[yarddog]

I always thought the Spitfire was the most beautiful aircraft ever made.

From reading books from both sides I don’t think the Spitfire was really superior to the Messerschmidt. Each had their strong points but it was basically a tie.

[RobRoy]

I understand that one of the biggest advantages of the German planes was that they were fuel injected while the Allied planes were all carbuereted. So inverted flight was a problem for our planes. But my favorite plane of the war is the spitfire, no doubt about it.

[hinckley buzzard]

A few years later the Mustang showed up and settled the argument.

[an amused spectator]

Alex Henshaw, Spitfire test pilot, speaking in 2005:

“Those young men went into combat with only five or six hours’ flying experience in it.

“If it had not been for the Spitfire, a wonderfully easy aircraft to fly, they would not have survived. If it had not been for the Spitfire, Britain would not have survived.”

---

Tie goes to the Spit...

[hinckley buzzard]

The Bf 109 had a much higher operational ceiling. The Spitfire was underpowered for high altitude combat and could not climb as rapidly. They really were not equivalent, as many British pilots learned to their chagrin.

The 109 met its fate when the P51 Mustang arrived in 1944.

[mitch5501]

As I understand it,the mainstay of Englands flying force during the Battle of Britain was the Hawker Hurricane.I've also read that the Spitfire was found wanting against the FW190 and the ME262.The latter being a case of too little too late.

Still a beautifull plane after all these years.