Photograph:
Jurca MJ-10 Spitfire carrying out initial engine runs at Tauranga, New Z ealand on 22 April 2016 (NZCIVAIR)
Country of origin:
France
Description:
Single-seat fighter replica
Power Plant:
One 194 kw (260 hp) Subaru EA-81 four-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 8.4 m (27 ft 7 in)
- Length: 7.13 m (23 ft 5 in)
- Wing area: 12.6 m² (136 sq ft)
- Never exceed speed: 531 km/h (330 mph)
- Max speed: 362 km/h (225 mph)
- Cruising speed: 290 km/h (180 mph)
- Stalling speed: 97 km/h (60 mph)
- Rate of climb: 762 m/min (2,500 ft/min)
- Service ceiling: 4,572 m (15,000 ft)
- Take-off roll: 305 m (1,000 ft)
- Landing roll: 457 m (1,500 ft)
- Fuel capacity: 464 litres (102 Imp gals)
- Range: 805 km (500 miles)
- Empty weight: 658 kg (1,450 lb)
- Payload weight: 431 kg (950 lb)
- Loaded weight: 1,297 kg (2,860 lb)
History:
The Jurca MJ-10 Spitfire was a 75 per cent scale replica of the Supermarine Spitfire designed by the late Marcel Jurca in France and was made available in plan form for construction by amateur builders. The machine was of wooden construction throughout and the builder could build it with a single seat or two seats. It represented a Mk IX Spitfire but it could be modified to represent the Mk Vc or the Mk XIV.
Jurca also provided plans to construct the MJ-100, which was a 100 per cent scale replica of the Spitfire IX, this variant of the aircraft constructed to date overseas usually being fitted with an Allison V-12 engine but, if required, could be fitted with a Rolls Royce Merlin. The MJ-100 could be built from wood but also from steel tube.
The MJ-10 could be fitted with a variety of engines, most of those installed providing power in the order of 149 kw to 298 kw (200 hp to 400 hp). A small number have been built around the world, engines installed including the Ranger and Potez six-cylinder units, and the Jaguar V-12. In later times examples have been fitted with conversions of the Subaru EA-81 unit but conversions of motor vehicle engines such as V-6 and V-8 engines have also been installed.
Plans for the aircraft have been provided to amateur builders by Falconar in Canada, and later by Jurca Plans West of Flint, Minnesota, USA.
An MJ-10 was completed in Switzerland as HB-YIZ but the aircraft was destroyed at an aviation event at Roschenz on 20 August 2005.
First example of the MJ-10 built in this area was the aircraft built by Wayne Cutforth in New Zealand, this aircraft commencing engine runs at Tauranga in late April 2016.