Hello Daz,
I don’t want to sound depressing, or rude, but I will have to second what EwenT and Skybolt have said. Modifying the Taylor Titch is a very expensive exercise and the end resault will not justify the cost and troubles. The end product is a stubby little design (judging by your exelent web site) and has nothing in common with the Spitfire except an elliptical (sp??) wing, but hey, my Cap 10 has one too, so maybe I’m flying a Spitfire replica! Well, the last remark is maybe below the belt, but you see what I’m getting at. Having an elliptical wing does not make it a Spitfire. No, the Spitfire is a machine of eligant lines, no matter how you look at it. There for I’m more than little amused when I look at some of the designs on your website. How on earth some of them can be called scale replicas of a Spitfire, or even a look a like, is beyond me, I’m sorry.
Back to you project. I think the only way forward for you is to go for the Issacs Spitfire. It is the nearest you can get to the lines of a real Spitfire. I nearly started building one my self about 10 years ago, and from the information I had gathered, it is a relatively stright forward design and well suited to a first time builder. At this time, I don’t think you will need to worry too much about the engine. At the moment, you can get approx. half time O-200 for about 4000-5000 dollars. And you would not be needing the engine for, say, five years, as I think it would take you at least that time to build the aircraft. That is, say, about 700 pounds a year for the engine, if you decide on the the O-200. The engine should be the least af your worries!
Building an aircraft needs space and tools. If you are lucky, you could get both of these essentials for a small amount of money, or nothing. How ever renting space for the aircraft and buying all the tools will set you back some serious amount of money. And you have not even have started the building of an aeroplane yet! Then come all the materials, and they are not cheap! Any old wood will not do, and if you have to buy something with an ‘Aviation Grade’ stamped on it, be prepared to open your wallet. However expensive the materials, please do not be tempted to use anything you can get your hands on.
Now I think it is time for me to stop this really depressing rambling. I know what you are going through at the moment. I’ve been there. For one year I had an ACRO SPORT II biplane on mind, and it was an endless tourture, as it was no way I could afford it on my Flight Instuctors paychech. Reluctantly, I led go of it after much soul searching. But my lunacy went from bad to worse and now I’ve two projects going, both antiques.
I wish you good luck with your project, what ever it is going to be. Before you start, make a complete cost estimate (don”t focus just on the engine, but the whole thing) and then add 100% on top of that and you should be close to the correct end figure.
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