Today I fulfilled a lifetime ambition and flew with a Spitfire:)

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In response to "how did you arrange that" questions. If you email [email protected] and say you saw the photos on MB Club, he'll do his best to help!:)
 
Fab pictures.

The husband of a good friend of mine is building a (fully flight worthy) spitfire replica in his Garage! Im looking forward to seeing it completed and flying. howevr, I doubt very much if it will sound like the real thing.
 
That's quite a scary thought Alfie. At least it'll be only a single seater;)
 
There have been a number of kit-build (and one-off) Spitfire replicas over the years, some full-size and others scaled down. Pretty sure at least one of them was a 2-seater.

One I remember well was a replica of the original prototype Spitfire (2-blade prop, tailskid, finished in pale blue overall), powered by a Jaguar V12 car engine.
 
There have been a number of kit-build (and one-off) Spitfire replicas over the years, some full-size and others scaled down. Pretty sure at least one of them was a 2-seater.

One I remember well was a replica of the original prototype Spitfire (2-blade prop, tailskid, finished in pale blue overall), powered by a Jaguar V12 car engine.

This one!
 
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Very nice but how did they get an airworthiness certificate for a Jag V12 engine? In the reliability stakes these things are awful.
 
Who Owns the Yellow Harvard?

In the local this (late) afternoon, had seen the Mustang parked in the open on Friday - found out that was it's last day in the village, the rotten ******* has sold it to Germany and it's gone! No more magic sound of Merlin over the village, no further chance of a ride in the back seat (which I'm told went for £2500 in the auction I mentioned earlier!). Still, he has his Harvard and Yak to play with, lucky whatsit. Just wish I'd been braver and knocked on his door before the Mustang went!

I live next to Detling (ex RAF air field) in Kent. We are luck to be treated during the summer months to seeing both the spitfire and Hurricane over flying us at very low altitude. On a good day they will stay in a holding pattern above our house (presumably waiting to head off to a show).

The Bright Yellow Harvard is an almost daily visitor doing some fairly spectacular stuff. I believe that you can buy flights in this?
 
I live next to Detling (ex RAF air field) in Kent. We are luck to be treated during the summer months to seeing both the spitfire and Hurricane over flying us at very low altitude. On a good day they will stay in a holding pattern above our house (presumably waiting to head off to a show).

The Bright Yellow Harvard is an almost daily visitor doing some fairly spectacular stuff. I believe that you can buy flights in this?

Yes you can buy flights apparently it's £400 to be a passenger. I'm told it has been seen around Rochester Airport as well (also former ww2 base)
 
Second Batch ready!
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Curious - I didn't know it was permissible to use full ('landing') flap in level flight. They are acting almost entirely as airbrakes in that position, rather than lowering the stall speed. But I'm sure Biggles knew what he was doing!
 
Curious - I didn't know it was permissible to use full ('landing') flap in level flight. They are acting almost entirely as airbrakes in that position, rather than lowering the stall speed. But I'm sure Biggles knew what he was doing!

He had them down the whole time, I guess just to get slow enough for us to keep up in the Jet Ranger.
 
Thanks again Greg, fantastic photo's. Very envious.
 
Superb photos, southern Kent is so pretty, so much better than north east kent where all the east enders who were bombed out by the luftwaffe now live.

The sound of a Spitfire is one of those great audible feasts for the ears. Brings tears to any real Brit. Can you describe the sound of being the wingman to a Spitfire?

John

PS If we had lost the Battle of Britain we'd all be driving round in German cars
 
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No wonder the pilot is always looking at the photographer - he's trying to convey how wide his permasmile is!!
Lucky ****ard
 
Can you describe the sound of being the wingman to a Spitfire?

Not really as I was inside a helicopter which even with sound cancelling headphones it is still very noisy. When I was on the ground the Spit sounded great, particularly when he did a victory roll:)

I'm suprised no one picked up on this photo. The signatures are of WW2 pilots who flew this particular Spitfire. I found it quite moving.


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