Great Britain was once filled with a plethora of aircraft manufacturers.
The seeds of many of them were sown as the demand for aircraft gained
pace following the outbreak of World War One. However, not all survived
after the war, and while Supermarine managed to keep going by the skin
of its teeth, it certainly did not settle into a profitable aircraft
manufacturing business until the mid to late 1920s. However, with the
genius mind of Reginald Joseph Mitchell on board, the company could do
no wrong, and the colossal orders received for the company's most famous
product, the Spitfire, set Supermarine on a steady post-war course
which, once again, was a period that saw other companies fall by the
wayside. The Spitfire was not the company's only success story; the
Southampton flying boat set the standard in the 1920s, as did the Walrus
in the 1930s. Then came the Seafire, which remained in production for
ten years, ultimately ending its service career in Korea. With over 130
images, this new book edition of Aeroplane's Supermarine Company
Profile 1913-1963 provides insight into the aircraft produced by
Supermarine, including those that did not quite make the grade.
