Spitfire escort.
So they can escort you to edge of London?The Spitfire was built as an interceptor…it wasnt designed to have long range.
if you think the Spitfire is overrated, have a look at the Mustang.
The Spitfire is a very pretty aircraft and a very charismatic one,
which is great to see at airshows. It’s also said to be lovely to fly.
The first three of these points mattered little in 1939-45, and the
third was not as important as other factors.
As to the airframe cost in man-hours, it makes sense with an excess of labor
and a lack of machinery, and especially materials, it might make sense
to go for a labor-intensive design that is economical in materials, especially since designed around a 5′ 5″ pilot. The Spitfire did not
provide any large superiority except for its climb rate, and maybe its
handling at very high altitudes (25 000 feet plus).
And yeah, Mustangs are overrated as well.