Full-sized Spitfire replica finds home

Kyt · Feb 24, 2008

Replica of flying legend finds a home with RAF squadron - Northallerton Today

A FULL-SIZED replica Spitfire built by members of the Ripon branch of the Royal British Legion has found a new home at RAF Leeming.
The plane – named Irene – has been given secure storage outside its summer touring season in a hangar at the air base.

Building a replica of the famous Second World War fighter was the brainchild of Howard Whiting when he took over as chairman of the Ripon branch of the Legion two years ago.

He said: "I really wanted to do something that we could use to bring who we are to the public attention, and I wanted something that had never been done before. The Spitfire was something iconic that all ages could relate to."

The original idea was to build a Spitfire which was one third the size of the original, but the project soon grew and grew. "We did six months research and wanted to do everything locally in terms of production," said Mr Whiting.

Using original blueprints, every single part of the aircraft was shaped by six members of the local group, who spent more than 11 months working on the project. The only exception was the canopy, which had to be manufactured by a company in Norfolk.

The Spitfire is made out of the same materials as the original model and even weighs the same – with tractor weights standing in for the engine.

Irene was finally completed in July last year, and has already been displayed at
air shows and other events up and down the country, with visitors queuing to have their photo taken in her cockpit.

Main attraction

Mr Whiting said: "There is still some work to be done because the cockpit is not complete. We have been struggling to keep up with her success – at the show in Hull she was the main attraction. It's great that we can keep her here at Leeming. It is somewhere local and it makes working on her a lot easier."

Funds raised from Irene's appearances are being used to support the work of the Royal British Legion locally, including the Lister House home in Ripon.

Wg Cdr Darren Legg, Officer Commanding 100 Sqn, is happy that his squadron has been able to give Irene a home. "The branch has raised thousands of pounds for charity with the Spitfire, so the least we can do is offer them some parking space and a hand to raise money if we can."
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Kyt · May 6, 2008

Roadside Assistance For Replica Spitfire (from The Northern Echo)

A STRANDED replica Second World War fighter built by volunteers will tour air shows in the UK after a businessman stepped in to help make it mobile.

Volunteers from the Royal British Legion's (RBL) branch in Ripon, North Yorkshire, spent 7,000 hours and more than 11 months building the full-size replica Spitfire.

It is the only one of its kind in the UK and was built as close to the original drawings for the fighter as possible.

The aircraft is more than nine metres long, but does not have an engine, so volunteers were left with the problem of how to transport it.

Then Ripon-based Bill Plant Limited, a driver training company, contacted the group and arranged to move the plane with the loan of two vehicles and an exhibition unit.

Howard Whiting, chairman of the RBL's Ripon branch, said: "Interest in the aircraft is immense.

"But it's not an easy thing to take around. In fact, travel arrangements to air shows and events was a nightmare until Bill Plant Limited stepped in."

The Spitfire was stored and maintained at RAF Leeming, near Bedale, while it was being built.

Funds raised by the plane's appearances at events will go towards helping to support RBL members and their families.

It is also hoped that the Spitfire project will educate people about the sacrifices made by the Armed Forces.

Bill Plant, managing director of Bill Plant Limited, said: "We are very proud to have the opportunity to be able to help in this way to support the Royal British Legion.

"We are proud to support its work with servicemen past and present - in particular those involved in recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq."

The replica Spitfire will be at Ripon market place on Saturday, May 17, before heading off on a nationwide tour.

Among the shows it will visit are The Great Yorkshire Show, at Harrogate, and the Sunderland International Air Show, both in July.

The plane is built from aluminium and instead of an engine has counter balance weights fitted to keep it level.

Visitors can sit in the plane's cockpit and feel what it was like to be a Second World War fighter pilot.

Its wingspan is 11.2 metres, but the wings can be detached for transportation.
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Antipodean Andy · May 7, 2008

Sounds like a work of art. I wonder what mark she was built to?

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Full-sized Spitfire replica finds home

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