No, sorry Moggy, it’s neither Susannah York in her sussies or Tara Fitzgerald in her…. birthday suit!
Bob DeFord’s Spitfire MkIX replica. The next best thing to the real thing??
http://www.myaviation.net/search/search.php?view=®nr=N1940K
By: DazDaMan - 28th October 2004 at 21:54
Daz–
Whaaaat! There’s an MJ100 at Gilbert Aircraft? Holy cow! Had nary a clue about that. Will have to make a return visit, since it’s only a few miles…
BTW over on WIX there was an interesting exchange about replica Typhoons (hypothetical; no one’s actually building one). For several reasons I think that would be a very worthy project.
S.
Oh yeah, seen quite a few pictures of it sent to me by a friend of Darryl’s. Haven’t seen any more since, so I’m hoping there’s been quite a lot of progress to it.
By: FlyingKiwi - 28th October 2004 at 20:26
Tell me you wouldn’t kick this out of bed?!
It certainly does look nice – here are a few shots of it flying at the Prescott Air Fair in Arizona a month or two ago:
http://www.richard-seaman.com/Aircraft/AirShows/Prescott2004/Highlights/index.html#Spitfire
Richard.
By: Steve T - 28th October 2004 at 19:19
Daz–
Whaaaat! There’s an MJ100 at Gilbert Aircraft? Holy cow! Had nary a clue about that. Will have to make a return visit, since it’s only a few miles…
BTW over on WIX there was an interesting exchange about replica Typhoons (hypothetical; no one’s actually building one). For several reasons I think that would be a very worthy project.
S.
By: DazDaMan - 28th October 2004 at 17:32
There are at least two more MJ100 Spitfire replicas in pretty advanced stages of construction – a Mk1 in Ohio, being built by John Morrin, and a MkXVI being built by a chap called Andy Keenan. Both of these will have Allisons.
There’s a third, all-wood this time, being built by Darryl Gilbert in Brantford, Ontario. This one will have a Ranger V-12.
By: DazDaMan - 28th October 2004 at 17:28
Well I think its not bad. The colours, in keeping with all replicas, are not quite right but probably nearer to being correct than anything else I have seen. It seems that replica builders go out of their way not to take the opportunity of painting their creations with a completely accurate colour scheme (being no more expensive than an inaccurate one) which I suggest would go some way towards offsetting defficiencies in the shape of the aircraft (I am thinking in particular about the so-called Spitfire Mk 26). Why is this?
Well, rest assured that my Isaacs Spitfire (although not quite as impressive as this beast) will have an authentic scheme – I’ve just got to find the right one! 😉
By: Mark12 - 28th October 2004 at 15:07
It is a reasonable representation of a Spitfire. Dimensionally it is not as accurate as say a GRP RAF gate guard.
When flying energetically at low weight, however, in the company of a Mustang as in the promotional/vanity videos well that is a different story.
Simply superb.
Mark
By: danohagan - 28th October 2004 at 14:22
Best Spit replica I’ve seen. A very good attempt!
By: Olivier Lacombe - 28th October 2004 at 14:11
Really?
Ok, I had just read about the Griffon being downdraft. I’ll tell that guy that he’s speaking ********!
By: Mustang Fan - 28th October 2004 at 11:25
Well I think its not bad. The colours, in keeping with all replicas, are not quite right but probably nearer to being correct than anything else I have seen. It seems that replica builders go out of their way not to take the opportunity of painting their creations with a completely accurate colour scheme (being no more expensive than an inaccurate one) which I suggest would go some way towards offsetting defficiencies in the shape of the aircraft (I am thinking in particular about the so-called Spitfire Mk 26). Why is this?
By: Bruce - 28th October 2004 at 08:11
No, the Griffon is the same as the Merlin
Bruce
By: Olivier Lacombe - 28th October 2004 at 03:20
Isn’t the Griffon a downdraft carb too?
And the Griffon Spits have an intake on the belly, like every proper Spits have?
By: Elwyn - 28th October 2004 at 02:16
Well it has an Allison in it, so it could be a bit on the long side….
Allisons usually have a scoop somewhere along the top of the fuselage due to the downdraft carb. Wonder how they got around that on this one. I’ve noticed all of the Allison powered Yaks have an intake sticking out on top somewhere.
By: Snapper - 27th October 2004 at 22:41
They ought to ask Mark12 what colour to paint them.
By: turbo_NZ - 27th October 2004 at 22:14
Further inspiration for the Isaacs…. 😉
By: DazDaMan - 27th October 2004 at 22:09
Well it has an Allison in it, so it could be a bit on the long side….
By: RadarArchive - 27th October 2004 at 22:07
Is it just me, or is the nose too long?
By: Archer - 27th October 2004 at 21:47
Don’t want that in my bed, want it in my hangar! (The aircraft that is 😉 )
But who else thinks that however appealing it looks, there is something different about it. It’s something to do with the shape that isn’t quite right….
May look like Sarah or Tara at first sight, but who is she when you have a good look????
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October 27, 2004 at 9:41 pm