Clive Du Cros' Spitfire replica

The Haug Spitfire replica was mentioned numerous times in other threads, including one posted after the aircraft crashed.

(Photo from www.spitfires.ch)

Their aircraft was, in my opinion, one of the best-looking replicas yet.

You mentioned the Spitfire replica in Switzerland. As I live fairly close to Bex where it first flew it is (was ) of some interest to me. No-one seems to have mentioned that in fact its constructor Stéphane Haug was killed in it on 20 August 2005 at Dittingen.

If you do not know it, have a look at:
http://www.spitfires.ch/

It is in French and German: anyone needing any translation, please let me know.

It may seem a bit melodramatic to some, but it was posted by a grieving family. However, there are a lot of data of the building and flying of this replica.

Laurence

Got that one – it’s on the “to read” list 😉

Ahh, this is different from Goodnight Sweetheart! He doesn’t go back and forth, he just stays in the one time zone 😉

:)Have you ever read this? quite an entertaining read.Doesn’t flit to different time zones but brings the past into the present.
http://www.amazon.com/Gray-Eagles-Duane-Unkefer/dp/0380702797/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228603534&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.com/review/product/0380702797/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?_encoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

I’m not sure the replica was ever “aero’d”, it might have been capable, though.

I’m not entirely sure (as I can’t find the book) but I think the spars were made up of lengths of spruce.

To be honest, as the engine was prone to overheating, I’m not sure the replica was ever put through anything more than modest moanoeuvers.

How aerobatic was the replica? – I would imagine than engineering a wooden mainspar within the Spitfire wing profile must have been a challenging process given that the original metal spar was a complex arrangement of ‘nested’ sections?

Clive DuCros was, for a short while at least, both a member of this forum and my Spitfire replica discussion group. Sad to say, he didn’t seem to stick around long on either (I think perhaps a lot of that had to do with the constant “spammers” that cropped up on the group, and also because there is/was a distinct lack of discussion about G-BRDV).

Shame, really, as I bet he would have had a lot of useful input to give to would-be Spitfire builders.

[QUOTE=Septic;306857]

Originally posted by Hairyplane
He did just that and left the lovely Britt and the boys, his magnificent country home plus his substantial Swindon-based taxi hire business to set up home in Spain.

Thanks Hairyplane,

I tried contacting Clive direct, the fact that he now lives in spain explains why I was unsuccessful!

After all the blood sweat and tears Clive put into the project, how could anyone cut through the wing spars!

Septic.

A couple of years ago there was a site up and running called “Spitfireprototype.com” or something like that. Via this site one could order the second print-run of the book (in which the accident is explained) and also a dvd. I ordered both and paid by PayPal but never heard anything from anybody since and also never received the book nor the dvd. A couple of polite emails to Spitfireprototype.com didn’t help either. I believe the site is down now but haven’t tried for a while.

To my certain knowledge, no. I’m not sure how long it went for, maybe only a season, and utilised Spitfire IXs MH434 and NH238 (now in a box at North Weald! :() and PRXI PL983 (crashed France, 2001, now under long-term rebuild).

Don;’t think they appeared too often, either 🙁

Going back in time and staying there. Interesting. He could still go to Gary Sparrow’s shop if he fancied smething from the future, like a Big Mac! ha ha

Seriously, good luck with the book, and hopefully the film. It sounds great.

I just looked out two books that I haven’t seen in ages – amazing as I used to treasure and ogle them. They are “Spitfire: A Living Legend” and “Spitfire: The Legend Lives On”, both by Jeremy Flack and both Osprey publications.

In the first one is a photo of Clive’s Spit under construction. And in the latter there are several photos of it under construction and in operation. Beautiful. Plus many, many more wonderful Spitfire photos.

I also notice in the latter book that there was a Spitfire Formation Aerobatic Team, lead of course by Ray Hanna. Is that still going? Must beat our Harvards and Fletchers hands down!

Ahh, this is different from Goodnight Sweetheart! He doesn’t go back and forth, he just stays in the one time zone 😉

At a pinch, I’d use some Spitfire Vs and an early Spitfire IX (MH434) if I had to, but the replica idea would be the more attractive option, especially since you don’t have to modify the replica, you can build it as you want it!

Hi Daz,

Wow, US$365,000 is almost half the price of a real one. OK, my idea of a squadron is out the door. Damn! Unless we cut costs and use balsa and tractor motors…

The book sounds interesting. Reminds me of Goodnight Sweetheart – that was a great series.

