Frank Deeth's Spitfire, Builder #5
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Start date: Officially April 2007 but unofficially about 1995.
The Project:
I have wanted my own Spitfire ever since the first time I saw the movie, "The Battle of Britain" when I was about 12 years old on a Sunday TV Matinee. A few years later on a visit to Australia's War Memorial in Canberra (our capital) for a high school ski trip I found a book by Jeremy Flack called "Spitfire - A living legend". On the second last page was a very tantalizing double page picture of the Clive du Cros wooden replica of the Spitfire prototype K5054. At the time I had just discovered the possibility of building one's own aircraft so coupled with that knowledge and the view of what might be possible my over active imagination went into over drive. That was about 22 years ago and I had many other things I needed to accomplish before I might be in a position to dare to attempt the dream of building my own Spitfire. I always wanted to build a Corby Starlet when I was young so I started that as soon as my life allowed in April 2000.
In the mid 1990's I obtained a copy of the Clive du Cros book about the construction of his Spitfire prototype replica. This served very well to fuel the fire and keep the dream alive. I would say this is where I unofficially started on the project without really knowing it. Since reading Clive's book there has been an enormous amount of time gone into researching books, original and then replica plans and sourcing original instruments, original spec parts and timber for the project as well as my own Allison engine.
Not long after commencing work on the Starlet I went looking for the Spitfire I knew existed out there. Eventually I found Russ's plans through an obscure link from some original Spitfire plans suppliers. With the building of my other aircraft I felt it would give me some great wooden aircraft building experience and also a fun and inexpensive tailwheel semi aerobatic aircraft I could fly whilst building the Spitfire. When it was too hot or too cold to work in the shed on the Corby Starlet I would search for and purchase all kinds of parts and materials I would need for the Spitfire project. This includes, Allison engine, original spec canopies and windscreen, cockpit doors, radio hatch, original spec new manufacture wing root fillets, instruments, instrument panels, panel shock mounts, spade grips, rudder pedals, wheels, tyres, tubes, brakes, seats (single seat Vampire), tail wheel etc, etc. This has been a huge job in it's self and has certainly kept me busy in my spare time. There is still an enormous amount to collect of course and one thing I learnt from the first project is to try and get as much of the hardware organised as early in the project as possible. The next challenge will be organising all of the metal fittings such as hinges, trim actuators, and the rest of the original spec cockpit parts I am sourcing.
I finished my Starlet in March '07 and have been enjoying flying it whilst trying to get set up for and start construction of the jigs required for all of the tailplane ribs. My aircraft will be as close to spec as the Spitfire Tr.9 models as possible but with the more 'modern' looking bubble slider canopy for the rear cockpit. See Russ's link to the development of a two seater on the Home page of this site. The Tr.9 aircraft has the taller pointed rudder which I have incorporated into my aircraft and the jigs. I will also be changing the construction of the rudder and elevators so that they will be just fabric covered like the original aircraft. The original plans I have collected over the years have been very helpful in the mods I wanted to make to these surfaces. My jig construction is taking a little while partly because I am busy with other projects at the moment but also because I am trying to make them to a standard that will allow them to be used by future builders for many years to come.
Useful Contacts:
Most of my sourcing of parts has been via the internet. For instruments and other original Air Ministry parts I have used the following suppliers so far;
www.historicaircraftcollection.ltd.uk
(for this last one Guy Black has been very helpful for supplies of original components but you do pay a premium for some of it as they make it in house!)
For original spec new manufacture components I have had a lot of help from Russ himself and also a chap by the name of Guy Hooper for construction of the canopies, windscreen, cockpit doors and radio hatch. I have also been in contact with Bruce West (aircraft # 2) and we have started the process of swapping some parts and he will also be supplying some other components he has done a beautiful job of manufacturing for his aircraft.
For the Allison engine I found it through a very nice chap who is building an MJ-100 in Arizona. The engine was overhauled by Joe Yancey in Rialto, California. These engines are still readily available if you know where to look and are more plentiful and cheaper than the alternative Rolls Royce Merlin V-12.
Short Term Goal:
Short term I want to finish setting up the work shop and get back into the construction of jigs whilst continuing with the metal fittings. From there it will be one job at a time. I learnt from the previous project, don't look at the whole project as it can be a little over whelming sometimes. One job at a time with a long term view of what direction of what you want it to take and it will look after itself.
Since starting the SAC Spitfire it evolved that I should build the two seat Tr.9 version. A few differences with Russ's aircraft is the pointed broader cord rudder of that series and the larger elevator balance horns. In this folder you will see progress of my tailplane coming together as well as the areas where I have modified the plans.
As well as changing the profiles slightly I have also decided to manufacture the parts in a very similar method to the original with no ply sandwich covering of the rudder and elevators...just fabric like the original aircraft. To this end I have increased the size of the materials used in the ribs and in the spars as well as thicker plywood webs on those spars. It has been a laborious project to 'stretch' the rudder ribs and rudder spar for the larger dimensions. I have used original Spitfire drawings quite a lot for the overall dimension increases as well as other sources to make sure the material sizes would be large enough. Check out these pictures of ORIGINAL AIRCRAFT to get an idea of the larger rudder compared to the early model aircraft.
Since starting the SAC Spitfire it evolved that I should build the two seat Tr.9 version. A few differences with Russ's aircraft is the pointed broader cord rudder of that series and the larger elevator balance horns. In this folder you will see progress of my tailplane coming together as well as the areas where I have modified the plans.
As well as changing the profiles slightly I have also decided to manufacture the parts in a very similar method to the original with no ply sandwich covering of the rudder and elevators...just fabric like the original aircraft. To this end I have increased the size of the materials used in the ribs and in the spars as well as thicker plywood webs on those spars. It has been a laborious project to 'stretch' the rudder ribs and rudder spar for the larger dimensions. I have used original Spitfire drawings quite a lot for the overall dimension increases as well as other sources to make sure the material sizes would be large enough. Check out these pictures of ORIGINAL AIRCRAFT to get an idea of the larger rudder compared to the early model aircraft.
Started construction of rudder spar first. Method of construction is the same just dimensions of materials and unit larger to follow larger original part. The important thing to note is I used the same tip profiles in the plans but used laminated plywood rather than solid spruce specified in the plans. Production line of rudder and fin ribs started to develop also.
Because of the changes there have been a few areas that I could not finalize but rather will have to design on the run. Most of it is around the area of the trim tab and how construction with take place.
Above - rudder and fin rib jigs, ready for production
Progress has been slow since x-mas 2008 but in the last six months things have began to pick up a bit. Pictures show the rudder spar being completed and drilling the holes for rudder hinge attachment. I have since run a few mockups to check some positioning of the rudder ribs and that dimensions are correct.
Recently I glued the rudder ribs to the spar and installed the trailing edge ply to get a sense of the final shape. I think it looks about right to me. As mentioned earlier the rudder tab will need to be built 'on the run' so to speak adapting the current plans and fittings to the different profile of the larger late Mark rudder. The tab will be built the same way as the current SAC design.
I am currently working on the elevator and stabilizer ribs then I will get a move on with the fuselage frames and longerons.
