Did you know new Spitfires might be in the skies in a few years?
1968 photo of a two-seater Spitfire of the Irish Air Corps preparing to head off for the shooting of the film “The Battle of Britain” (Photo: Peter Sargent)The Supermarine Spitfire (Supermarine Spitfire) is one of the most famous and iconic World War II warplanes, and has served the Royal Air Force well in the Battle of Britain and other theaters of the war. Its rich history, acrobatic performance and sleek appearance make it one of the most popular planes of the conflict. Some 240 are still in existence today, about 70 of which are in flying condition. Thanks to a small British company, however, new Spitfires might appear in the skies in a few years.There have been several initiatives to build new Spitfires, including an Australian-founded, later U.S.-based company that built around 100 replicas which were 75 to 90% the size of the original. This year, the 90th anniversary of the Spitfire's inaugural flight, saw another company throw its hat in the ring with promises of new Spitfires.A two-seater Spitfire, which is what the Type 433 is based on, in Irish service after World War II (Photo: Jim Masterson)Great British Supermarine Ltd (no relationship to the original Supermarine company, which is now part of major British defense contractor BAE Systems) revealed a non-flying concept model of their Aerolite Spitfire Type 433 this August, and are going to be touring British air shows and vehicle events to raise investor and buyer interest. The full-sized model is based on the two-seater version of the original Spitfire, of which only about a dozen exist. The two-seater was originally a field conversion for training purposes, then later a post-war modification.A two-seater Spitfire similar to what the Type 433 will look like (Photo: Thespacechaser / Wikipedia)The Type 433 will look like the real deal but comes with modern upgrades, the greatest being the use of composite materials for the fuselage. (Composite materials are produced from two or more constituent materials whose differing chemical and physical properties are combined into something that brings out the best qualities of its parts. The earliest known composite material is plywood, which was already used in Bronze Age Mesopotamia.) The use of composites is a great expense saver without compromising on quality: an original Spitfire costs about 4 million dollars today, but the Type 433 is planned to sell for a quarter of that. An additional advantage of composite construction is that it's weather resistant, so prospective owners won't need to worry about acquiring hangar space. Interestingly, this isn't the first time the Spitfire meets composites. A short-lived project in 1940 already tried to create a composite-based version to reduce the demand for aluminum.Other upgrades include modern power systems and intelligent avionics. The designers hope that the two-seater design will stimulate interest from groups of aviation enthusiasts who might pool their money to buy one, and from businesses operating pleasure flights. They expect to have a flying version ready for production in about two and a half years if there's sufficient interest.
Join us on our Britain at War Tour to learn more about the history of this iconic airplane and see original Spitfires on display!
