SPITFIRE MkI
A Supermarine Spitfire Mk 1 in 602 Squadron markings
Deliveries of production SpitfireI's began in June 1938, just over two years after 'Mutt' Summers flew the prototype at Southhampton. By the time of the Munich crisis on 12-13 September, 1938, only five Spitfires had been completed. In the following year, on April 29 further contracts were placed with Supermarine for 200 Spitfires and on August 9 for 450. When Britain went to war on September 3, 1939 a total of 2,160 Spitfires were already on order.
Structurally the Spitfire was a straightforward design with a light alloy monocoque fuselage and a single spar wing with stressed-skin covering and fabric-covered control surfaces. The Spitfire was adapted from Reginald Mitchell's aesthetically pleasing 1925 F.7/30 design. To preserve the clean nose-cowling lines originally conceived by Mitchell, the radiator was located beneath the starboard wing with the smaller oil cooler causing some asymmetry beneath the port wing, and the carburetor air intake under the center fuselage. The aircraft delivered to 602 Squadron were equipped with a De Havilland three-blade, two position propeller. Production Spitfires had a fixed tail wheel and triple ejector exhaust manifolds.
602 Squadron was the first auxiliary squadron (and the eighth squadron in the RAF) to be equipped with the Spitfire Mk I, replacing their obsolete Gloster Gauntlets in May 1939. The Mk I’s were eventually superseded by Spitfire Mk II’s in June 1941.
Wing Span: 11.2 m (36 ft 10 in)
Length: 9.1 m (29 ft 11 in)
Height: 3.5 m (11 ft 5 in)
Weight, Empty: 1,973 kg (4,341 lb)
Weight, Gross: 2,636 kg (5,800 lb)
Cruising Speed: Unknown
Max Speed: 587 km/h (364 mph)
Rate of Climb: 771 m (2,530 ft) /min
Service Ceiling: 9,601 m (31,500 ft)
Range: 636 km (395 mi)
Power Plant: one Rolls-Royce Merlin II, 1,030 hp, V-12 engine