Hampshire WW2 enthusiast finally flies replica Spitfire that took 16 years to build

A retired engineer from Hampshire has finally made his childhood dream a reality by building his own replica Spitfire aircraft, from scratch.

After sixteen years, thousands of hours of dedication and 28 test flights, the Civil Aviation Authority has given Steve Markham a permit to fly the plane.

Steve wanted to own a Spitfire ever since he was 8-years-old but after being outbid when trying to buy one, in 2006 he bought a kit.

He began to piece together his own 80% replica of a spy plane that was based at RAF Odiham during the Second World War.

With a little help from friends and his wife Kay it took more than 11,000 hours to complete.

Steve said: "The kit came with the parts needed to make the actual aircraft but not the engine, propeller, instruments or anything else, so those I had to choose myself and bought them separately.

"Most of the parts didn't fit each other, so I used to joke and call it the 'kit of suggestions' rather than a kit of parts. This meant that I had to remake a lot of them if they weren't exactly the right size, which is why it look so long I think."

The WW2 enthusiast said "it feels absolutely fantastic!" to finally complete the project.

"I don't think I could ever do anything better. I've achieved that ambition and there are no other ambitions lined up after it - just to fly and enjoy it.

"Now I've got the full permit, I can take my wife for a ride, as she's desperate to come up with me."

Throughout the building process, people would phone Steve asking to come and see the plane.

He said: "To start with that was exciting seeing other people but gradually the numbers increased and sometimes I'd have as many as 10 people a day there and each one takes 30 minutes, so it was slowing me down.

"At that point I met a gentleman who came along to see it who used to work on Spitfires during the Second World War. In fact, he was an engineer at RAF Odiham at the end of 1944. He told me about the Royal Airforce Benevolent Fund and I decided that I would have a collection box and asked people who wanted to see the spitfire to put something into it.

"The Spitfire is an icon. Its shape is unique and is quite feminine in appearance. Without the Spitfire, we would not have won Second World War and then life would have been very different."

Watch ITV Meridian's report on Steve Markham's remarkable 16 year long DIY project: