I am very pleased to be able to share some update photos of Build-002. One of the first builds to actually start, the builder/owner has been making steady progress and his cockpit is almost complete. The quality of craftsmanship is superb and he has been meticulous in every detail.

One of the options presented to builders of the HFS Spitfire is cladding over the plywood fuselage cover with a thin 0.5mm aluminium plate. This has the advantage of the strength inherent in glued wooden frame/cover construction, where the cover provides great rigidity, while lending the visual appeal of aluminium plating. The result was envisaged in the following graphic:

While some builders have elected to go directly with a 1mm aluminium sheet on the plywood frame, Build-002 is the first build following the originally recommended method. It has been further enhanced with accurately positioned riveting, achieved very simply with an appropriately sized hollow punch. The result is outstanding!

The builder has also created a minimalist stair to make access easier. It could have come from a Scandinavian design house, it is so impressive!

Some more photos of the build in progress:

..as flown in the HFS Spitfire Mk.IX Simulator..

Biggin Hill is just starting to wake when I lower myself into the welcoming confines of the cockpit. The gentle rain of the evening has given way to scuddy clouds. Having strapped myself in I pull up the hatch and latch it firmly into place. I check that all the switches are in their off position, working carefully left to right in my now familiar routine. Set altitude and check alignment of the magnetic compass.

I move the throttle forward and the electrics come on, lighting up the undercarriage indicator and fuel pressure light. Fuel cock to open position and with 11 pulls of the wobble pump the fuel light goes off. Unlocking the primer pump I give it 4 cycles before locking it back in place. I crack the throttle open, flick the left and right magneto switches up, open the starter and boost coil switch covers before shouting “Prop Clear!”. With the stick pulled back between my knees I push the starter and boost buttons with my right hand, resting my left on the closed mixture cut-off lever.

The giant four bladed prop starts to churn around with a whine, swirling a chilly blast into my face. There’s an explosive blast as one cylinder fires, then another, sending shudders through the airframe. The peace of the morning is shattered by the monstrous roar of the Merlin. I move the mixture cutoff lever to full forward position and bring the throttle back to a steady 1000rpm. The mad vibrations become a steady throb. Checking that the oil pressure gauge comes alive I close the starter button covers and wait for the temperatures to rise.

This mornings’ mission is just to check out this particular aircraft prior to it being sent to a frontline unit. One of those rare days where you can just take it a little more easy and enjoy the beauty of flight.

A gentle gust from the north tugs idly at the windsock as I line up on runway 03. Final checks on the temperatures and trim before I start opening the throttle gently. The diminutive airframe jumps forward, pulled recklessly by those massive swirling blades and 1600hp of raw power. Keeping all of that aligned on the runway demands intense concentration and before I know it we are hoisted into the air. The pressure on my right leg starts pushing me up in the seat before I hastily center the rudder trim. Switching hands deftly I raise the undercarriage and pull the canopy closed. There is instant relief from the blast of wind, providing some room to clear one’s thoughts.

A shaft of golden sunlight to the north illuminates the Thames where it curves through London. Behind that hangs a dark murk. I start a climbing turn towards the lighter south-east. It looks set for a beautiful spring day as I pass through the first of many layers of scattered cloud. In the distance the Channel gleams a dappled bright silver and I can just make out the darker French coastline at the edge of visibility. I pull the airscrew control lever back, reducing the engine revolutions from 3000rpm to 2600rpm. Adjusting the throttle to a boost reading of 8psi the craft settles into a steady climb at 180mph.

At 14000ft the second stage supercharger kicks in. I open the oxygen cock and turn on the fuel tank pressurisation. She’s climbing like a homesick angel..

Suddenly a shudder and a loss of rpm. I glance at the gauges and see everything is normal, yet the big motor is faltering, gasping for fuel. We are just over 21000ft. Damn! I forgot to turn on the fuel pump after startup again! I reach under the big elevator trim wheel and flick the switch just in time to have the motor burst into life again! Shabby.. got to keep a clear head..

In our steep climb to 30000ft we have passed over the coast and find ourselves over the Channel. Time to head back. I can not resist however to dive towards Calais, thinking I will just zoom over at high speed before they realise I am there. All looks very quiet from here and it feels like I am the only one out today. I bring the throttle back and dip the nose to a point just north of Calais. The airspeed indicator rushes around before settling at 450mph. The French coastline draws rapidly closer and I start pulling the Spitfire gently out of the dive using elevator trim, curving south over Calais. The port lies quietly with a few small ships in the harbour. I flash over the coastal defences, grateful that I must have caught their AA batteries napping.

