Skip to content

Man spends five years building model Spitfire

Chloe Hughes
BBC News, West Midlands
Ray Burden A large model Spitfire plane in a garden. The plane is dark green, white, black and brown with black propellers on its nose. It has an RAF circular logo on the side and camouflage netting underneath it. Standing next to it is Ray, who has white hair and is wearing a blue jumper. His hand is resting on the wing.Ray Burden
The model plane was a project that Ray Burden started in lockdown in 2020

A man from a Warwickshire village spent five years constructing a quarter scale model of a Spitfire fighter plane to honour veterans.

Ray Burden built the plane out of plywood, using aircraft plans his brother-in-law scaled down for him.

It finally went on display in his Cubbington garden for VE Day on 8 May.

"I've always dreamt of doing something on a bigger scale for our troops and our forces, to acknowledge their work and effort," he said.

He said, despite having the plans, creating the aircraft in miniature proved difficult in some areas.

"I had to research a lot of all the parts. I used as much original information as I could," he said.

"It doesn't look so much from the outside, but there's a lot of work underneath the skin of it."

Ray Burden A large model Spitfire plane in a garden. The plane is dark green, white, black and brown with black propellers on its nose. It has an RAF circular logo on the side and camouflage netting underneath it.Ray Burden
The model is made out of plywood and measures one quarter of the size of a real Spitfire

Although he did not work on the project every day, it took a lot of time and patience, particularly with the fuselage.

"Most of the timber that's gone on there has got double-bevelled edges to form the curve of the aeroplane," he said.

"Most days, at best, I was only able to put four of those on a day."

Mr Burden added he and his wife, Irene, were known in the village for dressing up the garden for Armistice and VE Days, as well as Easter, Halloween and Christmas.

"[On] Armistice Day I put flags up… and anything else that I've got available," he said.

Ray Burden A large model Spitfire plane in a garden. The plane is dark green, white, black and brown with black propellers on its nose. It has an RAF circular logo on the side and camouflage netting underneath it. The picture is taken from above and behind it. There is a French flag on its tail, small wheels underneath it and a cockpitRay Burden
Mr Burden said he had always wanted to make something to honour troops

Mr Burden said people had turned up from further afield to see the plane, including a man from SSAFA - the Armed Forces charity.

He also met an RAF veteran who had been a codebreaker at Bletchley Park.

"I was just awestruck when he told me that," he said.

Ray Burden A wide shot of the plane in front of a cream house. There is a white flag pole with union jack flags that read "VE Day". The fence around the garden is green, and there is a black clock on the house.Ray Burden
Mr Burden hoped that the plane could be used in events or by the local parish council

As for the model's future, he said he hoped it might make an appearance at RAF events his son helped to organise.

"We might, if they allow us, take it along as a centrepiece," he said.

He added his local parish council were keen to use it for continuing VE Day celebrations and a local fun day.

He said he had been asked many times what was next.

"I've been told that I can't have any more projects," he said. "I spend my life in my workshop."

Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.

More on this story
Related internet links