FBS,
No, I have reason to believe the chap I spoke to is genuine, and he is still involved with a famous Spitfire today.
I know the replica you're thinking of, depicting the K5054 Spit' prototype, ( there are several, one of which I think I'm right in saying was a 4/5 scale fully flying example until a landing accident left the operators deciding to keep it grounded ).
I may be wrong about the Jaguar engine in the Hurricane replica, but it was that or something like it; the replica is very authentic until one looks very closely, when one can see it was never meant to actually fly.
DZ