Apart from the bf109 the spitfire is the best known and most renowned fighter plane of the second world war with a total build of over 22 500 numerous improvements and upgrades meant that it was continually becoming more powerful in 1941 the german air force put into service the focke wulf fw190a that proved its superiority over the current versions of the spitfire some rapid problem solving gave rise to the improvement of the airframe of the spitfire mk v by the incorporation of more power