Who wants to go in with me...

[Zemke Fan]

Let's buy and build the Spitfire MK-26b kit plane offered by Supermarine Aircraft Company from Australia!
(sized at 90% of the original)

In Aussie dollars, the complete 26b package with a V6 engine, wing tanks, and dual controls would run as follows:

$168,000 MK-26b Fast Build Kit (90% of original)
$1$8,900 Wing tanks (for extra range)
$1$7,250 Optional wing build at factory
$158,409 GM-Isuzu air-cooled engine
$1$2,640 Crating (with built up wings)
$1$2,750 Dual controls

Total = AU $247,949 (US $223,897) + shipping.

Instruments/radio would be a separate cost.

Construction time is estimated at only 1,200 hours.

Okay, who's in???

http://www.supermarineaircraft.com

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Wow! I gotta have one! That's just too cool. :eusa_clap

 

[Smithy]

These are the guys who Andrew (Windsock) here has a bit to do with.

They are nifty little kites aren't they?!

 

[Spitfire]

And for the rest of us:
http://www.iwmshop.org.uk/index.htm...tail&maincatID=0&catID=&prodID=17610&brandID=

 

[Smithy]

You have one of those S??ren? Nice looking RC plane.

I'd end up pranging something like that into someone or something.

 

[Spitfire]

No - not yet.
And Valentines Day is almost over here!!!
But you are propably right. The dogs would be in great danger over in the park.
But one day.....

 

[dhermann1]

That would be 90% scale, right? So .9 times .9 times .9 (3 dimensions) come out to about 72% overall size. What's the weight difference? I assume there's more wood than metal? And the V6 gives a smaller fraction of the original Merlin 1,000 plus horses. What I'm getting at is that you'd have NO CHANCE against an Me109! (Unless, of course, it was 90% scale as well )
But all irrelevant calculations aside, boy does that look like fun!
If only I had the moolah . . . and maybe a pilot's license would also help.

 

[Spitfire]

dhermann1 - you are propably right. A pilot's license might helplol lol lol

 

[Smithy]

There was a review not long ago in one of the private pilot magazines. It fared very well with the reviewer very positive about it.

Even though it won't have as many horses as an original Merlin or Griffon engined Spits, remember it's not carrying as much weight especially guns and ammunition and armour.

 

[staggerwing]

I've looked at this, too. If you're serious, let's talk.

 

[Brinybay]

There was a review not long ago in one of the private pilot magazines. It fared very well with the reviewer very positive about it.

Even though it won't have as many horses as an original Merlin or Griffon engined Spits, remember it's not carrying as much weight especially guns and ammunition and armour.

No guns?! What fun is that?

 

[Zemke Fan]

Replies...

No guns?! What fun is that?

Yeah... I was thinking...

I've looked at this, too. If you're serious, let's talk.

I mentioned this to my wife last night at dinner... She, shall we say, doesn't share my enthusiasm!

My other problem is this... Can I learn to fly this at age 54?

 

[rumblefish]

Can my share be the this?

I'd love to. I haven't flown in about five years and I don't have a license, but boy would that motivate me.

Why do you suppose replicas are usualy made at a smaller scale? Is it just cost, and the ability to use a smaller motor?

 

[dhermann1]

I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat. And no cash.

 

[Twitch]

I'll take the Papa 51 seen here - http://www.thundermustang.com/main.htm

 

[Windsock]

I thought I had a bit of video which I took last year of one of these. Ok, it's not the real thing but they are very impressive and it would be a hoot to have one. Sorry it's so short but I had to edit out rubbish.

The Creator and Owner Mike O'Sullivan will be in the UK this summer at a few airshows demonstrating one which is already in the UK- hence he has requested to borrow some kit from me.

Purshases in the US would be welcome, he would like to increase the market there.

 

[Diamondback]

If I had the cash, and we were in the same AO, and if it were 100% rather than 90%, I'd bite... but not at the cost of bumping my Firebird "highway interceptors" from the build-list, though.

 

[staggerwing]

Yeah... I was thinking...


I mentioned this to my wife last night at dinner... She, shall we say, doesn't share my enthusiasm!

My other problem is this... Can I learn to fly this at age 54?

Sure you can learn to fly at 54. I'll be 52 in May. I learned to fly in high school and have been at it ever since, but during that time I've seen everyone from 13 year old kids (lived on a farm with an airstrip, dad bought him a new Cessna 172 for his birthday) to an 87 year old lady (secretary at the airport) learn to fly. Now the wife, that's an entirely different problem!

 

[doctor dan]

Sad to say I owned a MK II in the mid 70's for two weeks, but after discussions with my wife and the fact that I also owned 13 cars in various states of repair, I finaly had to tell the owner that the deal was off. He charged me the outrageous sum of $ 5000.00 dollars for the plane which was in several crates, but with no place to put it but my back yard and since it would take up to much space in our auto repair shop it was a wise choice at the time, but one that I will always regret. The owner was a kindly gentelman that has long ago passed away. He would let me go up to his place and play with the various aircrafts he owned, a B 25, B 26, and he had a few ME 109s on his property also but the Spitfire is the one that won my heart. I always have wondered who ended up with that plane, if anyone out there knows, let me know. It was sold along with the others several years ago from a farm located north of Chicago on Gilmer road.