Brad Pitt buys himself a Spitfire

[Sternjaeger]

http://www.entertainmentwise.com/news/134621/Brad-Pitt-Buys-2-Million-World-War-II-Spitfire-

 

Shall we call him Brad "Spitt" from now on?

 

If you're flying in the airspace over Oxfordshire, you'd better watch out!

Edited December 5, 2013 by Sternjaeger

[Sternjaeger]

Hahaha I wonder how long this love affair will last: a Spitfire is a demanding machine to fly, and albeit relatively docile, it's no Super Cub.. kudos to him though, it's good to see more and more VIPs getting interested in warbirds instead of spending money with tacky stuff (think of the wastage of money done by the Jay-Zs, P Diddies et al..)

Edited December 5, 2013 by Sternjaeger

[=LD=Hethwill]

Pitt is an intelligent fellow. Wonder if he gets interest while flying the bird in producing a new BoB flick

[DD_bongodriver]

I flew him once in the Learjet, fairly nice chap, though I was a bit pissed off because he turned up about 5 hours late, read about his Spitfire purchase yesterday..........Git!!.......Git with a Spit!

[Sternjaeger]

I'm quite curious to see the movie he just shot now. 

 

AFAIK the project for a remake of Battle of Britain is still alive..

[DD_bongodriver]

He was filming world war z at the time I flew him, that was a disappointing film but then I am sick to death of the zombie apocalypse bandwagon everyone is on.

 

I somehow think a BoB film is a fantasy, how long have we been waiting for the Dambusters? unless of course they base it purely on the experiences of the Eagle Squadrons so they don't have to confuse the American audiences with foreigners who aren't Germans or Japanese fighting in WWII... ........maybe Pitt can replace Tom Cruise for the part of the legendary Billy Fiske from the first rumoured Battle of Britain movie.

[5./JG54_Eman]

LOl I bet he have enough money to buy a whole squadron of spits =)

 

That would be awesome if he get in the remake of the Battle of Britain (if it ever happens), then no one could point at him anything because he own a spit!

 

Hope that movie don't end up as the fiasco of the Red Tails if it ever happen...

[Sternjaeger]

He was filming world war z at the time I flew him, that was a disappointing film but then I am sick to death of the zombie apocalypse bandwagon everyone is on.

 

I somehow think a BoB film is a fantasy, how long have we been waiting for the Dambusters? unless of course they base it purely on the experiences of the Eagle Squadrons so they don't have to confuse the American audiences with foreigners who aren't Germans or Japanese fighting in WWII... ........maybe Pitt can replace Tom Cruise for the part of the legendary Billy Fiske from the first rumoured Battle of Britain movie.

 

it's going to be a production backed and lead by Brits, so I doubt they'll go all Hollywood on it..

[=LD=Hethwill]

Pitt does not only hollywoodesque flicks mind you. Active in theatre and co produtions as well.

[kestrel79]

Cool. Maybe he'll come to EAA now or something.

 

If I was totally loaded I'd have a collection of warbirds as well. Must be nice.

[-MG-Cacti4-6]

Cool. Maybe he'll come to EAA now or something.

 

If I was totally loaded I'd have a collection of warbirds as well. Must be nice.

the first one i would buy would be a mustang, followed by a hurricane. 

Edited December 5, 2013 by -MG-Cacti4-6

[DD_bongodriver]

there are 2 Hurricanes undergoing simultaneous restoration here in the UK that are for sale, had a chance to have a peek at them a couple of weeks ago.

[=LD=Hethwill]

A Kitty would be my choice. But then being exposed to "1941" early on that's a valid excuse.

[Bearcat]

Micael Dorn (Worf from Star Trek) has an F-86 .. I think Tom Cruise has a Mustang Cliff Robertson used to own a Spitfire.. I wonder what other celebs are into vintage warbirds.

[Sternjaeger]

Cool. Maybe he'll come to EAA now or something.

 

If I was totally loaded I'd have a collection of warbirds as well. Must be nice.

 

it's a (expensive) liability. You can never tell if people want to be your friend because of the way you are or because of your hangar.. not that I wouldn't recommend it if you had the brass, but as with anything desirable, you attract all sorts of attentions and anoraks.

Micael Dorn (Worf from Star Trek) has an F-86 .. I think Tom Cruise has a Mustang Cliff Robertson used to own a Spitfire.. I wonder what other celebs are into vintage warbirds.

 

AFAIK Spielberg owns a share on a B-25 (his dad flew in them in WW2). Not sure about owners, but I know several unsuspecting actors and musicians are great WW2 aircraft buffs.

