wings, it scarcely looked like a Spitfire anymore. Imaginatively dubbed the “Spiteful,” handling suffered substantially. One test pilot ruefully remarked “the Spiteful tries hard to kill you.” But it did achieve blistering speed, hitting 485 mph in level flight.

Not all experiments altered the externals of the airframe. The Type 360 retained the familiar elliptical wing but had a pressurized cockpit for high altitude endurance. Squadron Leader Ted Powles achieved an awe-inspiring 50,000 ft altitude in a Type 360, though ultimately such extreme performance proved unnecessary.

Even wackier was a specialized PR Type created to fly alongside V-1 flying bombs. It had armored glass and extra plating to protect against flying debris. Another PR variant had "power operated" controls, able to remotely pilot the Spitfire using radio control. While inventive, such one-off ideas never saw squadron use.

Spit-Firing Facts: 5 Surprising Things You Never Knew About the Iconic WWII Fighter Plane - Going Global

The Spitfire earned everlasting fame defending Britain's skies, but it also made a global impact in myriad overseas conflicts. This British-built fighter served on every continent during World War II, making it one of the most widely deployed aircraft worldwide. The agile, adaptable Spitfire proved well-suited to diverse theaters of operation.

Far from just a homeland defense interceptor, Spitfires flew offensive fighter sweeps over Occupied Europe. The iconic fighter escorted Allied bombers on raids to pummel Nazi industrial targets. Spitfires also slashed through Luftwaffe defenses in North Africa and provided vital air cover battling Japanese forces in Asia.

Legendary American ace Brigadier General Robin Olds considered the Spitfire “one of the few foreign aircraft equal to or better than our own.” Its excellent handling and firepower made it effective for fighter pilots of many nationalities. After initial distrust of foreign aircraft, American pilots grew to love the “hot rod” Spitfire allocated to certain squadrons.

The Spitfire adeptly adapted to unfamiliar tropical and desert climes. Supermarine engineers modified various marks to cope with extremes of heat, dust and humidity in North Africa and Asia. Pilots appreciated refinements like improved engine air filters and dust shields over ejector exhaust stubs.

One of the Spitfire's most significant overseas contributions was defending remote Australia following Japan’s onslaught in 1941. Royal Australian Air Force ace Clive Caldwell enthused that the Spitfire was “the most perfect flying machine ever made.” Spitfires proved a lifesaver against the superior manoeuvrability of Japanese Zeros.

Additionally, Spitfire photo reconnaissance (PR) variants scouted Japanese ship movements, helping halt the enemy advance towards Australia. PR Spitfires also flew risky unarmed missions over Burma and the Pacific islands. Vital intelligence gathered by these unheralded Spitfires aided Allied forces immensely.

The Spitfire also starred in the Mediterranean theatre. Smooth handling at low altitude made it ideally suited for escorting naval and amphibious forces along the North African coast and up through Italy. The Spitfire’s bloody skirmishes with Luftwaffe aces over Malta entered legend. In this harsh environment, the Merlin engine demonstrated its reliability and power to full advantage.

Beyond Europe and the Mediterranean, Spitfires saw action against Vichy French forces in Syria and Lebanon. In South Asia, they dueled Japanese Zeros and Army Oscar fighters over Burma and Singapore. Spitfires even made it as far afield as Alaska, with the USAAF using photo reconnaissance versions to patrol against possible Japanese incursions.

Spit-Firing Facts: 5 Surprising Things You Never Knew About the Iconic WWII Fighter Plane - The Many Lives of the Spitfire

The Spitfire lived many lives beyond its fame battling Nazi forces. This adaptable fighter served numerous air forces worldwide in diverse roles both during and after World War II. The Spitfire’s sleek frame housed tremendous versatility - it was so much more than just an interceptor.

In the postwar era, the Spitfire continued defending freedom by serving with emerging air forces in Burma, India, and other nations gaining independence from colonial rule. These countries appreciated the fighter’s power and agility compared to outdated hand-me-downs from ex-colonial overseers.

Spitfires took on ground attack duties, using cannons and rockets to strafe enemy troop concentrations. The iconic fighter also morphed into dedicated fighter-bombers packing up to 1,000 pounds of bombs for precision strikes. Dropping its elliptical wings revealed hidden hardpoints for slinging hefty ordnance loads.

Who said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? The Spitfire effortlessly adapted from aerial jousting to hitting targets on terra firma. Its smooth handling allowed accurate bombing and gunnery runs.

The Spitfire also found postwar life as an aerobatic showstopper. Pilots delighted audiences with looping rolls and spins that demonstrated the fighter’s phenomenal maneuverability. Air shows allowed wartime Spitfire pilots to reconnect with their beloved kites and introduce new generations to the iconic plane.

Civilian sport pilots even got to experience the Spitfire’s magic touch. Surplus military models were converted for racing and private ownership. Wealthy flying enthusiasts relished becoming a “Spitfire driver,” guiding the thoroughbred fighter through its paces.

Spitfires dazzled as Hollywood film stars in movies like The Battle of Britain and Guy Hamilton’s 1969 classic The Battle of Britain. Their striking silhouette and stirring Merlin soundtrack turned audiences misty-eyed with British pride.

The photogenic fighter inspired artists ranging from acclaimed war artist Paul Nash to pop art pioneer Eduardo Paolozzi. Poets and musicians paid musical tribute in works like “The Spitfire Waltz” and Vera Lynn’s wartime anthem “The Spitfire Song”.

The Spitfire also flew proudly in air forces as far flung as Denmark, Greece, and Turkey. Overseas allies appreciated the fighter’s quality and made it their own. This cemented the Spitfire’s status as an international icon.

Today the Spitfire remains instantly recognizable worldwide as a symbol of courage under fire. By spreading its wings globally, it became far more than just a British phenom. The Spitfire’s fighting spirit and grace under pressure made it a triumph in every theater.