Spitfire

A Supermarine Spitfire was a type of aeroplane used by the British during World War II.

History
Retired Wing Commander Alec "Mother" Whistler, who had been a Spitfire pilot during the Second World War, brought out every summer for the village fete at Culverton a Spitfire which he had restored himself, and was in full working order. It would play a key part in the defeat of the Master and the Gaderene. (PROSE: Last of the Gaderene)

Winston Churchill sent three Spitfires (Danny Boy, Jubilee, and Flintlock) into space to fight a Dalek ship threatening the planet below. The Spitfires were outfitted for space with a gravity bubble and were armed with laser weapons, which were based on technology created by Dr Edwin Bracewell. Their mission was to destroy a beacon on the Dalek ship which illuminated London, leaving it vulnerable to German attack. Two Spitfires were destroyed, but the last one, "Danny Boy", succeeded. After he had completed his primary mission, the Eleventh Doctor ordered him to destroy the Dalek ship. However, the Doctor countermanded these orders when the Daleks threatened to destroy the Earth. "Danny Boy" then returned to Earth. (TV: Victory of the Daleks)

Though this advanced technology was to be dismantled to avoid altering history, it was used again when the Doctor summoned "Danny Boy" to Demon's Run, where he destroyed the facility's communications array, then returned to his own time. (TV: A Good Man Goes to War)

Behind the scenes

 * The Spitfires in Victory of the Daleks and A Good Man Goes to War were presumably the Mk IXs due to the number of propeller blades and the air intakes under the wings are the same shape. Mk IX Spitfires were the first to have twin air intakes under the wings, Previous Mks had different intakes.