Supermarine Spitfire replica (1998)

There are plenty of aero-engined cars, but the Supermarine Aircraft Spitfire replica is a car-engined aircraft. The Chevrolet small block V8 in 366cu in (6.0-litre) form is the same as used in the Corvette from the early 2000s and gives a reliable 430bhp in aero form.

If you’re worried the Chevy engine is down on power compared to the original Rolls-Royce Merlin V12’s 1150bhp, Supermarine Aircraft’s machine is a 90% scale replica. It can achieve 220 Knots (253mph) and cruise at 193 Knots while flying at up to 18,000-feet. Sold as a kit, it costs from Aus$165,000 (£87,500) and should take around 1100 hours to build, which sounds like a lot of weekends to us.