What kit to build, Titan T-51D Mustang or Supermarine Spitfire Mk26B
Wooden Mustang
I test flew BEFU for the PFA and Bill at Redhill in `77,78,79.We had all sorts of problems,common to lots of homebuilt machines; ,in this case it related to ergonomics of the controls.Bill was about a foot taller and bigger than I was(then),as I raced Cassutts/Betas/Titchs and others for the PFA,was a current QFI ,and T-Club check pilot.The u/c was raised/lowered by winding a floor mounted circular horizontal wheel,under my right leg,the flap lever was behind my right hip,i wore a back parachute and sat on a couple of cushions.The early prop was ground adjustable only,and the engine used oil..a lot. However it flew quite well ,within the limitation of having to ground adjust the prop after flight,almost stall the aircraft to be able to operate the flaps,and u/c......
more to come,gotta go
more to come,gotta go
yr PM BOX Full...
Now for sale on Banstormers, and you even get some change from $1m!
https://www.barnstormers.com/classif...FIRE-MKIX.html
https://www.barnstormers.com/classif...FIRE-MKIX.html
Last edited by Jhieminga; 3rd Aug 2020 at 10:16. Reason: Added image
Full size replica
How about this one, also Allison-powered and only €350k: https://en.arsaero.com/avions/SPITFIRE-REPLICA-JURCA
JurcaSpitF-PGML by Dan Kell, on Flickr
JurcaSpitF-PGML by Dan Kell, on FlickrThe work required to produce a machine from plans is quite onerous hence the lack of flying examples. The wing is a work of art and very stiff with a load factor in excess of 10G. P
Gnome de PPRuNe
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It does look very much like a Griffon bonnet and the back end seems to be a cross between a broad-ruddered XIV/XIX and a pointy ruddered IX/XVI... Still much nicer looking than the Mk26 though.
Sycamore, when you have a mo, love to read more of your recollections of G-BEFU...
As an aside, the Benjy/Michael Jones Tiger Club books have been merely appetite whetters - I feel sure there are a fund of other stories that should be told, maybe a sort of civvy version of the Out of the Blue anthologies...
Sycamore, when you have a mo, love to read more of your recollections of G-BEFU...
As an aside, the Benjy/Michael Jones Tiger Club books have been merely appetite whetters - I feel sure there are a fund of other stories that should be told, maybe a sort of civvy version of the Out of the Blue anthologies...
It is painted as Spitfire XIV DL-F RM656, so the broad rudder and Griffon-like front end do match, even if they are not completely identical in shape to the real thing. A very nice effort if you ask me, and I'm sure it will be enjoyable to fly.
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Spitfire Mk26 - What it’s like to Fly
I first flew my mk26 (kit No36) in 2006 and have approaching 200 hrs on it. They are definitely “real”, but not originals. It’s a delight to fly & has brought me and many others much joy.
I have shares in another that is for sale.
The aircraft has various foibles as a low production amateur built kit, but they don’t detract from its fun factor. It’s aerobatic in Australia, but not approved for Aeros under our UK regulations. I have aerobated mine (built in Iz, brought to UK).
I have flown an original Spitfire & as others have noted, handling is comparable. I found the original more brutal in every way noisier, more vibration, louder & just fabulous. As well as even more sensitive and emptying wallets at breath taking pace! I’ve not flown a Titan, but am sure that they are wonderful.
The mk26 is unforgiving of those of talk better than they fly. A sprightly tail dragger, with unique systems, it is best flown after detailed preparation and never with complacency. That said, I’m an average pilot and I flew mine when I had about 250 hrs TT & about 25 on tail draggers.
In my view the mk26 is just fabulous and if you bear in mind that they are not certified, mass produced or benefits from 1000’s of produced examples, you won’t go wrong.
This is late to the thread, but I hope that it helps someone.
I have shares in another that is for sale.
