[MoMo]

Hi Guys,

How many of you have a spare £130,000, a tube of glue and a few thousand hours to spare? Yes! The dream could come true. A do-it-yourself model which you can fly. I want one.....no, I want two. Then I can have dogfights with Skunky! ( I wonder if they'll bring out an Me 109 too? )

Read all about it from today's story in the Daily Mail ( which, by the way, is giving free DVD episodes of " The World at War " every day for 14 days as a promotion. This 1973 series, narrated by Laurence Olivier, is THE DEFINATIVE TV doc. series on WW2 )

The flatpack fighter: Build a Spitfire for a mere £130,000

by NICK McDERMOTT -

The distinctive silhouette against the clouds and the spinetingling roar of its engine caused thousands of young boys to look skywards.


Many dreamed of one day flying a Spitfire, the aircraft credited with helping to win the Battle of Britain.
Now, more than 60 years after its starring role in World War II, anyone with £130,000 in loose change and a double-garage can have their very own version of the iconic fighter plane.
Already 22 of the almost life-size aluminium kits have been snapped up by flying enthusiasts eager to experience the thrill of piloting the world's most famous fighter plane.
Echoes of the past: The new spitfire flies past the white cliffs of Dover



The 90 per cent scale Supermarine Aircraft Mk 26 Spitfire kits cost £100,000 and need up to 1,200 hours and a further £30,000 to complete.
Powered by a GM V6 engine, the sleek aircraft can fly at speeds of up to 222mph and reach altitudes of 18,000ft.
With 700 hours of construction work already completed, the Australianbuilt kit is shipped to customers with all major components already formed. They must then spend a further two years fitting together the hundreds of parts.
Businessman and Spitfire fan Kieran Padden, who imports the model Spitfire, says demand for the ultimate boy's toy is on the rise, with four more orders on the books.
Hard graft: Keiran Padden, who imports the model Spitfire



Mr Padden, 62, said: "The aircraft is superb. Everyone who flies it says: "I have got to have one of these.
"It is so easy to fly. Even old Spitfire pilots I have spoken to say it flies just like the original. It's lighter but has the same performance, so it's much more agile.
"These kits appeal to individuals or groups who love the Spitfire and everything it stood for. It is the nearest anyone will get to the original for a tenth of the cost.
"The manufacturers have even recreated the sound. Every time I hear it, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up."
Produced by British firm Vickers-Armstrong, the original Supermarine Spitfires were used by the RAF and Allied forces in World War II. The streamlined features and thin wing cross-section of the singleseater planes allowed them to fly faster than other contemporary designs, helping Allied pilots to defeat the Luftwaffe.