# I want one of these. Now. (Airplane) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 20, 2006, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-one-of-these-now-airplane/340873 "2006-01-20T19:47:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-one-of-these-now-airplane/340873/1 "2006-01-20T19:47:59Z")
[I want one of these. Now](http://www.supermarineaircraft.com/About.htm). It would go great with my Irvin jacket and Type B flying helmet and goggles. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-one-of-these-now-airplane/340873/2 "2006-01-20T21:14:11Z")
Ooh yeah! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-one-of-these-now-airplane/340873/3 "2006-01-20T21:27:04Z")
> [@Dorjän](#): > > Ooh yeah! All I need is about $200,000 and a space to build it! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-one-of-these-now-airplane/340873/4 "2006-01-21T01:57:44Z")
I wonder… Do I really _need_ to own a house? ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-one-of-these-now-airplane/340873/5 "2006-01-21T03:33:55Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > I want one of these. Now. Who wouldn’t! But yes, you do need a house, FBOs don’t let people live in a closet in the hangar. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-one-of-these-now-airplane/340873/6 "2006-01-21T14:27:38Z")
Pretty cool, all right. However, the web site says, “Suitable for a first-time pilot”. Since when is a single seat, 260HP taildragger with a controllable pitch prop suitable for a first time pilot?? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-one-of-these-now-airplane/340873/7 "2006-01-21T14:46:13Z")
If you can fly a Robinson R-22, you can fly anything! 😉😛 If I were ever to get such an airplane (Oh, wait. It’s a Spit – _Aero_plane) I’d definitely get training in a conventionally-geared aircraft before doing anything more than a no-wind, low-speed taxi. Back in the '80s a company called Thunder Wings made a 5/8-scale Spitfire Mk.IX kit. Being .625-scale, it was a little smaller than the 3/4 scale Mk.XVI in the link. But it used a 350 hp modified Jaguar V-12 engine. (I remember reading an article that said, ‘It looks for all the world like a mini-Merlin.’) The airframe was made of fiberglass, and the airfoil was that of a Bonanza. They also made a P-40 replica and an FW-190 replica. I was unable to find them with google, so I guess they’re gone. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-one-of-these-now-airplane/340873/8 "2006-01-21T15:35:11Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > Pretty cool, all right. However, the web site says, “Suitable for a first-time pilot”. Since when is a single seat, 260HP taildragger with a controllable pitch prop suitable for a first time pilot?? Well back in the day many of the pilots flying them were brand new pilots with just a few hours solo. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-one-of-these-now-airplane/340873/9 "2006-01-21T15:39:51Z")
Why are they making it 80% size? Why not full size? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-one-of-these-now-airplane/340873/10 "2006-01-21T16:07:34Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Why are they making it 80% size? Why not full size? I’ve often wondered that. Nearly all warbird replicas are reduced scale. One reason I can think of is the lack of suitable engines. A heavier aircraft needs a more powerful engine. Merlins are becoming pretty scarce. (I grew up in San Diego, and I could hear the hydroplane races. Even as a child I cringed at the thought of the damage being done to those beautiful Merlins and Allisons as I listened to the noise which I could hear from my home!) Another issue is complexity. Warplanes were built to be tough. Building an exact replica would require much more material. IIRC the Spitfire had main spars that were made up of aluminum tubing that was ‘telescoped’ (i.e., tubes within tubes) for strength. Very difficult for a homebuilder to fabricate, I should think. Of course a full-sized replica could be made that lacked the strength of the original, but would it be safe? Airplanes are compromises. A J-3 Cub is great for landing in a meadow, but not so good in a dogfight. Conversely, an F-14 Tomcat is not a plane I’d like to try to land on a grass strip! Designers have to balance speed vs. payload vs. manufacturing costs vs. market demand vs. well, _everything_. So it seems that 5/8, 2/3 or 3/4 scales are the ‘ideal’ size for homebuilts. They can fly on lower-powered (and available) engines, can be built in a two-car garage, can be flown by low-time pilots, require less material than a full-sized version, and retain sufficient strength to be fairly safe. Of course I’d rather have a rivet-for-rivet reproduction of a Spitfire/ Though even the linked replica is beyond my means, it is not beyond the realm of possibility. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-one-of-these-now-airplane/340873/11 "2006-01-21T16:12:21Z")
