This commission came from a client who loves to collect and design bespoke art objects, and creative furniture.  She had been browsing for an aeroplane themed writing desk for the study at her newly refurbished home, but couldn’t find a suitable example to purchase.  A colleague involved in the building work very kindly referred me, and I paid a visit to discuss the possibility of making such an object from scratch.  I suggested a desk fashioned in the unmistakeable shape of the iconic Supermarine Spitfire, and went on to submit a design to her specifications.  The wing had to appear to be in mid air to the person entering the study, and so be supported by two sturdy glass legs, one at right angles to the other.

Section through wing at Rib No 12, with Supermarine side elevation

At the point where the wing is sectioned, I fabricated all the detailed inner construction of the wing, accurately reproducing the original spars and ribs to the drawings supplied by the RAF museum archive at Hendon.  Every rivet and component is faithfully sized and positioned as it was fitted to the aircraft, but in order to allow the desk to fit and balance in the study the whole wing had to be produced as a three quarter scale facsimile.

Section with Rib No 13, Browning gun, hoses & main spar.

A fully detailed scale replica of a Browning .303 machine gun with magazine, ammunition feed and cartridge ejection chute, rests in alloy cradles between ribs 12 & 13.  Both top and underside are also fully detailed with correctly placed access panels for ground crew maintenance, together with full rivet, and fastener detail, gun ports and marker light fairings.  It took three of us all huffing & puffing to lift it into the pure white study room.

Leading edge with outer gun port, marker & roundel.

Wing underside showing removable gun access panel, support position stencil & cartridge ejector.