About Us

Back in 1976 my dad showed me the Popular Mechanics magazine where the cover was about a unique sport plane that replicated famous WW2 fighters by WAR, aka War Aircraft Replicas.  I was already into aviation and the thought of flying a WW2 fighter excited my imagination.  I followed the company and signed up for newsletters throughout the 1980’s.  

My aviation passion landed me in the USAF in the mid 80’s followed by becoming a pilot for American Airlines.  Life was happening with marriage and kids but the replica fighter bug still burned brightly.   

In 2016 I saw a WAR FW190 pop,up on Barnstormers for a price that was hard to refuse.   Two days later I visited the owner and bought his plane!   This was the builders 3rd WAR build which he built to fly and not maintain.  That was an ok option as he was older and figured he’d enjoy the build and flying for a few years.  When I got it home I was able to see some shortcomings for the build.   The main issue I could see was the landing gear system.  The oleo struts were problematic due to leaking and the trunnion had no bushings so once it wore from use, it became excessively loose.   Another issue was the go-kart wheels and tires. These aircraft usually weighed in at 750-850lbs and  landed at about 70 mph.  The tires however were rated to 400-445lbs and not rated for the loads and speed an aircraft would subject them to.  Another major issue with the design was it was very difficult to build and very heavy for its size.  Pilots reported the design was a good flyer but it was far from the published design specifications in weight and speeds. The empty weight, for example, was published to be 600lbs.  Most builders ended up at 750-800lbs.  This was due to extra resin, additional fiberglass, adding additional systems and instruments, and the biggy….much heavier engines than the VW engine. My fiberglass fuel tank had a perpetual fuel leak.   This was also a problem with this type of tank.  Any area where resin does not fully saturate can have hairline seams that will allow fuel to seep.  

For the next couple of years I worked on issues and finally got to the point of high speed taxi tests.  The airplane was really good handling on the ground.  The wide gear track and effective rudder made it easy to control.  My last issue before flying continued to be the landing gear and the retraction system not really performing to my liking.  

During AirVenture 2018 I met Russ Emanis who was teaching advanced composites at the Replica Fighter Association building.  I spent many hours listening to g to him about the infusing of resins under vacuum and the quality of molded parts.  For me this was a game changer on the WAR type aircraft build.  I spoke to Russ at length about what I thought needed to be done and he agreed it would make a huge difference in quality and weight if I were to mold the airframe.  I also found out he lived 8 miles from me in the Dallas Ft worth metroplex!   After KOSH I met up with him and helped out on his numerous projects and saw first hand what his composite know how could produce.  

Several years went by and he and I continued to discuss my project.  Finally, in April of 2023, we decided to take my WAR FW 190 and build molds from it in order to produce a much lighter, stronger, and roomier FW190 sport plane.  The new aircraft would be called ButcherBird 58% because the replica was approximately 58% the size of a real FW190.   We stayed with the basic size and shape so that I wouldn’t need to re-engineer the whole thing.   That would greatly add to cost and complexity.  We felt that by using a monocoque fuselage we could pickup precious inches for the pilot and solve one of the issues which was the cramped cockpit.  By using all carbon fiber construction, deleting the wood structure and foam, using advanced EFIS instrumentation, and a modern lightweight aircraft engine, we could get the empty weight down to 550lbs!   Additionally, the build time would go from 1500 hrs to 400 hrs with a complete kit.  Essentially, the builder would assemble a large Revelle model.   The instrument panel could be purchased ready to install as well as the engine.  

The goal of ButcherBird58% is to offer a unique replica sport plane that is easy to build and fly.  The kit will be offered in stages.   A builder could buy with all components or just the aircraft kit less engine and instruments.   Nothing will be offered until the prototype has flown and any modifications necessary have been made. If we can keep on schedule, look for a kit in late 2025 or early 2026.  Positions for a kit will be offered at AirVenture 2024.  Positions will be secured with a $2500 deposit to escrow with an agreement on delivery within a reasonable timeframe.   

There are plenty of P-51s roaming the skies.   Our ButcherBird will be an exciting addition to the warbird replicas with innovative build and design.  

Contact us with questions:

Chris Sims

ButcherBird58@yahoo.com