Flyable NZ Spitfire replicas

[Dave Homewood]

I know Harry Harrison has a Spitfire replica (Is it a Supermarine Mk 26?) and there are several others being built in New Zealand, including two Mk 26's at Tauranga I saw in February, and I'm told a couple of full scale real looking replicas too (one being a Jurca Mk 9, not sure on the other one).

What's the news on all of these? Are any near flying or airborne apart from Harry Harrison's little beast?

I'm looking forward to seeing the Jurca one when it's flying.

[Bruce]

Harry Harris' Microlight Spitfire is his own design, of composite construction. It is a microlight, approx 1/2 size, but with the wing enlarged slightly out of scale to reach the original (lower) microlight wing loading and stall speed requirements. He has begun building components for a second spit, but this one will have the proportions closer to scale (I had the tailplane spar on the counter in the SAA dispaly Hangar at SportAvex) .
The other scale replica I'm aware of is Wayne Cutforths 3/4 scale Jurca Spitfire (of wooden construction). This was the one on display in the registration / members food hangar at SportAvex 06. This is not far off flying now, it appears as though it is mainly engine installation work left to do.
I'm not aware of any mark 26s, but I wouldnt be surprised if some were under construction here. Not all homebuilders like to show off their projects and sometimes you only become aware of them after they have sucessfully flown.
I beleive that there is also one full sized flying Spit under construction somewhere as well, but I cant remember where.
It is worth noting that Jurca Spitfires actually come in several sizes, the 3/4 scale as with the Cutforth project, and also a full sized one.

[Kereru]

Bruce and Dave are you talking about ZK-JNM?

www1.airliners.net/open.file/1004315/L/

Nice little machine I caught at Tauranga.

[Dave Homewood]

I think from memory the full sized Jurca is at North Shore - it featured in Classic Wings about a year ago and was close to completion.

I assumed those little Spits at Tauranga were Mk 26's but am wrong, sorry. All those replicas look alike to me - ugly but cute!

Colin, yes that's it. Great shot.

[Dave Homewood]

Here's photos I took in Feb of the 3/4 Jurca Spitfire replica at Tauranga





I just rememebred the other replica I saw at Tauranga was a static one, in the Musuem, much more relaistic looking.

[twilight]

bruce said:

I beleive that there is also one full sized flying Spit under construction somewhere as well, but I cant remember where.

Mr Deere's one is being worked on at Feilding. It's from Myanmar/Burma.

[Dave Homewood]

But that's a real Spitfire Twilight, we're talking about a full sized Marcel Jurca replica.

I'm looking forward to seeing Brendon's one aloft even more than the replica.

[DazDaMan]

I think the full-scale Spit replica under discussion here is actually one of the Spitfire Aircraft Company replicas - full-scale, all-wood, with Allison (or possibly Merlin) power.

According to the Classic Wings article, it was being constructed by Bruce West in Auckland, NZ.

The prototype is still being constructed at present:

www.spitfireaircraftco.com/

[DazDaMan]

Here's a few pics sent to me by Harry Harris:





I think he was contemplating kits of the aircraft, but that was a couple of years ago now, and I've not heard much from him since.

[apat]

Hello!

I know its an old thread but any news on Harry Harris Spitfire, available as a kit or plan?

Lovely little microlight!