How to Build a Spitfire

A unique homage to the fighter aircraft that won the Battle of Britain, marrying the story of how the author built a replica Spitfire in his garden with the plane’s operational history.

In April 2018 David Price, dedicated aviation museum volunteer and author of The Crew and Mosquito Men, decided to build a Spitfire replica in his back garden. In How to Build a Spitfire he juxtaposes the story of the ups and down of his own ambitious project to recreate an icon of British aviation with a narrative of the development of the Spitfire itself, focusing in particular on the production of the aircraft and its various component parts - including the Merlin engine. The story includes incredible testimonies from workers in the Supermarine factory in Southampton and in other Spitfire production facilities.

Bringing together the sometimes light-hearted tale of a personal quest, enthusiastically pursued, with an authoritative account of the technical workings of a war-winning weapon, and the stories of the men who flew it, How to Build a Spitfire is a distinctive and affectionate homage to an enduring symbol of British engineering genius and national resilience.

David Price’s early interest in aviation was inspired by days exploring deserted RAF airfields in his native Cumbria. He has written for many newspapers and magazines on military aviation and is the author of A Bomber Crew Mystery: The Forgotten Heroes of 388th Bombardment Group, The Crew, the story of an Avro Lancaster crew during the Second World War and Mosquito Men.