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An uncle collected WW II surplus in the late 1940s for pennies on the dollar, so Mike grew up a WW II buff.

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“Well, it isn’t a legacy Spitfire; they have all been built. Mike asked MoTeC of Sidney to create a purpose designed ECU that would meet the unique demands of aviation.

In an effort to better serve you, our reader, and ensure a rich and relevant experience please help us by completing this Airplane interest profile. The power curve is very progressive and   lovely throughout the full speed range. The elliptical shape reduced drag, all very practical.

One happy Australia builder told Mike he flies at 200 knots sea level IAS on 13 GPH. Alex was well into his 90s, so it was just too bad.”, So is it a Spitfire? You will receive mail with link to set new password. We ask the builder to install the ECU as is, just plug it in.” To date, this proprietary ECU unique to Supermarine Aircraft has worked flawlessly.

Compare Anne Frank’s life with your own with this great teaching activity template. Production was just in time for the Battle of Britain – the continued development of the Rolls Royce Merlin engine was just in time over and over to keep the Spitfire (and Mustang) competitive. An Australian company routinely uses a version of the General Motors LS 2 series aluminum V8 as a pump engine.

We did not find a marketing need for a fuselage kit, wing kit, etc.

For the individual that feels the sense of history, the pivotal role the Spitfire played and wants the challenge of a unique aircraft that will preserve history, then perhaps I have the kit for them. The whole aircraft is load tested to 9 G’s  – we have done complete ground tests and hired a British test pilot to fly a complete CAA test program, spins, out of CG testing, the whole lot. The USAAF also used Spitfires for high speed photo reconnaissance. “I had 50 acres of trucks, tanks and airplanes, including WW II Spitfires, to play with.” Mike started Supermarine Aircraft in Brisbane more than 20 years ago. He definitely did.

The Spitfire couldn't fly without the hard work of its groundcrew. “576 test flights and a lot of dyno time, but we now have an ECU that will handle anything a pilot could ask. He had done his homework about me and I was invited for lunch but ended up spending the day with him. Supermarine Aircraft now resides in a brand new 10,000 sq.

If the engine stops, it’s not a bad glider. They were used in England, Africa, and Italy. Interesting, the Mk 26B with the LS 2 engine has about the same power to weight ratio as the Mk IX legacy Spitfire. Like any of the front line fighter warbirds, the cost to own and operate is very, very high.”, “My goal from the outset was to build the closest thing possible to a legacy Spitfire without the prohibitive cost. Today the Spitfire in kit form lives again in Cisco Texas as the Mk 26B. The Supermarine business plan calls for limited sales of quick build kits. 74 Squadron during the Battle of Britain. Your email address will not be published. No amount of time was sacrificed getting the original patterns up to a class one standard. Greg Hahn's Gotha G.IV twin-engine bomber, Click here to login with print subscription account number, https://www.rotordronemag.com/wp-content/themes/frontier-child/images/Mangrey.png, Desktop CNC — DIY System for RC Modelers, Making RC Brass Fittings — Saving Time and Effort. Your name . Alex Henshaw is a well know name in the history of the Spitfire. Registered in England - No: 09178280 VAT No: 199650845.

“I wanted an aircraft for myself that was as real a Spitfire as I could make, not just something painted up like one.” Mike and Supermarine Aircraft have invested years of engineering work, ground and flight testing, engine dynamometer testing, hundreds of instrumented test flights for flight control, engine management, and the endless list of problems to be solved behind every successful aircraft. Do you have a video to share with Model Airplane News? That’s what I’m thrilled with.’ And he really was. His words were, ‘That we were making it immortal and it would go on.’  He said, ‘You’ve done, for all the people that flew and worked on them, a service, in that the Spitfire is still going to live. This incredible diorama comes as part of your subscription over the final 20 issues of the collection. “Anyone experienced in this area can tell you there is no such thing and simply dropping an automotive engine in an aircraft and flying away. Simply print the WW2 Spitfire paper template and your children can make their own model of this legendary plane.

A great template that lets you colour and build your own Spitfire model. Continual development of the airframe led to the Spitfire filling roles it was never intended for – reconnaissance, bomber, and carrier base interceptor – just in time. Comment * Switch to plain text editor. Explore our library and use wonderful books in your lessons!

Stay up to date and receive our free email newsletter! You can’t build it like the original because the cost is just too much.

