Light fighter in 1938 and remained in production throughout the war. The empty weight of the Battle of Britain-era Spitfire IIA was 2,142 kg (4,723 lb), increasing to 2,984 kg (6,578 lb) in a later variant. It was highly maneuverable and was generally a match for its German opponents. Most Spitfires had a Rolls Royce Merlin engine, but later variants used one of the most powerful engines of the war – the Rolls Royce Griffon. The Spitfire was produced and improved throughout the war but was complex to build and had limited range. In other respects it was considered an outstanding fighter.
Rolls-Royce Trent launched. When Boeing finally launched the 747-8 in 2005 it announced that the General Electric GEnx would be the only engine that would be available for the 747-8. On 6 April 2004 Boeing announced that it had selected two engine partners for its new 787, Rolls-Royce and General Electric. Initially, Boeing considered the idea of sole sourcing the powerplant for the 787, with GE being the most likely candidate. However, potential customers demanded choices and Boeing relented. Both engine types will have a standard interface with the aircraft, allowing any 787 to be fitted with either a GE or Rolls-Royce