A sudden flash of a yellow nose bowl catches my eye. I am not the only one out here! I crane my neck to see a Bf109 taking up a quarter rear aspect. He must have been tracking me, going at least as fast as am now. I roll to the right, pushing the throttle through the gate and start pulling towards him. He tries to stay on my tail but overshoots. As we start circling I can see I am gaining angles on him. We still have plenty of energy and he decides to pull into the vertical. I follow and he starts running out of speed before I do, turning into the cross of my gunsight. I manage a quick burst, the 20mm Hispano’s and .303 Brownings shudder through the airframe, but there is too much deflection and I miss. I flick back and am diving after him, gaining across the turn he has started. Another chance but he disappears under the long nose. I give another short burst, knowing he will be hit if he has not jinked left or right. I roll to see where he has gone. There he is, off to the right, starting another turn. Again I follow him, keeping outside his turn but making up the angles. Once more he goes vertical before I can get him into my sights, and once more I follow him. This time he misjudges his return and almost stalls as he flicks on his back. Another burst as he passes through my sights and I can see flashes as the cannon rips through his fuselage. I zoom past and roll onto my back before heading back down. I can see he was not been able to pull out of his dive and smoke pours from the hole where he disappeared in the rolling green countryside. Keeping the throttle wide open I head low over the waves back to the English coast. I keep jinking left and right while craning my neck to make sure no one else is following me. Once I am sure no one is I bring the boost pressure back to 4psi and bring down the RPM to 2600. The temperatures are high but not yet critical.

Passing over Dover I head towards Folkestone and start gaining some altitude. The circuit at Hawkinge is empty and I bring the speed right down, entering a lazy turn left downwind. Canopy open and the wind lashes at my face again. Gear down. They lock in place with a thump. Flaps down and the nose dips markedly until I compensate with elevator trim. We curve in to the grass runway at 120mph, decreasing to 100 over the hedge. Keep her steady and don’t close the throttle yet.. We float 2 feet over the grass and I take care not to give too much elevator and risk a balloon. As the speed drops I keep the same height by gently and gradually continuing to raise the nose until we settle down onto the grass at stall speed in a perfect three point landing..Satisfaction! But we’re not there yet! Keep flying until she stops! She slows down gradually over the bumpy field and I keep on the rudders to keep her nose straight, only adding a few dabs of brake at the very end when all rudder authority has been lost. We turn off to the dispersal before I come to a halt before shutting her down. What a beautiful morning!

Taking off the VR headset I am returned to the atmospheric surroundings of The Hangar. Amazing, how immersive it is to fly in a real cockpit with force feedback, wind, vibration and virtual reality..!

A core part of this experience is flying in the incredible DCS World using the WWII Assets and Channel Map. You are cast into an utterly convincing world at war 80 years ago. The fidelity of the Spitfire simulation is absolutely stunning. Developed by the team of Nick Grey of The Fighter Collection and Flying Legends Airshow fame, it speaks volumes to the inputs received from his corps of real world Spitfire pilots. No other simulation of the Spitfire has reached this level of accuracy, period..

This has been the deeply satisfying culmination of my effort over the last five years. I am now looking forward to being able to share this experience with anyone wishing to visit us here at The Hangar in Ireland!

The screen captures from DCS World here are off their website.

Background – Heritage Flight Simulation

Flying has traditionally been the domain of the fairly wealthy and hardcore enthusiasts. Flying of old warbirds is the domain of the very wealthy and governments. The pilots that get to fly these machines are a select few.

The mission of Heritage Flight Simulation is captured on our web pages’ byline “Making historical flight accessable”

We have done this by designing an exact replica of the Spitfire Mk.IX cockpit in materials that allow the average home builder to achieve their dream of owning and flying in their very own Spitfire cockpit. Developments in Virtual Reality technology have made this experience incredibly real but for a fraction of the cost of owning and operating your own real warbird. As an added bonus …. you can always walk away from a bad landing or misjudged manoeuvre!

The Hangar Flight Experience

We have created The Hangar as a physical facility here in Ireland not only as an extension to our offering of “Making historical flight accessable” but also to make available the experience of flight to a much wider audience. We recognise that not everyone wishes to build their own Spitfire Cockpit but would still like to experience what it would be like to sit in and fly. Our Spitfire Mk.IX cockpit simulator now affords this possibility to anyone who wishes to visit us in Blackwater, Co. Wexford, Ireland.

In addition, we have expanded the offering to include a general aviation and a helicopter VR simulator.

As such we offer three installed simulators with different pricing options:

• The HFS Spitfire Mk.IX – for a basic flight experience, dogfighting, landing, take-off or systems training
• a basic Helicopter Simulator with cyclic, collective and torque pedals based on the Robinson R44/22 layout. This provides an opportunity to better understand the complexity of these machines and the skills required to fly them. Also ideal for hover training.
• a basic General Flight Simulator where the type of aircraft can be selected from ultralight, basic trainer, complex twin or airliner. You can choose in what weather, where in the world and at what time.

So who would our offering appeal to? Except for Spitfire and warbird aficionados that is?

