David Price, 58, has constructed a model of a Supermarine Mark IX Spitfire. All the work was performed inside a tent in his backyard. The Carlisle, Cumbria (U.K.) resident used original wheels, a surplus canopy and some instruments from real Spitfires, but the rest came from household materials. For example, the control column is made of wood and a milk bottle cap serves as the cap for the radiator coolant.
A military historian, Price knew just what he wanted, and built his Spitfire to match the Mk IX flown by Royal Air Force Squadron Leader James Hayter, DFC.
The construction log included about 3,000 hours of sweat equity and cost about $11,020, according to the Daily Mail newspaper. Price would like to sell his masterpiece for $34,500, hoping the buyer would let the replica Spitfire stay in the nearby Solway Aviation Museum in Carlisle.
