Martin Phillips, a businessman from Exeter, UK, never set out to rebuild a WW2 Spitfire plane by hand, but it all started when his friends gave him a single rivet from the aircraft. First, he discovered a fuselage of a 1944 Mark IX Spitfire, RR232, and then the great scavenger hunt for parts began. They ranged from a four-bladed propeller and wing skeletons to engine parts, flying instruments, the original seats, as well as wing cannons.
No, he didn’t rebuild this entire plan himself, as he had a small team working with him, along with a $1.3-million USD budget. After 14-years of work, it took to the skies and without any issues. However, all didn’t go as planned, since there were a few parts that just could not be found anywhere, so they had to be machined from scratch based on custom designs.
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Many times I thought the project wouldn’t ever be completed. But we never gave up the ghost. The Spitfire is something that makes Britain a great nation. I am humbled that 18-year-old kids went up in them and died in them,” said Phillips.
