Supermarine Aircraft
Encyclopedia
Supermarine Aircraft is a specialist aircraft kit manufacturer based in Brisbane
Australia
. Founded by Mike O¹Sullivan and his business partner John McCarron the company manufactures the Supermarine Spitfire Mk 26
which is supplied in kit form and is the only all aluminium reproduction Supermarine Spitfire
in production. The company slogan is The Legend Lives On.
, had always wanted a Spitfire and originally built one for his own use in 1991 which generated a lot of interest. After flying the 75-hp, Rotax-powered prototype in 1994, he was joined by business partner McCarron to produce 'home assembly' aircraft kits.
After experimenting with Rotax engined prototypes, they progressed to a Jabiru engine and worked up from the 80-hp Jabiru 2200
to a 100-hp version and the current 200-hp model. After seven years of development the company was able to secure approval for the type in the UK. The company now have Supermarine aircraft approved and flying in many countries and have sold over 92 Spitfires.
The aircraft was reviewed by the Australian Ultralight Federation in 2001. It was approved as meeting Australian rules for kit-built aircraft. Supermarine began promoting the kit plane to the US market in 2004.
The aim was to produce an 'all-Australian' aircraft but the constant-speed, four-blade propeller is actually produced by a specialist firm in New Zealand
.
which is supplied in kit form and is 80% the size of the original and the Supermarine Spitfire Mk 26B which is 90% scale.
The Spitfire kit is produced in aviation grade aluminium using the latest precision engineering computer controlled CNC router cutter to ensure accuracy and has the same power-to-weight ratio as the original. A single-seater was produced called the Mk 25. With electric landing gear and flaps, all models are powered by eight-cylinder, 200-hp Jabiru
engines made in Australia.
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Founded by Mike O¹Sullivan and his business partner John McCarron the company manufactures the Supermarine Spitfire Mk 26
Supermarine Spitfire Mk 26
|-See also:-External links:***...
which is supplied in kit form and is the only all aluminium reproduction Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
in production. The company slogan is The Legend Lives On.
History
Since it was founded in 1995 over five million Australian dollars have been spent on research and development. Pilot and aviation engineer O'Sullivan, who grew up on a cattle station in QueenslandQueensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, had always wanted a Spitfire and originally built one for his own use in 1991 which generated a lot of interest. After flying the 75-hp, Rotax-powered prototype in 1994, he was joined by business partner McCarron to produce 'home assembly' aircraft kits.
After experimenting with Rotax engined prototypes, they progressed to a Jabiru engine and worked up from the 80-hp Jabiru 2200
Jabiru 2200
| -See also:-External links:* *...
to a 100-hp version and the current 200-hp model. After seven years of development the company was able to secure approval for the type in the UK. The company now have Supermarine aircraft approved and flying in many countries and have sold over 92 Spitfires.
The aircraft was reviewed by the Australian Ultralight Federation in 2001. It was approved as meeting Australian rules for kit-built aircraft. Supermarine began promoting the kit plane to the US market in 2004.
The aim was to produce an 'all-Australian' aircraft but the constant-speed, four-blade propeller is actually produced by a specialist firm in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Production models
The result is the Supermarine Spitfire Mk 26Supermarine Spitfire Mk 26
|-See also:-External links:***...
which is supplied in kit form and is 80% the size of the original and the Supermarine Spitfire Mk 26B which is 90% scale.
The Spitfire kit is produced in aviation grade aluminium using the latest precision engineering computer controlled CNC router cutter to ensure accuracy and has the same power-to-weight ratio as the original. A single-seater was produced called the Mk 25. With electric landing gear and flaps, all models are powered by eight-cylinder, 200-hp Jabiru
Jabiru Aircraft
Jabiru Aircraft Pty Ltd is an Australian aircraft manufacturer that produces a range of kit- and ready-built civil light aircraft in Bundaberg, Queensland. The company also designs and manufactures a range of light aircraft engines...
engines made in Australia.