Edited December 5, 2013 by Sternjaeger

[HeavyCavalrySgt]

It is interesting seeing the Mercedes in the background of the set pictures - a little ironic.

[kestrel79]

I would own a P-47 and a 109.

[Sternjaeger]

I would own a P-47 and a 109.

 

ditto.

[DD_bongodriver]

I'd love a Wokka Wokka too.

[HeavyCavalrySgt]

I wonder what the annual on a P-47 costs!

[Sternjaeger]

I wonder what the annual on a P-47 costs!

 

less than what you'd expect actually: the TBO of a Twin Wasp is three times the one of the RR Merlin, and if you don't use the supercharger at the back (many don't, since there's no need for high altitude flying), maintenance is even cheaper.

 

We're still talking about a costly beastie to run of course (very thirsty and burns A LOT of oil), but the servicing intervals are much longer.

[DD_fruitbat]

Money unlimited, well then i'd pay to have a DeHavilland Hornet remade......

 

I did say money unlimited after all........

[Sternjaeger]

mmmh that'd be amazing.. was it the same construction technique used on the Mossie? 

[DD_fruitbat]

From wiki (for what its worth),

 

 

Designed under a team lead by R. E. Bishop with C. T. Wilkins assisting^[1] as a private venture for a long-range fighter destined for the Pacific Theatre in the war against Japan, Specification F.12/43 was written around the type. From an early stage it was also envisaged that the Hornet could be adapted for naval use, operating from aircraft carriers. As a result priority was given to ease of control, especially at low speeds, and good pilot visibility. Construction was of mixed balsa/plywood similar to the Mosquito, but the Hornet differed in incorporating stressed Alclad lower-wing skins bonded to the wooden upper wing structure using the then-new adhesive Redux.^[2] The two wing spars were redesigned to withstand a higher load factor of 10 versus 8.^[3]

Apart from the revised structure, the Hornet's wings were a synthesis of aerodynamic knowledge that had been gathered since the Mosquito's design process, being much thinner in cross section, with de Havilland designers adopting a laminar flow profile similar to the P-51 Mustang and Hawker Tempest. The control surfaces consisted of hydraulically operated split flaps extending from the wing root to outboard of the engine nacelles; as in the Mosquito, the rear of the nacelle was part of the flap structure. Outboard, the Alclad-covered ailerons extended close to the clipped wing tips and gave excellent roll control.^[4]

The Hornet used "slimline" Rolls-Royce Merlin engines with engine ancillaries repositioned to minimise frontal area and drag. It was unusual for a British design in having propellers that rotated in opposite directions; the two engine crankshafts rotated the same direction, but the Merlin 131 added an idler gear to reverse its propellor's rotation (to clockwise, viewed from the front).^[3] This cancelled the torque effect of two propellers turning in the same direction that had affected earlier designs (such as the Mosquito). ^{[N 1]} It also reduced adverse yaw caused by aileron trim corrections and generally provided more stable and predictable behaviour in flight. De Havilland tried props that rotated outward at the tops of their arcs (as in the P-38 Lightning),^[6] but this configuration blanketed the fin and reduced rudder effectiveness at low speeds, compromising ground handling; on production Hornets the conventionally rotating Merlin 130 was on the port wing with the Merlin 131 on the starboard.^[7]

 

and a gratuitous pic....

 

 

and flying it,

 

 

 

Flying the Sea Hornet[edit]

de Havilland Sea Hornet F Mk 20s of No 728 Fleet Requirements Unit, Hal Far, Malta.

Captain Eric "Winkle" Brown, former fighter pilot and officer of the Fleet Air Arm, is one of the world's most accomplished test pilots and he still holds the record for flying the greatest number of different aircraft types.

Just after VE Day the first semi-navalised Sea Hornet PX 212 arrived at the RAE, Farnborough. Eric Brown initiated "work-up to deck-landing" trials. 37 years later, he was still impressed:

 

"...the next two months of handling and deck landing assessment trials were to be an absolute joy; from the outset the Sea Hornet was a winner!" "The view from the cockpit, positioned right forward in the nose beneath a one-piece aft-sliding canopy was truly magnificent. The Sea Hornet was easy to taxi, with powerful brakes... the takeoff using 25 lb (2,053 mm Hg, 51" Hg) boost and flaps at one-third extension was remarkable! The 2,070 hp (1,540 kW) Merlin 130/131 engines fitted to the prototypes were to be derated to 18 lb (1,691 Hg, 37" Hg) boost and 2,030 hp (1,510 kW) as Merlin 133/134s in production Sea Hornets, but takeoff performance was to remain fantastic. Climb with 18 lb boost exceeded 4,000 ft/min (20.32 m/sec)"... "In level flight the Sea Hornet's stability about all axes was just satisfactory, characteristic, of course, of a good day interceptor fighter. Its stalling characteristics were innocuous, with a fair amount of elevator buffeting and aileron twitching preceding the actual stall"... "For aerobatics the Sea Hornet was absolute bliss. The excess of power was such that manoeuvres in the vertical plane can only be described as rocket like. Even with one propeller feathered the Hornet could loop with the best single-engine fighter, and its aerodynamic cleanliness was such that I delighted in its demonstration by diving with both engines at full bore and feathering both propellers before pulling up into a loop!"^{[13][N 2]}

 

 

I would literally wet myself if one of these was 'found'.....

