World War IIairplane famous for its role in the defense of the United Kingdom during the Battle of Britain. The elliptical-winged Spitfire and its carrier variant the Supermarine seafire served from the late 1930s all the way to the 1950s, with the last model (the clipped-wing, bubble-canopied Mark 24) being used in the Malayan Emergency.
Some Spitfires carried eight .303in Browningmachine guns as armament, while other models were also armed with 20mm cannon, the barrels of which protruded from the leading edge of the wings. A few Spitfires were equipped with two .50 caliber machine guns in lieu of .303s. Other ordnance carried included light bombs or rockets.
