Warbird Information Exchange

Being 2,000lbs lighter but almost the same power, it should beat the real spit 9 in just about every performance category.

From my understanding, the plans were drawn up using old technical drawings but are optimized for wood construction. The website for Spitfire aircraft company is listed in my last reply.


The plans call for all wooden controls on the tail, but after building the frames but before sheeting them, he decided to make them all out of metal instead.

when I looked up the registration number and saw the manufacturer, I went to there site. But I only saw the 75% listing. It wasn't until today I noticed they also had a 1:1.

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Tyler Pinkerton
Active Member of Air Heritage Inc. of Beaver Falls, PA.
Aircraft: C47B, C-123K, Fairchild F-24, Funk Model B, L-21B, T-28B, T-34B
Static: F-4C Phantom II, F-15A, T-3 Provost

Cool project. Also awesome to see the L-21 in the background. One of the first projects I got to help with. When I was there, the area where the spit is contained out B-26 Marauder.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

The L-21 is just about done. Just a few small things left to finish up and it's ready for first flight after restoration.

And after the B-26's left, that area had always been Virgil's area for 123 stuff, but a lot of the stuff was able to be moved and reorganized to take up less space after he passed.

There has been some reshuffling done this past year throughout the entire hangar. And with the new hangars finally being done, we will be able to move a lot of the support equipment that is not typically used out of the main hangar to give us even more room.

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Tyler Pinkerton
Active Member of Air Heritage Inc. of Beaver Falls, PA.
Aircraft: C47B, C-123K, Fairchild F-24, Funk Model B, L-21B, T-28B, T-34B
Static: F-4C Phantom II, F-15A, T-3 Provost

Ok thanks Tyler, looked up that website, they are not from England though. Russ Harmuth. Avery, California. Thanks again for the updates.

My understanding is that Mr. Deford started with the plans from Marcel Jurca in France but the wooden fuselage was replaced with a metal one to better absorb the power from the Allison. As I recall the Jurca airplane was originally designed around a converted Jaguar powerplant. (Come to think of it the Du Cross replica may also have been based on the Jurca design as I recall it too being Jaguar powered. No?) At any rate there is some interesting reading regarding the performance of Deford's airplane to be found here: http://www.warbirdsforum.com/topic/4151-met-bob-deford/

Thanks for that link Chad.
Really interesting.
I have no doubt that Bobs replica flies really nicely.
I like the impression he gives, like, "He flies for fun" (best reason) and "He doesn't fight Messerschmitts" .
I wish Mr Deford many years of enjoying flying this impressive Spitfire.
I'm not too fussed out that it looks like a MK IX with a three bladed prop.

It's cool!
Andy

Tyler, I wonder which plans where originally used in the building.

Have you guys seen or heard of this replica and kits available?

Full scale with an Allison.....

I wonder if Bob Deford was made from plans from Russ Harmuth from the Spitfire Aircraft Company? (Edit found my answer Mr Deford plane was made from Jurca plans)

(Edit #2...fond a link with more pics...click on the photo tab....seems to be getting along nicely even if pictures are dated 2011)
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Spitfire-Aircraft-Company/123133607766045?sk=photos_stream&ref=page_internal

Tks

http://www.spitfireaircraftco.com/home.html

There was a video on the website of an old interview. The was definitely English, but it's been a while since I have viewed it. It might shed some light on who the true developer was. He did mention he had six project going on in the US, some in Australia, NZ, Sweden...

I know there is Jack' and another guy is building one in Florida. He Current is a little bit ahead of Jack, but jack will pass him up this winter

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Tyler Pinkerton
Active Member of Air Heritage Inc. of Beaver Falls, PA.
Aircraft: C47B, C-123K, Fairchild F-24, Funk Model B, L-21B, T-28B, T-34B
Static: F-4C Phantom II, F-15A, T-3 Provost

Hi,
Nothing seems to have happened on both their web or Facebook since 2011. Is this project still active then? I had assumed it had stalled
Thanks
Mike

Which project or are you referring to the website for Spitfire A/c company?

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Tyler Pinkerton
Active Member of Air Heritage Inc. of Beaver Falls, PA.
Aircraft: C47B, C-123K, Fairchild F-24, Funk Model B, L-21B, T-28B, T-34B
Static: F-4C Phantom II, F-15A, T-3 Provost

Sorry. Thought it was one and the same. Assuming we are talking about the Spitfire Aircraft Co. website....

Clive du Cros (UK) = 1/1 scale own design in wood, based on the prototype K5054. Only his seems to have flown, grounded after an accident a while back.

Bob DeFord (US) = Jurca MJ.100 1/1 scale (the 3/4 is the MJ.10, both originate in France) in wood, from memory the first to fly with an Allison and has a steel tube fuse due to the engine power. One in France flew earlier, but with a Hispano Suiza of around 890hp.

Russ Harmuth/SAC (US) = 1/1 scale own design in wood I think, yet to fly. One in NZ being worked on I believe?

Hopefully DaveM2 will be along shortly, Classic Wings had a great roundup of the options for a full-size Spit replica a few years back.

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Zac in NZ
#avgeek, modelbuilder, photographer, writer. Callsign: "HANDBAG".
https://linktr.ee/zacyates

"It's his plane, he spent the money to restore it, he can do with it what he wants. I will never understand what's hard to comprehend about this." - kalamazookid, 20/08/2013
"The more time you spend around warbirds the sooner you learn nothing, is simple." - JohnB, 24/02/22

Ok, I revisited the video on the website. The video is of Russ Harmuth. In it he says he said there was a UK gentlemen who had designed a 1:1 replica, but it was powered by a Jaguar V12. He said he got those plans, but had them reEngineered so a full size engine could be installed. He also said they incorporated Mossy building techniques to strengthen it. That's all I have gotten through the video as I'm watching it during the commercials on TV.

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Tyler Pinkerton
Active Member of Air Heritage Inc. of Beaver Falls, PA.
Aircraft: C47B, C-123K, Fairchild F-24, Funk Model B, L-21B, T-28B, T-34B
Static: F-4C Phantom II, F-15A, T-3 Provost

Clive Ducross's spitfire is powered by the modified jag engine and is an original design. He wrote a good book about building the airplane.
There are several jurca 1:1 Fw-190's and Spitfires under construction. The 190's powerplant of choice is the R2600 and the Spits are using Allisons or V-1650-1 Merlins which are quite affordable.
Uli Bronner built a 1:1 scale Fw-190 from Jurca plans in Germany that flew before an undercarriage collapse. I saw this airplane and it was stunning, you couldn't tell that it wasn't the real thing. He used a Dc-3 engine and prop and has recommended the 2600 to other builders as being a better option. Uli has had a hard time with his plane but his experiences have provided invaluable lessons for other builders.
Real Mustangs and Spitfires have long been out of financial reach of most mere mortals. The replicas are the future. Besides, with a replica you are not putting 2.5 million plus a historical airplane at risk if you aren't very current and come in and have an ugly landing or a windy day. It's sad to see so many owners especially who are getting older that have planes that just sit because they have a hard time staying current. I've seen it happen again and again and it always ends with either the plane pranged or for sale or both.....

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All I did was press this red button here...

Who overhauls Merlin-1s?
Chris...