EntertainmentLifestyle
March 5: On This Day in World History … briefly
The Spitfire continues to be popular among enthusiasts; nearly 60 remain airworthy, and many more are static exhibits in aviation museums throughout the world.
1936: Seagulls inspire the speedy ‘Spitfire’
Britain’s aircraft industry produces a fighter plane that the government finally believed had the speed and power to counter the startling build-up of military aircraft in Hitler’s Germany.
The new fighter called the ‘Spitfire’ was built by Vickers and was powered by a liquid-cooled Rolls Royce Merlin engine. The plane made its maiden flight on March 5, 1936.
It was designed by Reginald Mitchell, who drew up his plans after spending countless hours watching how seagulls fly. The single-seat, low-wing monoplane entered service with the Royal Air Force to counter the German Messerschmidt 109, which was said to be the world’s best fighter.
Most notable historic snippets or facts extracted from the book ‘On This Day’ first published in 1992 by Octopus Publishing Group Ltd, London, as well as additional supplementary information extracted from Wikipedia.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
