90% Scale Airworthy Spitfire Replicas

[DarenC1]

I think the 90% replica is very nice. Sure, the cockpit has been moved forward to permit a jump seat, and the spinner isn't right, but the airplane is very recognizable as a Spitfire.

Personally I preferred the 80% version. The fuselage was 80% scale, with the wing being 75%.

The 90% version has an 80% scale wing, which makes it looks a little out of proportion.

[Dave Homewood]

No disrespect to the makers, but it doesn't look enough like a Spitfire for me to ever consider buying one. I admire the effort put into building such a craft, but I'm just not sold. I love the Spit because of it's beautiful lines, and this scale replica does not have the same lines.

I used to be of the same opinion, but at the 2011 Classic Fighters show at Omaka, where two real Spitfire IX's were in attendance, I and three other aeroplane buffs walked out of the hangar we were staying in and looked up to see a Spitfire coming into the circuit. We stood and debated which one it was, then realised it was single seat so the mutterings of "Oh it's Brendon's one". Then it got closer and we realised to our embarrassment it wasn't Brendon Deere's Mk IX at all, it was Richmond Harding's Supermarine Mk 26, which looks every bit accurate from a distance and also looks like a huge amount of fun.

plankwings wrote:
MOGAS = motor gasoline = automobile fuel

I'd just never heard "pump gas" referred to as "MOGAS" before.
Mudge the educable

Here in NZ we call it petrol. Some older people still refer to it by its original name too, Benzine.

[Dave Homewood]

Something I always find off-putting about these replicas, Mk 26, Jurca, etc, is they put so much effort into building it and getting it flying and then they completely screw up the paint job, making it stick out like a sore thumb as a fake, with shiny finish and over-bright greens and greys and browns. They usually look dreadful. I think that's one of the big differences with Richmond Harding's one, the colour scheme looks pretty close to the real thing.

[Willy]

I wonder how many MJ100 were built. The one in France has c/n 2. Unfortunately she is not flying at the moment after suffering engine damage. (Allison)

Willy

[DarenC1]

I can only think of two that have definitely flown, but there are several others under construction.