Original illustration of Spitfire K5054, the original prototype of the Supermarine Spitfire. The Supermarine Type 300, as it was originally known, began development in 1934 under the direction of Supermarine's chief designer R. J. Mitchell. By December 1934 construction of K5054 had begun, and would be ready for its maiden flight on 5 March 1936. Vickers' chief test pilot Captain Joseph "Mutt" Summers took K5054 up from RAF Eastleigh (now Southampton International Airport) for an eight minute flight. It is that maiden flight that is depicted in this illustration.
Further tests were carried out by Jeffrey Quill and George Pickering, and on 26 May K5054 was handed over to the Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment at RAF Martlesham Heath. It proved something of an immediate hit, and a production order was placed on 3 June, before evaluation was complete. The Spitfire would go on, of course, to be one of the most successful fighter aircraft of all time. K5054, meanwhile, continued to be used for testing and development until a crash on 4 September 1939, after which it was written off.
This illustration is available in two variants: Aerodrome shows RAF Eastleigh, with R. J. Mitchell looking on. Sky shows the Spitfire isolated against a brilliant blue sky.
This Spitfire illustration by artist Rob Wisdom is a high-quality Giclée art print on cotton-rich fine art paper. It is ideal for World War II history enthusiasts, Royal Air Force supporters, and fans of aviation history more generally.
12x16" art print shown. Cropping and title position (if applicable) may differ slightly on 'A' size art prints.
