Once production of the Spitfire Mk.I was underway, an improved version was looked at based around the 1175hp Merlin XII. The Spitfire Mk.II, or Supermarine 329 as its constructor named it, was born. Great hopes were placed in this new version as an order for 1000 aircraft was placed on 12 April 1939, before the mark's first flight, for serials P7280 - P8799. This production run was launched at Castle Bromwich in Birmingham, the new Supermarine production line. The first aircraft were delivered in June 1940 and the Spitfire Mk.II included all improvements and refine¬ments added to the Spitfire Mk.I. Deliveries continued up to July 1941. The Mk.II entered service, in the midst of the Battle of Britain, first with 66 Squadron and progressively, the Spitfire Mk.II became standard equipment across Fighter Command with no less than 56 squadrons known to have been equipped, fully or partially, with the mark. Peak usage was reached during the summer of 1941, but, from the autumn of that year, it began to be withdrawn from first line units in favour of the Mk.V. Among the squadrons equipped with the Spitfire Mk II, there were the squadrons manned by men coming from Southern Rhodesia, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and from the USA with the famous Eagle squadrons. Illustrated with 30 photographs and six colour profiles.

Spitfire Mk Is and IIs served only briefly in the frontline with the RAF, but their pilots were responsible for achieving impressive scores against the Luftwaffe during 1940/41. This volume details the RAF's first aces of World War 2 who helped stem the German tide during Britain's struggle for survival in the bitter years between 1939 and 1941. Early-mark Spitfires were notorious for their light armament, overheating engines and short range, but during the dogfights over Dunkirk and south-east England, then the first tentative sweeps across France, many pilots achieved scores of note.

Once production of the Spitfire Mk.I was underway, an improved version was looked at based around the 1175hp Merlin XII. The Spitfire Mk.II, or Supermarine 329 as its constructor named it, was born. Great hopes were placed in this new version as an order for 1000 aircraft was placed on 12 April 1939, before the mark's first flight, for serials P7280 - P8799. This production run was launched at Castle Bromwich in Birmingham, the new Supermarine production line. The first aircraft were delivered in June 1940 and the Spitfire Mk.II included all improvements and refine¬ments added to the Spitfire Mk.I. Deliveries continued up to July 1941. The Mk.II entered service, in the midst of the Battle of Britain, first with 66 Squadron and progressively, the Spitfire Mk.II became standard equipment across Fighter Command with no less than 56 squadrons known to have been equipped, fully or partially, with the mark. Peak usage was reached during the summer of 1941, but, from the autumn of that year, it began to be withdrawn from first line units in favour of the Mk.V. Among the squadrons equipped with the Spitfire Mk II, there were the squadrons manned by men coming from the occupied Europe, the Poles, Czechoslovaks, French, Belgians and Norwegians. The Poles made an intensive usage of their Spitfire Mk IIs and encountered considerable success during the summer of 1941. Illustrated with over 40 photographs and seven colour profiles.

Le Spitfire est l'un des chasseurs les plus mythiques de la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Construit à plus de 22000 exemplaires, il a combattu sur tous les fronts où la RAF a été engagée. Cet avion a été, tout au long de sa carrière, amélioré sans cesse, ne connaissant pas moins de quatorze versions différentes en trois générations de Spitfire qui ont été mises en service entre 1938 et 1946.

* Beautifully drawn 4-view color profiles The Supermarine Spitfire was an iconic British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout World War II. The Spitfire continued to be used into the 1950s both as a front line fighter and in secondary roles. It was produced in greater numbers than any other British aircraft and was the only Allied fighter in production throughout the war. There were 24 marks of Spitfire and many sub-variants. These covered the Spitfire in development from the Merlin to Griffon engines, the high-speed photo-reconnaissance variants and the different wing configurations. The Mk XVIe was produced during the latter half of World War II and was created as an improvement on the Mk IX Spitfire. With the introduction of the Packard Merlin engine, the Mk XVIe was a noteworthy addition to Britain's fighter aircrafts. About Topcolors This is a series of highly illustrated books on the key machines of World War II and their combat use. Perfect for modelers and filled with color artwork profiles, each volume details the camouflage, markings, insignia, modifications and variants of the best of the war.