Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: AKHog on December 18, 2003, 03:38:37 PM
-
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!
-
sweet cant wait for pics
-
Wow!
Hooligan
-
Hating you in a green envious sort of way.
-
WOW!! turning green here as well, get pictures please.
By the way how many hours on it?
hehe (you must have said it 5 times):D
Find out the next time he flys it and take the best recorder you can rent to the airport and get us some of that sweet music it makes. I will save it to a mp-3 file to play in my headset when flying my FR-172F, it beats going buzzzzzzzz and spiting all over the windshield.:D
-
WOW!!! Man, I'm wishing I was in your shoes!
-
Not to rain on your parade, but Spitfires had neither wooden spars nor fiberglass anything. Sounds like a neat bird though.
-
Originally posted by midnight Target
Hating you in a green envious sort of way.
Ditto here as well. Get some GOOD pix!
-
Sounds like ya had fun Hog. Looking forward to the pics.
-
Sounds like an awesome plane. Why did he use wood in the wings, perhaps easier to fabricated?
-
:eek:
steal it :D
-
Sounds awesome hog. Looking forward to the pics. Btw, you going to ERU there?
-
really nice cant wait to see um.
-
The luck of some people never ceases to amaze me!
Damn! I feel like crying! Bastiage!
Get those pictures posted!!
You should change your handle to AKLUCKY!
:)
-
hehe (you must have said it 5 times)
hah, yea I was a little excited. I was in a hurry to write and post before work, so I didnt get a chance to read over what I wrote.
That really did stand out in my mind though, being a pilot you can kinda judge the age of a plane and how worn it will be by hours... and everything about this plane was just brand new, very nice.
Not to rain on your parade, but Spitfires had neither wooden spars nor fiberglass anything. Sounds like a neat bird though.
Yup I know... I didnt mean it was exactly the same as a spit9, I just ment as far as scale and basic outside structure (looks) it was pracitally as close as possible. The only visual differences like I said before would be the 3 vs 4 blade prop and the general cleanness of the plane... the originals were 'dirty' with bumpy wings and overlapping metal sheeting on the fues (or so I'm told). This thing has all flush mount sheeting and the mirror finish of a composite type wing. Actually probably superiour to the original in that respect.
Also this one has the 1200 HP allison, the original obviously had the merlin correct? I think he chose the Allison for cost and because it has a simpler supercharger better for low alts, again this is just what I've been told.
Why did he use wood in the wings, perhaps easier to fabricated?
Yea I think partly that but also his needs were different then from the orignial. This obviously wasnt a restoration, so he could built it any way he wanted and acheive 99% of the look. Also, the way he built it is supposedly lighter then the original and still rated at +9 -6 G's... I'm not sure but I believe the actual spit9 like most fighters of the day were rated for much more, but I could be wrong? But obviously no need to build a plane like that when it wont be going into combat... might as well build it to todays limits and pilot limits and save money and weight, right?