Spitfire - reputation and reality
I'm doing some work towards an article on the "cult" of the Spitfire, trying to trace how and why a front-line fighter aircraft has over the years achieved such an extraordinary status and public appeal.
If anybody has any opinions or theories on the following topics, I would be interested in hearing them!
1. Why do you think the Spitfire has taken such deep root in the public conciousness, to the exclusion of almost every other contemporary aircraft?
2. Does the Spitfire deserve the public reputation it has acquired?
3. Has the reputation of any contemporary machine being reduced because of the public's all-encompassing hero-worship of the Spitfire?
Thank you for reading this, and for any comments you may care to make. I must point out that I'm as besotted with Mitchell's masterpiece as everybody else; this is just an academic exercise!