First built in 1936, Spitfire replicas are being built right here in the Big Country today. A manufacturer in Cisco is keeping history alive.
"My family flew them during the war, so I knew the spitfire was a totally unique airplane. And they all said there was nothing like a spitfire to fly, it was so stable; because it has a big wing. It flies on the wing, not the engine," said Supermarine CEO Mike O'Sullivan.
O'Sullivan said he chose to work in the Big Country because of the people.
"The one thing that stood out in Cisco was the people. And I sincerely mean that. They were not only proactive, but very friendly. And of course I come from the country, from the outback, so Cisco was very much that," said O'Sullivan.
To build the planes they start with small pieces that are manufactured in Cisco. They end up with a beautiful airplane: The Spitfire.
The replicas have been sold to buyers around the world. The buyer then can spend as much as two years putting all the pieces together.
"Not everyone's got the money to go and buy, you know, a $3 million Spitfire, or a half-a-million dollar Cessna. But you can buy the kit, so it becomes affordable for people to learn. That was the whole idea," said O'Sullivan.
O'Sullivan said his target buyers have been in the age range of 50 to 80, but he's finding more and more younger people who are fascinated by the history and want to see it preserved.
That's what Mike O'Sullivan and his team in Cisco are doing. Preserving history by building something new.
"My family flew them during the war, so I knew the spitfire was a totally unique airplane. And they all said there was nothing like a spitfire to fly, it was so stable; because it has a big wing. It flies on the wing, not the engine," said Supermarine CEO Mike O'Sullivan.
O'Sullivan said he chose to work in the Big Country because of the people.
"The one thing that stood out in Cisco was the people. And I sincerely mean that. They were not only proactive, but very friendly. And of course I come from the country, from the outback, so Cisco was very much that," said O'Sullivan.
To build the planes they start with small pieces that are manufactured in Cisco. They end up with a beautiful airplane: The Spitfire.
The replicas have been sold to buyers around the world. The buyer then can spend as much as two years putting all the pieces together.
"Not everyone's got the money to go and buy, you know, a $3 million Spitfire, or a half-a-million dollar Cessna. But you can buy the kit, so it becomes affordable for people to learn. That was the whole idea," said O'Sullivan.
O'Sullivan said his target buyers have been in the age range of 50 to 80, but he's finding more and more younger people who are fascinated by the history and want to see it preserved.
That's what Mike O'Sullivan and his team in Cisco are doing. Preserving history by building something new.
