Supermarine Aircraft

This article is about the homebuilt aircraft kit manufacturer. For the British aircraft manufacturer, see Supermarine.
Supermarine Aircraft
Industry Aerospace
Headquarters Cisco, Texas, United States
Key people
 Mike O¹Sullivan (CEO and Founder) John McCarron
Products Aircraft kits
Website www.supermarineaircraft.com

Supermarine Aircraft is a specialist aircraft kit manufacturer founded in Brisbane, Australia, and currently based in Cisco, Texas, United States. 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.[1][2]

History

Supermarine Aircraft (no connection to the original Supermarine Spitfire marque) was founded in 1995.[3] Pilot and aviation engineer O'Sullivan, who grew up on a cattle station in Queensland, 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.[4]

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.[4] After seven years of development the company was able to secure approval for the type in the UK.[5] The company now have Supermarine aircraft approved and flying in many countries and have sold over 92 Spitfires.[6]

The aircraft was reviewed by the Australian Ultralight Federation in 2001. It was approved as meeting Australian rules for kit-built aircraft.[7] Supermarine began promoting the kit plane to the US market in 2004.[8]

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.[4]

Production models

The result is the Supermarine Spitfire Mk 26 which is supplied in kit form and is 80% the size of the original and the Supermarine Spitfire Mk 26B which is 90% scale.[1] 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.[6] A single-seater was produced called the Mk 25. With electric landing gear and flaps, early models were powered by an eight-cylinder, 200-hp Jabiru engines made in Australia. More recently the company has introduced a V6 Isuzu engine conversion, producing 260HP or 320HP with supercharger, as well as a V8 auto conversion producing 430HP.[4]

Fatal Accidents/ controversy

In 2010, a MK26 80% scale Spitfire crashed at Gympie airfield, AUS. The pilot, as the only passenger in the aircraft, died as a result of the accident. No official cause has been determined. However, the coroner reported, on December 29, 2014 - - that Michael O’Sullivan, the CEO of Supermarine Pty Ltd, admitted that the aircraft test flight period had only been 20 hours instead of the 37.5 hours declared; that he had “knowingly falsified documents to achieve registration of his aircraft with RA-Aus (Recreational Aviation Australia), rather than the more stringent registration with CASA (Civil Aviation Safety Authority)”; and admitted to “significantly understating the weight of the aircraft (by about 200kg)" (around half of the aircraft’s stated empty weight of 401 kg).

In 2013, A MK26 80% scale Spitfire crashed in Adelaide, AUS. The pilot, as the only passenger in the aircraft, died as a result of the accident. Official findings show pilot error as the main contributor of the accident, however, the ATSB report: http://www.atsb.gov.au/media/4548260/ao-2013-051_final.pdf stated: “The aircraft was prone to aerodynamically stall with little or no aerodynamic precursors and it was not fitted with a stall warning device, increasing the risk of inadvertent stall.”

Move to USA

The company is now based in Cisco, Texas.[9]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Supermarine Aircraft". Supermarine Aircraft. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
  2. ↑ Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 121. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
  3. ↑ Pilotfriend.com - Supermarine Spitfire Mk 26 Retrieved: 18 August 2009]
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Supermarine Spitfire Mk 26". Retrieved 2009-08-17.
  5. ↑ Light Aircraft Association - Approved aircraft list Retrieved: 18 August 2009
  6. 1 2 "Reports & Articles". National Historical Machinery Association (Australia). Retrieved 2009-08-17.
  7. ↑ "AMATEUR BUILT ULTRALIGHT AIRCRAFT - CAO 95.55 PARA 1.5, MAJOR PORTION RULE, ELIGIBLE AIRCRAFT KIT LISTING" (pdf). Australian Ultralight Federation. 2001-07-04. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
  8. ↑ "Spitfire Reborn as Thoroughbred Experimental". Aero-News Network. 2004-04-16. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
  9. ↑ "A new generation of Spitfires takes to the air". The Telegraph. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
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