You’ll put yer eye out with that! (Sweet!) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-one-of-these-now-airplane/340873/12 "2006-01-21T17:39:57Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > You’ll put yer eye out with that! I’ll wear my Mk.VIII goggles. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-one-of-these-now-airplane/340873/13 "2006-01-21T17:44:05Z")
Wow, that’s fantastic. I can’t see if it’s based on an existing plane - I presume it has modern controls? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-one-of-these-now-airplane/340873/14 "2006-01-21T17:47:25Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Wow, that’s fantastic. > > I can’t see if it’s based on an existing plane - I presume it has modern controls? [From the site](http://www.supermarineaircraft.com/About.htm): > [@](#): > > **Controls** > The control column has a “spade” grip similar to that found on the original fighter Flaps are dual using electro-mechanical actuators > Both the Rudder/Brake pedals and the pilot seat are adjustable for individual pilot comfort. > The Rudder is cable operated > Both the Ailerons and Elevators controls use push rods > Trim adjustment is cable controlled ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-one-of-these-now-airplane/340873/15 "2006-01-21T17:50:22Z")
I’m not au fait enough with planes to know what that means. What I really mean is, do they take the engine and instrument panels of, say, a Cessna, and put a new body on it, or do they make/buy everything and put it together from scratch? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-one-of-these-now-airplane/340873/16 "2006-01-21T18:04:19Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > I’m not au fait enough with planes to know what that means. What I really mean is, do they take the engine and instrument panels of, say, a Cessna, and put a new body on it, or do they make/buy everything and put it together from scratch? Ah. Unlike a ‘body-on-frame’ car, where a shell can be put on a rolling chassis, most aircraft are ‘stressed skin’ designs that may be thought of in car terms as ‘unibody’ or ‘unit construction’. So the entire [airframe](http://www.supermarineaircraft.com/Construct.htm) is built up from aluminum. There is a choice of [engines](http://www.supermarineaircraft.com/Engine.htm): A 260 hp GM V6, or a Jabiru horizontally-opposed eight. The GM engine offers better reliability and reduced fuel consumption with no loss of performance. Two-, three-, and four-bladed propellors may be used. Instruments are up to the builder. They can be bought ‘off the shelf’ at a local aircraft supply store (such as Aircraft Spruce). The builder may choose basic instruments, or may choose to go full-out (space permitting). A radio would be a must, and an altitude-reporting (Mode C) transponder is required in many places in the U.S. I don’t think an Emergency Locator Transmitter is required on homebuilt aircraft, but it would be a good idea. Again, all of these may be sourced (new or used) locally. Much of the airframe is constructed at the factory, consuming about 700 hours of labour. The builder must put in 1,000 to 1,200 hours of additional manhours. Under FAA rules, aircraft in the Experimental category must be at least 51% built by the customer. ---
**Author:** ![St\_Ides](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@St\_Ides](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St_Ides)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-one-of-these-now-airplane/340873/17 "2006-01-21T19:17:35Z")
Very nice. When it comes to Spit-like kits, I love the look of the [Silence Twister](http://www.pacificaerosport.com/twister.htm). Plus it’s only about a quarter of the cost of the one you posted… It’s on my “short list” of planes for my first homebuilt, were I to get the time and money. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-one-of-these-now-airplane/340873/18 "2006-01-21T19:57:03Z")
I was just wondering… would the fact that this version does not have an actual machine gun and ammo storage requirement make the 20% size reduction not only possible but even desireable from a performance and engineering point of view? Just a thought. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-one-of-these-now-airplane/340873/19 "2006-01-21T19:59:15Z")
_Very_ pretty! But I still want a ‘Spitfire’. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-one-of-these-now-airplane/340873/20 "2006-01-21T20:09:00Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > I wonder… Do I really _need_ to own a house? No. ~~drool~~~~~~~ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-one-of-these-now-airplane/340873.md?page=2)