90% Scale Airworthy Spitfire Replicas

[Rocketeer]

Check out these 90% scale Spitfire kits from Michael (Mike) O’Sullivan’s Supermarine Aircraft Factory based in Cisco, Texas. This particular one pictured below was fully built by his factory.




And here's the link to Supermarine Aircraft's Site:

http://www.supermarineaircraft.com/About.htm

[RandolphB]

I just saw this at Fun N Sun. Very nicely built aircraft, was getting lots of attention. They said it is running a GM LS2 engine and can run on auto or aviation fuel...

[Cherrybomber13]

http://www.supermarineaircraft.com/

Check out this video of their planes, the sound is amazing http://youtu.be/YDzU27EbU8I
I first found out about this on Ezell's Facebook page right before I went to Texas.

[Mudge]

I wonder how many RPMs it's turning at full throttle.

Mudge the curious

[oz rb fan]

used to be an Australian company,but got offered a better deal to move to the u.s

[The Inspector]

Can't get much altitude running MOGAS detonation gets severe quickly.

[Mudge]

Can't get much altitude running MOGAS detonation gets severe quickly.

OK...OK...I give up..."MOGAS"?

Mudge the dense

[daveymac82c]

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.

There are some people that are local to me who are building beautiful and "SPOT ON" 80% Sptifires. They're gorgeous and the only difference you'll notice is the size of the pilot, otherwise it's almost exactly to scale. I should visit them in Pitt Meadows and provide you guys and gals with pictures of their work. They're using wood for the main construction material, but darn, they're pretty airplanes!

Cheers,

David M

[plankwings]

Hey Mudge,

MOGAS = motor gasoline = automobile fuel

AVGAS + Aviation gasoline = aircraft fuel


Bigslim

[Mudge]

Hey Mudge,

MOGAS = motor gasoline = automobile fuel

AVGAS + Aviation gasoline = aircraft fuel


Bigslim

I'd just never heard "pump gas" referred to as "MOGAS" before. AVGAS, I knew. MOGAS, no
Ah' 'preciates it.

Mudge the educable

[The Inspector]

It first came into popularity as a term in the early 70's when folks started flying around in tent poles strung with window curtains and pushed by weed whacker engines (ultra lights). Since they didn't go very high, the operators discovered that pump gas worked just fine and it was easier to pull into the TEXACO and pump your own into a 5 gallon gas can than to go to the airport and get grilled by the FBO because of taxes and usage fees, etc.
Increased altitudes and lower barometric pressures cause detonation and higher engine temps, so regular aviation fuels have heptane and other compensating chemicals blended in to keep the engine from destroying itself.

[Stoney]

How high is too high, flew my SNJ on mogas for a couple of years and never had a problem with Shell regular. Wouldn't do it now with the crap they put in gas now.

[The Inspector]

Not sure about absolute altitude, But do know that sea level blended and purchased car gas makes your vehicle run like dog water in high passes in the Rockys and around Pikes Peak, so 8000/10000 feet?

[Kyleb]

Increased altitudes and lower barometric pressures cause detonation and higher engine temps, so regular aviation fuels have heptane and other compensating chemicals blended in to keep the engine from destroying itself.

Detonation is octane related (and related to a bunch of other things, but not altitude). There are plenty of certified and uncertified aircraft engines flying perfectly well on auto gas. The approximate cut-off for using 91 octane auto fuel is 8.5:1 compression with our big bore aircraft engines. Beyond that, detonation margins get pretty thin.

The bigger issues with auto fuel are that today most of it contains ethanol, which is bad for a host of things in our fuel systems and its higher vapor pressure (compared to avgas). The higher vapor pressure makes vapor lock more of an issue in aircraft with fuel systems which are prone to it.

[Steve Pierce]

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.

There are some people that are local to me who are building beautiful and "SPOT ON" 80% Sptifires. They're gorgeous and the only difference you'll notice is the size of the pilot, otherwise it's almost exactly to scale. I should visit them in Pitt Meadows and provide you guys and gals with pictures of their work. They're using wood for the main construction material, but darn, they're pretty airplanes!

Cheers,

David M

I was under the impression that it was pretty accurate to scale. Where does it differ?