I have long wanted to do a film about the Pacific campaign from an RNZAF pilot’s angle. I’d like to include some of the classic warbirds that we used up there, P40’s, TBF’s, etc… However, the main starring aircraft wouldn’t be the Corsair, Kittyhawk, Dauntless or even an Avenger. It would be a Hudson and its crew. The Hudsons were awesome, and got into all sorts of scrapes, sinking subs and shooting down Japs, etc. One day…

One true story I’d like to ‘borrow’ from was of a guy from here in Cambridge. Trevor Ganley was an air gunner on a Hudson that was attacked by nine Zeroes. Eventually they were shot down, ditched into the sea, but all on board escaped. Then the Zeroes started to strafe them in the water and continued to till all were dead except trevor (evil b@st@rds). He pretended to be dead and they left. He then sawm two miles to an island, despite his wounds, and was marooned there for a month before malking his way back to the lines!!! Amazing story. I’d love to film it, as well as other capers they got up to.

Well, that figure is quoted to me by a mate in NZ, who is having one built for him – so, if you take out the labour costs involved, and do the thing yourself (which would take a while!) it’d be cheaper. Natch, you’d have to build them quickly if you were doing them for a movie…!!

(actually, the cost was US$365,000 – I just checked!)

Dave – my novel is pretty well-known on here! It’s a fantasy Battle of Britain-style story, with a few names of well-known pilots in it (with their consent!). Basically a modern-day person somehow slips back into 1940 while at an airshow and finds himself in a Spitfire squadron. Sort of Quantum Leap meets Battle of Britain. I put up a post recently about how Geoffrey Wellum was going to read some of my chapters to see how realistic it was!

I’d love to do it as a movie, but I want to finish the thing first (it’s a bit of a headache, as I’m sure you’ll understand!)

Hmmm, $300, 000. That seems a bit steep, but then you can get six of them for the price of a real one I guess. I would think it would be cheaper to build in bulk too, wouldn’t it?

Daz, can you give me a little idea of what your book’s synopsis is about please (unless it’s still hush hush). I can assume it involves at least six Spitfires at least, but what theatre of operations?

I am studying to be a film maker, in my third year at University. Maybe we could work together on the film someday in the future. Make it in NZ – it’s sooo much cheaper, and we can adapt our country to look like anywhere. Plus we have a few real Spitfires here too.

I have it on good authority that it would cost around NZ$300,000 to build a flying replica Spitfire – WITH a Merlin – based on the Marcel Jurca MJ100 design.

Sooo… say my blockbuster novel (easily outstripping Kenneth Williams’ book on the Bader Enigma!) was made into a movie, I would suggest to the film company that we used three real Spits, and three replicas made up to look the part. A guy called John Morrin is building an Allison-powered Mk1 in Ohio, and there’s Bob DeFord’s plane (unless it’s fitted with dummy cannon since the photo below was taken…?)

Hey if Mr. P. Jackson can build 5 (?) Fokker Dr.1’s then anything is possible (esp if he is behind it). Then again, his interest is WW1 aircraft but you get the picture.

And also look how well received they were at Classic Fighters.

Anything is possible give the right amount of talent, money, enthusiasm, money, marketing and above all else, money !!:D

How expensive is it to build a decent looking full scale replica like the one Clive designed? Is it a viable option for a film company, say, to make a dozen, for use in film work?

Imagine a whole squadron of Mk 1s. They would be able to use them in not only films and TV but hire out the whole squadron for airshows too. Might be a nice investment. They could be syndicated out with a clause saying they have to get together for films and events. Or you could set them up on an old airfield and form a reaslistic theme park-style experince of a working Spitfire squadron in the Battle of Britain.

The BofB film had replica Spits to use on the ground, but maybe a film of the future could have a squadron of flying Spits to use in the background, flying along behind one or two real ones. That would beat CGI any day.

BUT would that be viable costwise? Or am I getting into the realms of fantasy now…

Clive’s Spitfire at RIAT 2003.

Re: Clive DuCros’ Spitfire

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Hairyplane
He did just that and left the lovely Britt and the boys, his magnificent country home plus his substantial Swindon-based taxi hire business to set up home in Spain.

Thanks Hairyplane,

I tried contacting Clive direct, the fact that he now lives in spain explains why I was unsuccessful!

After all the blood sweat and tears Clive put into the project, how could anyone cut through the wing spars!

Septic.

…and there’s currently one copy to be had via abebooks.com…