Strawn and his fellow pilots adored their new fighter. ‘I really fell in love with the Spitfire. It was the most fascinating aircraft and the easiest I ever flew. These Spitfire Vs are new and really fast planes – faster than our P-39s. I had a great time diving through the clouds and slow rolling, doing about every manoeuvre in the book. It made you feel like a king. It was the most gentle acrobatic thing that I ever had my hands on. It was so forgiving, you could make all kinds of mistakes.’
