It’s Only a Model at No Man’s Blog

David Glen of Whaddon, Cambridge (England) has built a superb 1/5 scale model of the Supermarine Spitfire MK 1. Not only did he build this spectacular thing, he built it from scratch! Here’s a picture of a real world Spitfire:

Spitfire

And here’s the first picture of Mr. Glen’s 1/5 scale model:

The Model

In Glen’s own words:

If anyone asked me why I set to build a Spitfire in one-fifth scale, and detailed to the last rivet and fastener, I would probably be hard-pushed for a practical or even sensible answer. Perhaps the closest I can get is that since a small child I have been awe inspired by R. J. Mitchell’s elliptical winged masterpiece, and that to build a small replica is the closest I will ever aspire to possession.
[…]
The job took me well over eleven years, during which there were times I very nearly came to giving the project up for lost. The sheer amount of work involved, countless hours, proved almost too much, were it not for a serendipitous encounter at my flying club in Cambridge with Dr Michael Fopp, Director General of the Royal Air Force Museum in England.
[…]
Seeing the near complete fuselage, he urged me to go on and finish the model, promising that he would put it on display. I was flabbergasted, for when I started I had no inkling that my work would end up in a position of honour in one of the world’s premier aviation museums. (Emphasis added by Effluent.)

Here’s a fantastic rudder and elevator detail:

Rudder and Elevator Detail

Just look at the rivets! Says Mr. Glen:

The model is skinned with litho plate over a balsa core and has been left in bare metal at the suggestion of Michael Fopp, so that the structure is seen to best advantage. The rivets are real and many are pushed into drilled holes in the skin and underlying balsa, but many more are actual mechanical fixings. I have no accurate count, but I suspect that there are at least 19,000!

And here are three cockpit details. Unbelievable!

Cockpit Detail 1