The original concept for the Spitfire came from R.G Mitchell’s Schneider Trophy-winning seaplanes of the 1930’s. It was a most sought-after fighter by those who fought in WW2, including the Luftwaffe fighter pilots who fought against it and it was the only fighter continuously produced throughout the whole of the war.

The subject of this nostalgic painting is Australia’s one- and-only Spitfire, a MkVIII, lovingly restored to flying condition by Col Paye and camouflaged in the late WW2 scheme employed in the Pacific. The story supplied with the reproduction gives the performance figures of the MkVIII and details of Spitfires flown by Australia during WW2 as well as the artist’s sketches of the original Spitfire concept and a portrait of the designer.