The winner

A comprehensive poll by Discovery Wings, the UK's only dedicated TV channel for aviation enthusiasts, has awarded Sir Richard Branson's favourite plane, the Spitfire, the title of Britain's Greatest Plane.

The Spitfire is voted Britain's Greatest Plane

The poll, in celebration of this year's centenary of powered flight (1903-2003), gathered over 17,000 votes from UK aviation fans at air shows and through interactive TV voting.

The WW2 fighter plane, the Spitfire, beat four other British planes including the world's most famous supersonic passenger plane, Concorde and the vertical take-off Harrier Jump Jet to take the title.

Commenting on the plane he chose to champion, the keen aviator Richard Branson says "The Spitfire is arguably the most important aircraft ever made. It came to symbolise British resistance in the darkest days of the Second World War. When Hitler asked Goering what he needed to defeat the British, Goering apparently replied, 'a squadron of Spitfires'."

Number of Votes Received
Spitfire - 33%
Vulcan - 22%
Harrier - 21%
Concorde - 19%
Comet - 3%
Other - 2%