Supermarine Spitfire Giclée Art Print

High quality art print of a Supermarine Spitfire, the legendary British fighter aircraft of the Second World War. 20,351 Spitfires would be produced between 1938 and 1948, as the Spitfire continued to be developed through 24 marks and several variants, including the carrier-based 'Seafire'. The Spitfire was a fast and agile aircraft, with its distinctive elliptical wings and continually upgraded engines.

Entering Royal Air Force service in 1938, the Spitfire gained its legendary status during the Battle of Britain, where it - along with the Hawker Hurricane - defended Britain against strategic bombing by the Luftwaffe. The Spitfire served as an interceptor, taking to the air when Luftwaffe squadrons were detected by radar installations across southern England; the image of the Spitfire soaring above the British countryside is perhaps the country's defining thought of the RAF to this day.

Following the Battle of Britain, the Spitfire would go on the offensive over occupied Europe. By the time of the Normandy landings, much had changed about the Spitfire - now on Mark XVI - but it continued to excel in air superiority and bomber escort roles. Postwar, the Spitfire was soon phased out in favour of jet aircraft - such as the Gloster Meteor - with the last Spitfires produced in Britain in 1948.

Today, there are a total of 198 surviving Spitfires, of which 74 are airworthy. This illustration, however, depicts Spitfire X4178, a Spitfire Mk I which was flown by No. 41 Squadron RAF during the Battle of Britain. Spitfire X4178 was shot down and destroyed in 1940. A later replica, produced by the RAF, is currently on display at the Imperial War Museum Duxford.

This illustration by Rob Wisdom is a high-quality Giclée art print on cotton-rich fine art paper.