Late in the war, the Spitfire was re-engined with the Griffon engine, giving it impressive speed. The air war had moved deeper into Germany and beyond the range of the short-legged Spit, however, and Spitfire pilots had to content themselves with chasing doodlebugs. "Doodlebug" was the British nickname for V-1 buzz bombs, because they buzzed like the Aus tralian dragonfly-like insect known as the antlion. The antlion is also called the doodlebug because of the meandering trails its larvae leave in the dirt.

Cool stuff for Spitfire lovers:

The Big Show is a superbly written narrative of the wartime experiences of Spitfire pilot Pierre Clostermann.

The Battle of Britain is one of the few movies where you can see dogfighting Spitfires, Heinkels and Messerschmitts in non-computer-enhanced, living color.

Check out the Spitfire T-shirt in the gift shop!