Flying High

Ask any pilot who has flown the Spitfire and they will tell you the British fighter aircraft is no ordinary plane. It responds so intuitively that whoever is flying the 'Spit' becomes one with it. The secret to the jet's extraordinary maneuverability lies in its characteristic elliptical wings, which aviation experts praise for its perfectly functional design.

The first prototypes were built in 1936, five years after Reginald J. Mitchell, Chief Engineer for British aircraft manufacturer Supermarine, responded to the British Air Ministry's call for bids to develop a state-of-the-art fighter aircraft with a flying speed of 400 kph. His successor Joseph Smith took over after Mitchell died in 1937 and up until production ended in 1948, over 20,300 prototypes were built to continuously improve the design.

Come this summer, two British pilots - Steve Boultbee Brooks and Matt Jones - will attempt to make aviation history with the first round-the-world flight in a Spitfire. Dubbed "Silver Spitfire - The Longest Flight", the voyage is set to cover more than 43,000 km and about 30 countries; and the aim is to inspire young people to take an interest in mechanics and engineering.