• Weather in Ireland can be challenging for general aviation pilots to get their “fix”. Come fly our simulators and feel infinitely better 🙂
• Anyone who wishes to experience what it is like to fly an aircraft
• Anyone who wishes to build knowledge and skills around flight

Specifics

While we are still finalising the details with a targeted opening towards the end of March 2022 I can share that there will be essentially three different packages associated with our three simulators; 

1. General Aviation VR experience flying anywhere in the world (choose whether you would like to fly a microlight, single engine trainer, light twin or airliner), the cost of which will be €20 for 20 minutes. This will be very suitable for beginners through to experienced pilots while providing a stunning aviation experience. You would need to reach the controls so not for small children.
2. Helicopter VR experience. Flying a helicopter is complex and this provides a safe environment in which to build up your understanding and skills. Perfect for hover training, aspiring helicopter pilots and just those curious to find out more about them. €30 for 20 minutes. Suitable for ages 14 and up.
3. Spitfire Mk.IX VR Flight Experience. This is the ultimate experience for those wanting to feel what it was like to sit in the cockpit of a Spitfire and to fly it. The cockpit is painstakingly recreated from original drawings, incorporating all 78 controls, switches and levers found on the original. All of them work and have a function in the simulated world. 
   1. For those just wanting a taste of it we offer a 20 minute session for €40. You will start in the air and be given 5 minutes to get used to the handling and can then sightsee or move on to dogfighting. (A session in the GA simulator using a single engine trainer is recommended before tackling the Spitfire.)
   2. A little more advanced offering where you will receive basic instruction on the essential controls first. You will then have the experience as in 1) above but after 20 minutes or when you are ready for it move to take-off and landing the Spitfire. (Here some previous simulator or real flight experience is recommended to truly enjoy the experience. At a minimum training for take-off and landing in our GA simulator single engine trainer is required.) Total flying time 40 minutes but overall allow an hour to get settled in, briefed and debriefed. Cost €80
   3. A full hour flying with briefing on all the controls and systems and start-up, take-off, flight, dogfighting, landing and shutdown of the Spitfire. Requirements as per the above. Allow just under an hour and a half. Cost €120. Booking should be 2 weeks in advance to allow us to send you the official Pilot Operating Handbook for self study prior to the in-cockpit training.

Our recommendation for number 3 above is to do each session seperately (so three sessions of €40 each) to be able to absorb all the new information and experiences before going to the next level. This will enhance your enjoyment and greatly enrich the experience. 

3. We will likely set up a (just for fun, its not officially recognised) certificate course which will consist of two GA sessions and three Spitfire sessions to earn your Heritage Flight Simulation Spitfire Wings. You can do the sessions individually over time with an ultimate cost of €160.

Requirements

• Generally the experience is not suitable for small children under the age of 10.
• Requirements for the Spitfire: Ages 14 and up, must be big enough to reach the controls, less than 100kg, less than 6’2” and fit and dextrous enough to be able to get into the confined cockpit space and haul yourself out again without any assistance.
• We will require the signing of an indemnity for anyone using the facilities. VR may not accord with everyone and can lead to motion sickness in some individuals.
• Covid health protocols will be strictly adhered to protect our staff and clients. This includes the wearing of a mask and proof of full vaccination.
• Bookings must be made on-line on our TheHangar website (still under construction). We will try to accommodate making bookings over the counter at The Hangar but only if it’s a quiet period and time allows.
• Payment by card only when booking online or over the counter, no cash accepted.

We would like to wish everyone a joyous and safe festive season and thank you for your support over the year.

What a year it has been! Having just moved our operations to Ireland we managed to find, procure and prepare reasonably priced kits to smooth the way for our builders: https://heritageflightsim.com/kits/

With the use of our kits it was possible for AFormX to complete their stunning Spitfire for the Pivka Museum in just over 3 months! https://heritageflightsim.com/2021/04/21/third-hfs-cockpit-complete-and-what-a-beauty/

It has been a tremendously popular attraction providing 300 to 400 Spitfire experiences per month to visitors over the last 8 months. It is a testament to both the workmanship of AFormX and the fundamentally sound HFS design that it did so with minimal problems.

The year also saw the number of Build License holders rise to 48. They are based as follows:

• Europe (24)
  • UK – 12
  • Ireland – 1
  • Netherlands – 3
  • Belgium – 1
  • France – 1
  • Czechia – 1
  • Slovenia – 1
  • Norway – 4
• Middle East (2)
  • United Arab Emirates – 2
• Africa (1)
  • South Africa – 1
• Australasia (15)
  • Australia – 9
  • New Zealand – 6
• Americas (6)
  • Canada – 2
  • USA – 4

Our builders have graciously shared pictures of their progress and I cannot help being amazed by the fantastic craftsmanship inevitably displayed. These latest photos from one of our builders in Australia:

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During this time we have settled in to our new headquarters in Blackwater, Ireland. We look forward to being ready for opening the flight experience facility in early Spring.

We look forward with great excitement to 2022. Until my next post, stay safe!