More information about text formats. Submit your video here. A fun paper craft activity for children to do and can be used when teaching topics like the … The gross weight full of fuel and passengers is 2000 pounds; standard fuel capacity is 37 gallons and long range tanks give 48 gallons total.

Builder customers often want a factory tour so easy access to an international airport was important. He said ‘In the modern world today, you could not it do it any other way. Here’s the scoop: Iconic aircraft seem to be born that way……Few would doubt that the North American Mustang and the DC3 were winners from day one. He was to fly one but he became very ill just about that time. But, all of the raw materials come from the USA; we were paying shipping twice – once to get it to Australia, and a second time to get it to overseas customers. All Rights Reserved, Detailed engine with removable outer panels, Moving rudder, elevators, ailerons and landing flaps, Working cockpit, navigation and taillights, Flashing machine guns (with sound effects). Build Your Own Paper Spitfire redwhiteblueday.co.uk. Create your own replica of the historic WWII aircraft Watch as your Spitfire Mk Ia model comes to life, simulating takeoff, flight, night battle, landing and much more! It’s funny because the department of aviation had taken the license off him some years before that.

It will do you good if I can fly one.

He wanted to. About seven years ago, I was invited to his house in England, a very rare occasion for him to have visitors. When your children are learning about Winston Churchill's life and achievements, make a classroom display board using our free printable banner! “Alex Henshaw not only flew Spitfires, but he flew nearly every model of fighter aircraft that was in production during the war. Another big part of the solution is an Engine Control Unit (ECU). I knew I had to have full support from the community, and we do. Shipping costs were going up and I did not want to raise kit prices.

And he would have but we didn’t have an available aircraft in England just at that time. You, too, could own and fly one of the world’s most legendary aircraft! Download. Mike grew up in Western Australia on a cattle station. Join our email newsletter to receive free updates! Text format . Make your own WW2 Spitfire paper model: A simple paper craft activity for your kids to do. I knew I would have to shut down for an extended period and start anew after the move. A great resource for your primary history lessons!

Filtered HTML. We spent endless hours engineering this V8 to our needs, including our own in-house Propeller Reduction Unit (PRU).” Mike and Supermarine chose a belt redrive combined with and electrically controlled propeller for a trouble free solution. The engine is beautifully smooth. He flew at Dunkirk in May 1940, becoming Squadron Leader of No.

At 60% power setting the aircraft flies at 180 knots IAS sea level and 10.5 GPH. I love the fact that every aspect of flying appeals to someone. Like any of the front line fighter warbirds, the cost to own and operate is very, very high.” “My goal from the outset was to build the closest thing possible to a legacy Spitfire … Ask anyone lucky enough to fly a Spitfire and the first thing you hear about is the feel, how it flies. Your model is a replica of the Mk Ia Spitfire flown by A. G. 'Sailor' Malan, a South African by birth, who served with the RAF during World War II. in Australia due to the long shipping distances. This unique new Spitfire Mk Ia model brings the iconic aircraft to life with movement, lighting and sound.

Pilots argue endlessly which are the greatest aircraft; if you make the topic military fighters that literally change the world, the Mustang and the Supermarine Spitfire certainly would be on most every list.

As a pilot from a very young age, the idea of a “real” Spitfire gelled in the mind of Michael O’Sullivan. There are perhaps 80 in the world, with one half that flyable.

You can’t put a Merlin engine in it. If you ask Mike, he will tell you “Make that decision yourself. Including photos to clearly illustrate each step of construction and to guide you through the build. My structural engineer, Mike Burns, has been with me all the way in the design.”, “The engine took a lot of thought and a step-by-step development process.

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Each man had a specific task to perform, from servicing the engine to repairing battle damage. Lines and paragraphs break automatically.

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Hired as the factory test pilot in the 1930s and carrying on right through the war, he has perhaps flown more Spitfires that anyone else in the world; a record never to be broken. We have kits available now; we are working out a program to sell the kit in sections to spread out the cost. Now, see the teamwork needed to send a Spitfire into battle as you arrange your diorama elements to represent a corner of ‘an English airfield’. We construct and sell Great Britian's finest composite 1/4 scale Spitfire. Comments. In his search for the perfect power plant, Mike discovered an interesting fact. Mike has been asked if this is just another kit, or is it really a Spitfire. Many fighters ‘fly on the engine’. Use these videos as the starting point for learning in your classroom! He said, ‘I’ve got to fly one. Have you made a great resource?