A British single-seater fighter designed and produced by the Supermarine division of Vickers-Armstrong Limited from 1938 to 1948
Canadian aerodynamicist Beverley Shenstone (co-designer of the Harbinger sailplane) contributed to its design
Flown by many Allied air forces during the Second World War
Served on all fronts as an interceptor, photo reconnaissance airplane, fighter bomber and carrier-based fighter
Over 20,000 were built in twenty-four versions, each employed increasingly powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin or Griffon engines
Achieved legendary status during the Battle of Britain, fighting the Messerschmitt Bf 109
Flown by George Beurling (the most successful Canadian fighter pilot of the Second World War), who scored twenty-seven victories in two weeks over Malta
