Warbird From Scratch: A Homebuilt Spitfire 

@Trans Am Bet it is !! I know One RR-Merlin that has its home here in DK and last I heard it wouldn't go anywhere under $100K - on top of that you need certify it (air-worthy), that's not cheap either.

That’s the logo applied to the hoods of Pontiac Firebirds.

Your name sir....very synonymous with the RAF..

I think he said "fit it".

Britain and the US were both only using the Imperial unit of measure in WW2 so the same size bolts, nuts and wrenches. Unless Allison had their own unique system.

I had to laugh my guts out when Bob was flying his wooden "spitfire" at an air show a spectator remarked how wonderful the "merlin" engine sounded !!! Yeah he had no clue and could not tell the difference between a Allison and a merlin !!! Funny as hell !!! !

And Bob "Liked it" so much he has sold it !!!!!

B I N G O !

This is my brother and he is over the top fabulous.

JetMechMA Thanks for the comment. Thing that I love too about my brother was he always couldn't believe he got paid to do what he loved

Amazing!! 👏🏻🌟🇬🇧

soaringtractor This is not a Spitfire just a copy using parts of other planes I hope he is insured

He enjoys what he has built. Good on him!

And he made a Spitfire mirror out of a soup ladle! Isn't that epic?

MarsFKA it is something good 2 know, he never let his budget get in the way of his project, so he did it all the best and most affordable way. Never knew a kitchen ladle and a stick on blind spot mirror wood make so much good 4 a rear view mirror on a Spitfire, it's just amazing.

Seek medical attention before it's too late !

Littlewillythesnoringtractor You can't keep that mouth thing of yours quiet for even a moment, can you? You suck the life out of everything you touch and every thread that you infest with your hatred of anything British. Here's a "limey" (your word) who did just what your fellow American did. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XYD4IEd3zP0.html Now, say something to try to diminish *his* achievement, you miserable creep.

But it only looks like a Spitfire, under the skin it is just an aircraft.

Anyone trying to say a bad word about this guy deserves a fist to the face

Early Mustangs used the Allison and were used as dive bombers and ground attack. I believe they were designated as A-36.

soaringtractor The P39 ,P 40's never fought in combat against aircraft they were superior to. Reason the altitude limits imposed on the aircraft by the Allison motor

Play time over children!!!!

@soaringtractor lol the latest spitfire out performed the latest P51 and even the the hawker typhoon outran both in spades having an extra 12 cylinders and a more stable gun platform

Some would say it's 'more Spit' than a Griffon engine in some ways, with how the prop rotated the other way and was more torquey.

That's the one thing that broke my heart as well. A spitfire isn't a Spitfire without the Merlin engine. Nevertheless, awesome job.

A Spitfire with wooden wings!!!!!!

and it worked just fine !!! Had all the power Bob needed as he was NOT worried about flying at high altitude and the Allisons were known as a reliable engine, actually one liter larger in displacement and 300# lighter !!!!

A replica Spitfire is unlikely to ever go above 15000 feet so why not use the Allison V-1710? The original P51 Mustang was bought by the British for ground attack roles for which the original engine was ideal. It was soon realised that a high altitude engine would release hidden talents in the airframe and fortunately the Merlin was close to a straight swap. Rolls Royce took just 6 weeks to fit a Merlin 61 into a Mustang so its pretty obvious the engines are very similar.

P51 Mustangs ALL used the PACKARD merlin !!!!

apparently NOT !!

@@davidelliott5843 From the start the Mustang with the Allison engine out performed the shitfire Mk V, current production, which also was but a SINGLE stage supercharger !! THE only place even the 60 series out performed the Allison was ABOVE 20,000 ft !!! Remember the Mk II Allison Mustang topped 400 MPH at 20,000 ft !!! This Allison shitfire performs just as well as the merlin, or better down low where all these demo flights occur !! So WHY NOT !!! The Allison was a simpliar engine had 1/2 the parts of a merlin, made more HP down low, was 300# lighter and was less labor intensive to maintain !!! And it was 60 Cu In (one liter) larger in displacement and had a more modern roller rocker assembly on the valve train along with stronger con rods and a Bendix pressure carb while the merlin still used the SU carb with miss tillys orfice to make it run in a pitch over !!! Allison was a great engine. and post war they went head to head in the hydros and were pretty much the match of the merlin !!! Stan Sayer with his Slo Mo IV set a world speed limit at 178+ MPH using the Allison engine !!!

