Maisonart
Gallery and Studio of John Wiseman
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Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb


          Regarded by many as the most beautifully designed single seat fighter of WW II, the Spitfire saw action in practically every theatre of battle where it fought with distinction. Spitfires were in great demand and many countries were eager to equip their air forces with them. I believe it was only the Russians who were not so enamoured by the Spitfire. Among the reasons the spitfire V was not considered so successful by the Soviets was friendly fire incidents when Spitfires were fired upon being mistaken for German Bf109s. Poor serviceability and high landing accident rates at rough forward fields also created problems for the Russians.
       Along with the Hurricane, the Spitfire had been greatly responsible for turning the tide in England’s favour during the Battle of Britain. And it soldiered on in an ever evolving series of improvements that were made to provide pilots with a fighting edge during the long struggle to victory.
The MkV model here was flown by RAF Squadron no. 243.