National Air and Space Museum Image Detail

Supermarine Spitfire in World War II Aviation

The Supermarine Spitfire was a mainstay of Britain's fighter defense during World War II. But it also served many other roles and was flown by units of other nations, including the Eagle Squadron of American volunteers. The Spitfire has a distinctive elliptical wing shape, which reduced drag and increased the airplane's speed.

Image Number: SI 97-15875
Credit: Photo by Eric Long, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
For print or commercial use, please contact: Smithsonian Institution
Reproductions are not currently available. If you would like to use this image as-is, please submit a permission request.

Large JPEG (1828 x 2320 pixels)

Share your photos of our museums on Flickr! http://www.flickr.com/groups/airandspace