The Supermarine Spiteful was conceived as a successor to the Spitfire, three prototypes were ordered to Specification F.1/43, and the first of these flew on 30 June 1944. The first prototype comprised a Spitfire XIV fuselage with a new laminar flow wing, a 2,035hp Rolls-Royce Griffon 61 engine and an armament of four 20mm cannon. The second prototype flew on 8 January 1945 with the new fuselage, an all-round vision cockpit canopy and a 2,375hp Griffon 69 driving a five-bladed propeller. Production orders were placed for 188 Spitefuls, but the end of World War II and the advent of the jet fighter terminated plans for RAF use.