Edited December 6, 2013 by fruitbat

[Sternjaeger]

I think you hit the nail on the head with your first post: you'd need unlimited money. To maintain a hybrid structure of alclad and wood, provided you find the engineer who's happy to sign the aircraft off, is gonna be a costly, costly business..

[DD_fruitbat]

We can dream though, right?

[Sternjaeger]

oh yes man! I'd love to see a Stirling flying again! How's that for a dream?! 

[DD_bongodriver]

We can dream though, right?

 

Some try a little harder.

 

http://www.dhhornet50.net/index.php?f=data_home&a=1

[DD_fruitbat]

 

oh yes man! I'd love to see a Stirling flying again! How's that for a dream?!  

 

 

I think that might require even more unlimited money, lol.

 
Some try a little harder.

http://www.dhhornet50.net/index.php?f=data_home&a=1

 

Oh WOW

Edited December 6, 2013 by fruitbat

[MiloMorai]

Micael Dorn (Worf from Star Trek) has an F-86 .. I think Tom Cruise has a Mustang Cliff Robertson used to own a Spitfire.. I wonder what other celebs are into vintage warbirds.

 

Not a celeb.

Micheal Potter, ex CEO of COGNOS, has a whole hanger full of vintage a/c.

http://www.vintagewings.ca/Home/tabid/40/language/en-CA/Default.aspx

 

See them flying all the time.

[HeavyCavalrySgt]

There is a labor of love.

[Sternjaeger]

are they planning to complete an airworthy Hornet?!?!

[HeavyCavalrySgt]

For me, expense and skill being no object, my choice would be interesting in a Corsair or P-38.

[DD_fruitbat]

For me, expense and skill being no object, my choice would be interesting in a Corsair or P-38.

 

Saw both of them fly last year at flying legends, and very nice it was too.

[DD_bongodriver]

are they planning to complete an airworthy Hornet?!?!

 

Hard to say, it may be simply to make a relatively complete static, be nice if somebody got inspired by their efforts and poured some money into making it a flyer. 

[HeavyCavalrySgt]

less than what you'd expect actually: the TBO of a Twin Wasp is three times the one of the RR Merlin, and if you don't use the supercharger at the back (many don't, since there's no need for high altitude flying), maintenance is even cheaper.

 

We're still talking about a costly beastie to run of course (very thirsty and burns A LOT of oil), but the servicing intervals are much longer.

 

My frame of reference is more like a Lycoming O-360 than a Merlin.

[Sternjaeger]

My frame of reference is more like a Lycoming O-360 than a Merlin.

 

oh, all you'll need is 32 more spark plugs and a lot, A LOT more oil 

 

this is related to the Mustang, but gives you an idea of the running costs you're looking at http://www.courtesyaircraft.com/Aircraft%20Profiles/P51_prof.htm

 

Other than the insane MPG ( ), they're relatively cheap to maintain. That of course doesn't include insurance costs..

[HeavyCavalrySgt]

oh, all you'll need is 32 more spark plugs and a lot, A LOT more oil 

 

this is related to the Mustang, but gives you an idea of the running costs you're looking at http://www.courtesyaircraft.com/Aircraft%20Profiles/P51_prof.htm

 

Other than the insane MPG ( ), they're relatively cheap to maintain. That of course doesn't include insurance costs..

 

It is sad to think of the numbers of excellent aircraft that the government sold for scrap or shoved into ditches and burned.

[Flyingpencil]

His gorgeous gal Angelina Jolie practically has an airforce.

I belive:

Cirrus SR 22 (N805MX)

Cessna 208 (N48JA)

Gulfstreem 5(?) Biz Jet (N388CA)

pollibly a helio too.

Edited December 7, 2013 by Flyingpencil

[Sternjaeger]

It is sad to think of the numbers of excellent aircraft that the government sold for scrap or shoved into ditches and burned.

 

yes, the piles of postwar perfectly flyable aircraft that were cut and melted is one of the most painful things I've ever seen