The Supermarine Spitfire Mk VI was designed as a high altitude interceptor to counter a perceived threat of high altitude Luftwaffe bombers. With a pressurised cockpit and a Rolls-Royce Merlin 47 driving a four-bladed Rotol propeller, the Mk VI was capable of reaching 39,200 ft.
With the failure of the anticipated high altitude bombers to appear, only 100 were built. Five airframes were modified to improvised PR Mk VIs by 680 Squadron in Egypt. These flew missions over Crete and Greece in April and May 1943.