THE Griffon-engined Seafires were the final developments of the Spitfire family started in March 1936 with the first flight of the Supennarine Type 300. The ultimate Seafire FR.47 was then a hundred mph faster, was powered by an engine delivering twice as much horsepower, and weighed in at about double its ancestor. Although too late to see service in World War 2, the later marks of Seafires proved invaluable to fill the gap from the disposal of the Lend-Lease American fighters to the arrival of the Hawker Sea Fury in August 1947. The Seafires were the only naval fighters available when the Royal Navy supported the British evacuation from Palestine, intervened in the Malayan insurrection and was involved in its first Korean deployment. Considerations of the Eastern and Pacific theatres, where Japanese aircraft had out flown their British opponents, led the Royal Navy to look for an improved Seafire intended to supersede the Mk.III variant - an enhanced and navalised Spitfire Mk.V due to enter service in the autumn of 1943. The Admiralty showed interest in the Griffon-engined variant of the Spitfire. The Navy significantly lagged behind the RAF as the Spitfire Mk.XII reached operational service in February 1943. At this time, two machines were loaned to the Fleet Air Arm and were navalised by Supermarine during February and March. These aircraft then joined 778 Squadron, the Service Trials Unit, and carried out carrier suitability experiments. Test pilots were impressed by the speed at low altitude but handling characteristics on take-off and landing needed aerodynamic corrections for a naval utilisation.