A Spitfire Chronology

1946

	January 46	The Seafire Mk.XVI comes to the RAE for test. This is version with a much improved, stronger undercarriage.
	16 June 1946	First flight of the La-130, prototype of the La-9. This is configurationally similar to earlier Lavochkin fighters, but redesigned.
	29 September 1946	Deliveries of the Firefly Mk.IV begins. This version has a Griffon with a two-stage supercharger, and some aerodynamic improvements.
	November 46	The Spitfire Mk.24 enters RAF service. Similar to the Mk.22, this version was modified to have additional fuel tanks in the rear fuselage.
	November 1946	The La-9 enters production. 690km/h at 6250m.
	December 46	Tests of the Seafire F.47 begin. This is the final Seafire version. It has a Griffon engine, a new undercarriage, a strengthened wing, a bubble cockpit and contra-rotating propellers.

1947

	January 47	No.610 squadron in Singapore reequips with the Spitfire Mk.18.
	May 1947	First flight of the La-140, prototype of the La-11. This is a long-range development of the La-9.

1948

	January 48	The Spitfire Mk.24 enters service. This is a Mk.22 with an additional 66 gallons of fuel and wing fittings for rockets.
	20 February 1948	Delivery of the last Spitfire fighter, a F Mk 24. About 20400 Spitfires have been built, Seafires not included.
	March 1948	Negotations are opened between Czechoslowakia and Israeli representatives. This will result in the sale of the remainning Spitfires to Israel. A number of Avia S-199 fighters, derived from the Bf 109G, are also sold.
	September 48	Exercise Dagger: None of eight Spitfire PR.XIXs flying training missions on this day is intercepted.
	October 48	Sweden begins to receive the first of 50 reconditioned PR.XIX reconnaissance Spitfires.

1949

	March 49	Delivery of the last of 90 Seafires Mk 47. The Mk.47 has the six-bladed contraprop of the Mk.46, combined with a redesigned (folding) wing, more fuel, and attachment points for bombs and rockets.
	October 49	Seafires FR.47 of No 800 squadron begin to fly COIN missions from Sembawang, Singapore.

1950

	July 50	HMS Triumph carries Seafires Mk.47 to Korea. There they fly the last combat sorties of the Seafire. There was no air combat, except that one was shot down by a B-29.
	20 September 1950	Last operational mission by a Seafire FR.47.

1951

1 January 1951

Last combat mission of the Spitfire. A pair of F.18s fly a strafing mission over Malaya.

1952

	January 52	No.80 squadron exchanges its Spitfire Mk.24s for de Havilland Hornets.
	05 February 1952	In an emergency dive from 43000ft (13100m), F/L E. Powles reaches Mach 0.96 with a PR.XIX. This is the highest speed ever recorded for a piston-engined aircraft. Mach 0.92 has been achieved by Spitfires in controlled dive experiments.

1953

November 53

The last Seafire FR.47s are retired.

1954

	1 April 1954	The RAF flies its last operational Spitfire sortie: A photo-reconnaissance flight over Malaya.
	23 November 1954	The last Seafire unit, No 764 squadron, is dissolved. It was a training unit flying Mk 17s. This was the last model of the Seafire in service, a year after the Mk.47 was retired.

1955

	1955	A Portugese Mk.V flies its last (training) sortie.
	April 1955	The Hong Kong Auxiliary AF retires its Spitfire Mk.24s.

1957

The last RAF Spitfires, used for meteorological flights, are retired.

1963

A PR Mk.19 is evaluated in combat with a Mach 2+ BAC Lightning, to determine the best tactics for Lightning pilots if they encounter piston-engined fighters.