spitfire

[abfgh]

Read an articel in the Sunday Mail, I guy in Florida wants to buy as many as possible and have them flying again. Looks like everybody wants one, so why not build full scale replicas?

[treadigraph]

I believe that John Muszala of Pacific Fighters has recently flown a brand new P-51B, and a two seater to boot (a field mod to give top Brass rides I think). So it can be done.

In fact wasn't one of the Charles Church/Dick Melton Spitfires at Micheldever effectivley brand new - though it did have an i/d based around the firewall or something but, then, how much of any Spitfire restoration is original? This particular airframe pulled together the best of several marks, but was effectively a MkV or IX I think.

[Conan the Librarian]

Wasn't a production run set up a few years ago for the Yak 9 or 11? Must be a bit tricky getting a powerful inline Piston engine these days though... Just thinking further, didn't the Cavalier company build (or rebuild) Mustangs with a RR Dart shoved up front? I think this evolved into the Piper PA-48 (?) Enforcer, so who knows, maybe the Spit might be in with a chance after all.


Conan

[DB6]

Yep, all in favour of that. Now if someone will just build a Stuka (imagine that at an airshow), Me 110, Stirling, Hampden, Ju88, Typhoon, Ta 152, Halifax, Beaufighter (I know), Do17, Fw Condor, Stormovik......the list goes on and on and every single one would be brilliant. Without wishing to ruffle any feathers don't we have enough Spits (apart from XIVs and XVIIIs of which there can never be enough)? What about all the others? You could make a mint with a Stuka (unless some scumridden lawyer cottoned on to the PTSD potential that is) so why not?
P.S wine at perfect temperature tonight

[treadigraph]

(apart from XIVs and XVIIIs of which there can never be enough)?

Low back ones of course, and preferably unclipped!

Conan, regarding the Yak repros, I think they were all re-engineered Yak 11s - certainly the TFC and OFMC examples at Duxford went that route. They all have Allison V-1760s (or whatever), except for the radial ones which have God knows what up front.

Incidently, what's happening with the Duxofrd ones - are thewy still there, will they ever fly?

[DB6]

Treadigraph, yes MUST be low back and clipping Spitfire wings, along with fitting Merlins to Me 109s, will become a capital offence when I come to power .

[abfgh]

I was thinking of a production line Spitfire. Many kits are available also drawings for replicas. The chance of finding 'new ones' somewhere in the world is very slim. I am sure there is a market out there for a few hundred. I can only think of getting / producing the right engine or insurance would be the real problem. I guess running a vintage Spitfire is not cheap..

[treadigraph]

Well there is the Spitfire Mk26 kit, but nice aeroplane though it may be, it doesn't have the Sp(ir)it of the real thing if you ask me.

A reproduction built the same way as the original and with a Merlin or Griffon up front - mmmmm!

Now what and who? Memory tells me that someone built a reproduction of a vintage/veteran aircraft a decade or two ago, which was viewed by the original designer - he was so impressed with the work he told the builder to give it the next construction number after the last his company had built!

Conan, there was a Dart powered P-51D in Oz - VH-UFO. Never flew as such I believe and is now being restored with a Merlin.

[Brooklands]

Treaders,

Memory tells me that someone built a reproduction of a vintage/veteran aircraft a decade or two ago, which was viewed by the original designer - he was so impressed with the work he told the builder to give it the next construction number after the last his company had built

It was the Northern Aeroplane Workshop with their Sopwith Triplane, which is now flying with the Shuttleworth Colletion.

Brooklands

[newswatcher]

The article referred to by abfgh suggested that, as well as about 50 Spitfires that are airworthy, there may be at least another 50 which could be brought up to that standard. Now there's a thought!

[Conan the Librarian]

I did see a re pro/homebuilt/whatever, but not original - do some sort of groundloop about ten or eleven years ago. Have always wondered since, how it was created etc.etc. (Wroughton 1994? Have a nasty habit of being present when things happen)

Conan

[treadigraph]

That would have been Clive de Cros's replica of the protoype - still around but not flying any more - it was at Legends last year on a Jaguar stand - was it Jaguar powered.

Don't think I ever saw it airborne....

I tihnk there are sopmething over 200 survivors - potentially I guess they could all fly!

Cheers Brooklands, that sounds like the one! Presumably it was Tommy Sopwith then?

[FJJP]

IIRC there is a company in Germany building new FW190s from original plans...

[Human Factor]

HERE, in fact.....

[ORAC]

Weel there will be an Me262 replica flying in Germany around the end of the year: Stormbirds

TEST FLIGHTS COMPLETED We've been quietly flying the test program hours off of the Tango-Tango airplane, and are pleased to report that as of today, the last hour of FAA required flight test time was logged, paving the way for Tango-Tango for move ahead to the delivery phase. We are declaring our flight tests complete!

The airplane will now be disassembled and prepared for shipment on the Delivery Flight of a Cargolux 747 in October 2005.

The next flight of Tango-Tango will be in Munich, Germany piloted by Horst Philippe of the Messerschmitt Foundation flying team. More news to follow as these events unfold.

20th August

[ozplane]

Treadi, the OFMC Yak replica (?) has I believe flown in New Zealand. We are unlikely to see it in the UK as the CAA (allegedly) are not in tune with the NZ CAA, hence the return of the P-40 and Corsair to NZ.

[Kolibear]

Isn't the problem that of certification?

If you built a replica, then it has to be certificated to 2005 standards, but if you rebuild an aircraft, then it is certified to the original requirements?

[Woomera]

Whispers tell me there are two Spitfires, both capable of being restored to flying condition with enough money, located at a training establishment at Brisbane Airport, Australia.

[abfgh]

Woomera, there was a rumour a few years back that their might be many Spitfires hidden somewhere in the Brisbane area. Where else in the world would you go to find one? Russia, Syria , Burma....

[Chimbu chuckles]

Woomera I have seen a Spitfire (in bits) in the Hawker Pacific hangar at YBAF...looked to be in good condition...certainly a potential flyer. Saw bits of at least one, possibly two, Spits in a hangar on the Isle of Wight several days ago. One fuselage in a jig and several wings...one of which had a note on it that it had been found in Russia..while intact it had obviously been 'laying around' somewhere remote for a very long time.

In terms of 'new' spits? They are already being produced at Duxford as well as other locations. The % of original bits in 'restored' spitfires is so small that essentially most flyers are new build.