Founded in 1913, initially as Pemberton-Billing Ltd, Supermarine Aviation Works Ltd (as it became known in 1916) was a British aircraft manufacturer famed for its range of sea planes and the iconic Supermarine Spitfire. The company name changed to Supermarine Aviation Works (Vickers) Ltd when Vickers-Armstrongs took them over in 1928.
First Flight: 1914
Single seat Flying Boat (1 built)
First Flight: 1914
WWI single-seat scout (1 built)
First Flight: 1915
WWI single-seat scout
First Flight: 1916
Flying Boat
First Flight: 1919
civil version of AD Flying Boat
First Flight: 1919
Schneider race flying boat
First Flight: 1922
Schneider race flying boat
First Flight: 1920
single seat fighter flying boat
First flight: 1921
Reconnaissance flying boat
First flight: 1923
passenger flying boat
First flight: 1924
military variant of Sea Eagle
First flight: 1924
2 seat ultralight (1 built)
First flight: 1925
Military reconnaissance flying boat
First Flight: 1927
12 seat passenger flying boat (1 built)
First flight: 1925
Racing seaplane
Registered G-EBLP, this was a Single-engined single-seat monoplane racing seaplane designed and built to compete in the 1925 Schneider Trophy. It first flew on 24th August 1925, but was destroyed in a crash before the competition started.
First flight: 1927
Racing seaplane
Single-engined single-seat racing seaplane designed by R.J. Mitchell specifically for the 1927 Schneider Trophy competition. First flown on 7th June 1927, 3 aircraft were built and, unlike the S.4's all-wood structure, were all-metal. They came 1st and 2nd in the 1927 race held in Venice with the winning aircraft (Serial number N220) flown by Flight Lieutenant S.N Webster. One S.5 (Serial number N221) crashed during an attempt on the world air speed record on 12th March 1928, killing the pilot Flight Lieutenant Samuel Kinkead.
Model of N220 @ the Solent Sky Museum, Southampton
First flight: 1929
Racing seaplane
Designed by R.J. Mitchell to Specification 8/28, 2 aircraft (serial numbers N247 and N248) were built at Woolston. Delivered in August 1929, and operated by the RAF High Speed Flight, They were entered into the 1929 Schneider Trophy at Calshot, England. N247 came first piloted by Flying Officer H.R.D. Waghorn. Despite being disqualified for turning inside one of the marker poles, N248 set World closed-circuit records for 50 and 100 km.
N248 @ the Solent Sky Museum, Southampton
First flight: 1929
Racing seaplane
The S.6B was last in the line of racing seaplanes designed by Supermarine, but development was initially hindered by the withdrawel of promised government financial support. Following a high-profile public campaign encouraged by Lord Rothermere and a substantial donation by Lady Houston, government backing was again secured but with only nine months remaining until the race, R.J. Mitchell decided to refine the existing S.6 rather than pursue a new design, hence the designation S.6B. Principal design differences included a more powerful Rolls-Royce R engine, redesigned floats to provide additional cooling, and minor aerodynamic refinements to reduce drag. 2 S.6Bs (serial numbers S1595 and S1596) were built for the competition and were flown by members of RAF High Speed Flight, winning the Schneider Trophy. S1596, flown by Flt Lt. George Stainforth, would subsequently break the world air speed record, achieving a top speed of 407.5 mph.
S1595 - Preserved at the Science Museum, London
First flight: 1931
luxury 6 passenger flying boat (1 built)
First flight: 1932
Reconnaissance flying boat
First flight: 1934
General purpose flying boat
First flight: 1935
Amphibious reconnaissance
First flight: 1936
single seat fighter
Over 22,000 Spitfires and Seafires were built.
There are approximately 60 Spitfires that are still airworthy and many more are displayed in museums / collections around the world.
First Flight 1941
single-seat carrier-based fighter
First flight: 1938
flying boat
First flight: 1944
sucessor for the Spitfire
First flight: 1946
naval development of Spiteful
First flight: 1946
Naval fighter
First flight: 1948 (Type 510)
Fighter
First flight: 1956
Naval strike fighter