The Supermarine Spitfire Mk I: The Beginning - the Regular Squadrons - Paperbackby Phil H. Listemann (Author) The Spitfire was designed as a short range interceptor which first flew on 5 March 1936 and was soon ordered in large quantities. The first production Spitfire came off the assembly line in mid 1938 and by the outbreak of war over 300 have been delivered to the RAF and ten squadrons already operational. During the Phoney War, the Spitfire was not deployed on the Continent and remained based on its British stations to