The PR.XIX was the ultimate photo reconnaissance version of the Spitfire to be used by the RAF. It combined elements of the Mk.XI Spitfire with the robust Griffon engine from the XIV, making it one of the swiftest and, arguably, most aesthetically pleasing Spitfire models.
Designed for reconnaissance, it carried no weapons, relying on its speed to avoid adversaries. Post-war, the PR.XIX operated in the Far East, flying over Hainan Island and conducting the RAF’s final Spitfire mission over Malaya on 10th June 1957.