One of the most famous British WWII fighter aircraft was the Spitfire, developed by R. J. Mitchell. The maiden flight was in March 5, 1936 Spitfire IX modification with more powerful Merlin 66 engine was in production in 1943-1945. In the summer of 1944 Spitfire IX were the basis planes of British Fighter Command. They took part in the Overlord operation. They were also involved in special missions, in particular, the delivery of beer to the mainland for the advancing Allied forces.