The aircraft has various foibles as a low production amateur built kit, but they don’t detract from its fun factor. It’s aerobatic in Australia, but not approved for Aeros under our UK regulations. I have aerobated mine (built in Iz, brought to UK).
I have flown an original Spitfire & as others have noted, handling is comparable. I found the original more brutal in every way noisier, more vibration, louder & just fabulous. As well as even more sensitive and emptying wallets at breath taking pace! I’ve not flown a Titan, but am sure that they are wonderful.
The mk26 is unforgiving of those of talk better than they fly. A sprightly tail dragger, with unique systems, it is best flown after detailed preparation and never with complacency. That said, I’m an average pilot and I flew mine when I had about 250 hrs TT & about 25 on tail draggers.
In my view the mk26 is just fabulous and if you bear in mind that they are not certified, mass produced or benefits from 1000’s of produced examples, you won’t go wrong.
This is late to the thread, but I hope that it helps someone.
As a kid I dreamed of becoming a pilot. Once I got my CPL (1990) a new dream introduced itself: fly a Spitfire. That seems to be just a tad far fetched. As my retirement closes in, the day before yesterday I started pondering on what to do in that future (still some 8 years from now if that date is not pushed back before I reach the age of 59).
And out of nowhere came this search for kit planes, one lead to the other and before I knew it, I stumbled over two highly intriguing kits: one made by a company called Titan, they offer a 75% scale replica of a Mustang P-51D, their replica is called T-51D. And a 90% scale replica of a Spitfire by a company called Supermarine, their 90% scale model kit is called Spitfire Mk26B. Now, I'm not a fool and do realize neither of the two come to get even close to the thrilling experience the real stuff must have given it's pilots.
There is a difference between the 220 kt VNE of the replica kit and the 389 top speed of the originals, but a plane that does a cruise of around 163 kt with a max service ceiling of 18.000 ft (oxygen!!) and a g load of +6 to -4 g does sound really thrilling to me. The only piston engine aircraft I ever got to fly that speed wise came close to that 220 kt Vne was a Beechcraft Baron BE58, I never dared loop or barrel that one, both replica's should be able to, the Mustang replica being somewhat slower that the Spitfire replica. The T-51 offers passengers much more view that the Spitfire..
I'm looking for the feedback from people that actually built either kit and flew them. I want to learn what these people ran in to building, what they would recommend future builders to do differently as they learned after they completed their kits, how it flies, how they do maintenance, what avionics from where and why, etc etc etc.
I'm utterly new to this forum, for now I'm not allowed to add pictures or URL's, Google is your friend finding pictures of mentioned kits.
And out of nowhere came this search for kit planes, one lead to the other and before I knew it, I stumbled over two highly intriguing kits: one made by a company called Titan, they offer a 75% scale replica of a Mustang P-51D, their replica is called T-51D. And a 90% scale replica of a Spitfire by a company called Supermarine, their 90% scale model kit is called Spitfire Mk26B. Now, I'm not a fool and do realize neither of the two come to get even close to the thrilling experience the real stuff must have given it's pilots.
There is a difference between the 220 kt VNE of the replica kit and the 389 top speed of the originals, but a plane that does a cruise of around 163 kt with a max service ceiling of 18.000 ft (oxygen!!) and a g load of +6 to -4 g does sound really thrilling to me. The only piston engine aircraft I ever got to fly that speed wise came close to that 220 kt Vne was a Beechcraft Baron BE58, I never dared loop or barrel that one, both replica's should be able to, the Mustang replica being somewhat slower that the Spitfire replica. The T-51 offers passengers much more view that the Spitfire..
I'm looking for the feedback from people that actually built either kit and flew them. I want to learn what these people ran in to building, what they would recommend future builders to do differently as they learned after they completed their kits, how it flies, how they do maintenance, what avionics from where and why, etc etc etc.
I'm utterly new to this forum, for now I'm not allowed to add pictures or URL's, Google is your friend finding pictures of mentioned kits.