ALL MERLIN engined Mustangs used the Packard merlin !!! The first 620 Mk I & II and 500 A36's and ALL P51A's used the Allison and all through the war !!!! DUUUUHH!!!!!!

MyJizz UrEye yes especially in MkV MkIX and MkXIX particularly the photo reconnaissance variants

@@Mark13091961 to me all the bubble canopy versions look the best But the mk24 has the best fin shape

Smug Megumin yes and when you look at the differences across the 24 types they are really quite considerable but all aesthetically pleasing

@deebsoner Oh, so you have met my my beautiful Wife of 48 years.

soaringtractor. yawn

Hey 'soaring tractor'…why have ya got to be so dang mean? It was my personal pleasure to serve the our country, alongside the brits in the RAF in Europe, circa Cold War '80s…they are arguably perhaps the most professional and capable 'aviators' of the 'Free World'. I NEVER met one that did not think the same or more about we; "yanks"…and NEVER met one that could not take a 'tasteful' joke, or take and/or deliver a firm punch. We were just lucky that our 'island Nation' is so huge and was isolated from the Germans and Japanese…imagine little to no hours sleep per day fighting in the air all day long, sortie after sortie…pulling hard Gs', sweating like a prize fighter on the ground during english-summer and freezing your balls off 'at-bomber stream altitudes, with bullets and cannon shells flying EVERYWHERE…all the while hoping and praying that YOU and your mates can stop 'em and turn 'em back before they drop bombs on your mom, dad, wife & kids….ie., 'The Battle of Britain'. Not throwing more gas on the fire here…just encouraging you to be more tactful with our allies…don't forget they help us lick the 'Imperial Japanese Army/Navy…that was a tougher nut to crack than the Nazi's! I say again…the 'Limeys' helped US with all that…thousands and thousands of British KIA, MIA, POW, as well as ours. Talley-Ho mate! shocktrooper '84

you sound a little off your rocker dustis. i bet if you asked western front german forces who was winning they wouldnt say russia... to declare that russia did it all... is about as bad as saying the US did it all or the british did it all. take this as an insult but i bet your a flat earther too.

soaringtractor every village has one and youre him!

soaringtractor but most of the people telling you to fuck off are american! Most americans and british have an education we dont judge a nation of people by a few youtube comments. Every comment ive ever read of yours is followed by dozens of people explaining why youre wrong then you just start with the childish insults!

Shevill Mathers I recently watched a Video of Bob DeFords Replica spitfire with the Allison and one dumb ass remarked on the howl of that merlin engine !!!!!! He and others cannot tell the difference !!! funny as hell !!!

You nailed it! I would like to meet Bob. This is cool. Wonder whats the latest news on Bob and his spitfire.

You have a remarkably talented brother Lyn :)

what Spitfire was he trying to copy mk1, mk5, mk9 or mk15 ? looks like a Chinese off brand copy, not bad, shame he didn't have some pictures of Spitfires to look at when building it. good effort though.

@@gailraby1722 Firstly, if you actually watch the video and actually listen to what he says, you would know it is a MK IX. Secondly, for a scratch build, 1:1 scale, without any original parts or the correct engine/prop (which means the entire cooling system will be different as well as the mounting and cowlings for the different engine) it is exceptional and remarkably true to the MK IX design.

+Steve Wayne I watched the video, just wasn't sure what he was going for.. the twin rads are correct for a 9 but the tail is nothing like it as is the windscreen. like I said, good effort though, it's not terrible.

+Steve Wayne and that gun sight haha

f82man 👌🏽 ‘loved your comment ‘ amazing what u can do when there are no experts around to tell you ‘ you can’t do it !

nobody said he couldn't my dude

hes got to be lying. he shot down at least one german aircraft with this thing, so his hispanos r not cheap

Don't fly a Skyhawk near the Royal Navy... ( ;

P40E is an amazing looking plane

I like all of the P40's, but I like the earlier ones with the smaller inlet, or scoop, on the front.

Hell I’ll probably build a Yak 3

Yeah, P40B the slightly more streamlined nose and in desert colours. Beautiful.

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