Story starts last week, I'm at the bike shop I work at wrenching on something, guy comes in looking for some very odd sized spoke parts. I ask him what for, he explains a quick release cowl mech that he's making for his RV-7. So we start talking about planes, he finds out I'm at the airport a lot (commercial flight student) and invites me to his hanger to check out his rv's (he say's he's almost always there working on the plane).
So today I just finished a flight and had an hour to kill before work, so I stoped by where he said his hanger was. I get a warm welcome by him and a bunch of his friends. All these guys are retired airline pilots BTW, which is also my long term goal
. Anyway I got treated to some VERY nice planes, started talking to them about composites (I have previous work experience with a lot of composite airplane stuff). There was a rv6 and a half built rv7 in the hanger. So I hung out for about half an hour or so, just talking, then one of the guys says he needs to run over to his hanger to pick something up and that I should follow because he'd like to show me something... says its the ultimate homebuilt. So I hop in my 4runner and make the 5 minute drive to the other side of the airport. As I follow him I notice his license plate, SPITMRK9... I get excited thinking I'm going to see a midget spit or some cool ww2 stuff. Get out of the car and he opens the hanger door... my jaw hit the floor... now I'm not an emotional person, I never cry at movies or anything like that, but this literally made my eyes water. My heart rate felt like 120+...
Right before me lay a mint condition, perfectly built full size spit mark 9. Scratch built, FULL SIZED!!! 10 hours total time, over 8 years to build. Everything on it is accurate, I'm told if I could have gone back 50 years and seen a mrk 9 roll off the line there would be no real difference other then engine and armor. So I ask what engine, Allison 1200 hp supercharged with 10 hours since overhaul!!! DC3 3 bladed prop (also only visable difference, as the original had 4 bladded). This thing is a one of a kind, literally the only like it in the world. There is one built from the same planes in Europe but it only has a 800HP replica motor and is only rated for like 4.5 +/- g's. This thing is fully rated at +9 -6 g's. Only 10 hours on it (only finished earlier this year), so he's only had it up to 280, thats right... he said "ONLY" two hundred eighty mph, next flight plans to break 300, and he's sure it will do 400 no problem.
This thing is a true work of ark. Over $8000 of douglas fur in the wingspar alone... then wood ribs covered with ply then fiberglass for a mirror finish. Steel tube fues covered with flush mount paneling (the original was overlapped panneling, so this one should be even cleaner). And its BIG! I never have seen a spit in real life before but this thing is a MONSTER! TINY cockpit with a original spit9 seat that he got from Europe, along with an original spit9 canopy!
Says he can get 48 inches down the runway (at we are at 5000 feet here in prescott)... and he's rolling back power before he is even over the end of the runway.
I ALWAYS carry my digi cam and I just took it out of the car last night to DL some pics.... but no worries I'm going back later this week and I'll post tons of pics. It was amazing to see this... I felt so lucky to even be in the hanger. BTW he had a steerman and a midget mustang in the hanger also, normally would have got me very excited to see these, and now I couldnt even tell you the color of them... I simply could not see past the spit.
Its only got 10 hours, he's got to stay close to the airport for the first 40 hours, but then he's gona be taking it to airshows and stuff. I really would not be suprized at all if... well infact I'll say that I would be supriezed a lot if I DIDNT see this plane on the cover or atleast featured in many flight mags in the next year... just a huge cream in the pants.
I'll post pics soon!
