Supermarine Aircraft

Supermarine Aircraft, LLC is an American kit aircraft manufacturer based in Cisco, Texas, with its head office in nearby Clyde. Originally founded in Brisbane, Australia by Mike O'Sullivan and his business partner John McCarron, the company manufactures the Supermarine Aircraft Spitfire homebuilt kit aircraft which, although slightly smaller than the original Supermarine Spitfire, is the only all-aluminium replica in production.

This article is about the homebuilt aircraft kit manufacturer. For the British aircraft manufacturer, see Supermarine.

Supermarine Aircraft, LLC
IndustryAerospace
Founded1992
HeadquartersClyde, Texas, United States
Key people
Mike O'Sullivan (CEO and Founder)
John McCarron
ProductsAircraft kits
Number of employees
8 (2012)
Websitewww.supermarineaircraft.com

Personnel

The company CEO is founder Mike O'Sullivan, who is also manager of Cisco Municipal Airport.[1] The Workshop Manager is Chad Faykus and Office Manager Kathy Redford-Walton.[2][3]

In 2012 the company employed eight people.[1]

History
A Spitfire Mk26 built from one of the company's kits

Australian pilot and aviation engineer Mike O'Sullivan, who grew up on a cattle station in Queensland, had always wanted a Spitfire and in 1991 he built a replica for his own use. This was followed by an all-metal production prototype in 1994.[4][5][6][7]

In 1995 O'Sullivan joined with business partner John McCarron to form the Supermarine Aircraft company in Brisbane, Australia, with the idea of producing all-Australian homebuild aircraft kits. In the event, the constant-speed, four-blade propeller would be obtained from a specialist firm in New Zealand.[8]

The company has no direct connection with the original British Supermarine company which built the original Spitfire fighter, however it has been granted permission to use the name. Journalist Charles Laurence of The Telegraph explains: "So how did the hallowed name of Supermarine, the old Southampton-based aviation company (half of all Spitfires were built in West Bromwich after the Southampton factories were flattened by the Luftwaffe), end up on a tin hangar in Texas? O'Sullivan did not buy the name Supermarine: he was granted it by the descendants of the owners of the old West Midlands aircraft works, out of business since the early 1950s, in a kind of blessing."[1]

Around 2010 the company moved to Cisco Airport, Texas in the US and is now an American limited liability company.[1][9]

Aircraft are now approved and flying in many countries and over 92 have been sold.[10]

Aircraft
Main article: Supermarine Aircraft Spitfire

The Supermarine Aircraft Spitfire is the only all-aluminium replica Spitfire in production. Three models have been produced, all sub-scale:

  • Spitfire MK25, a 75% scale single-seater.
  • Spitfire Mk26, with MK25 wings mated to an 80% scale fuselage to make room for a passenger.
  • Spitfire Mk26B, with the fuselage increased to 90% scale.

References
  1. Laurence, Charles. "A new generation of Spitfires takes to the air". The Telegraph. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  2. "CEO". Supermarine Aircraft. 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  3. "Crew". Supermarine Aircraft. 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  4. Pilotfriend.com - Supermarine Spitfire Mk 26 Retrieved: 18 August 2009]
  5. "Supermarine Aircraft". Supermarine Aircraft. Archived from the original on 5 August 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2009.
  6. Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 121. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
  7. Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16, page 128. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. ISSN 1368-485X
  8. "Supermarine Spitfire Mk 26". Retrieved 17 August 2009.
  9. "Contact". Supermarine Aircraft. 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  10. "Reports & Articles". National Historical Machinery Association (Australia). Retrieved 17 August 2009.
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