a retired Canadian is building full-size replicas of WWII planes, including a 1916 Sopwith Camel, a 1918 Fokker DR 1 (Red Baron's plane), a 1944 Spitfire, a 1944 Messerschmitt ME 109, a Sherman Tank, Willys Jeep, a Hawker Hurricane and the front end of a 1911 Pacific Type steam locomotive. (thank you Robert G!)

Ian Baron, a retired nuclear plant mechanic, has spent the last five years building life-size replicas of old fighter planes from various kinds of junk. The joke around his home is that he only did these airplanes after restoring 8 Model As, and his wife said NO MORE CARS!

Ian started after visiting the Ford museum where he saw what can be accomplished by bending metal. He had experience building dune buggies and restoring Model As, and he truly believed he could create a fighter replica with stuff he already had around the house. The few things he didn’t have, like sheet metal from above-ground pools he scavenged from scrapyards and neighbors.

Although the planes are static and don't fly, the rudders and other controls are operational.

Of course, when Luverne suggested to her husband that he'd built enough planes, he turned to constructing other war replicas: a Sherman Firefly tank that drives, and for their pond, the conning tower and gun tower from a World War II German U-boat.

Mr. Baron doesn't splurge on the materials. The planes, tank and U-boat are made almost entirely from recycled or scrap items, though the welding supplies, paint and rivets can cost around $2,000 per project ($45 each for 20 cylinders of oxygen, $60 each for 10 cylinders of acetylene and $50 per gallon for eight or nine cans of rust paint). Discarded, above-ground swimming pool skins are used to create the outer shells for his creations.

"I'm on pool number 29 now," says Mr. Baron. Most of the pool skins are free; some cost him a case of beer.

The Sopwith Camel's wings are made from bent-up farm gates, TV aerials and concrete rebar. The landing gear on the Messerschmitt is made from legs from a children's teeter totter and its tail wheel came from his wife's wheelbarrow. The Spitfire's fuselage is fashioned from bar stools and has 15 authentic British airplane gauges he paid $5 each for. Its wheel wells are fashioned from the tops of 45 gallon drums.

Mr. Baron's passion for motorized machines started with his father, who was a mechanic and sergeant with the 23rd Field, Fourth Canadian armoured division in World World II.

Mr. Baron has an encyclopedic knowledge about the original versions of his creations. He does extensive research on the Internet and has gleaned other details from a 92-year-old farmer from Manitoba who served with his father during the war.

He also receives information about the original machines his replicas are modelled after from people who have heard about his collection through or who have noticed the war replicas while driving by. One veteran who stopped in supplied him with details about the Sherman tank, while another drop-in visitor was the son of an engineer who designed a part for the Spitfire.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-growth/hobbyist-creates-life-size-airplane-replicas-out-of-scrap-metal/article15521523
https://www.odditycentral.com/pics/man-turns-junk-into-life-size-fighter-plane-models.html#more-26513

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2011/08/06/one_mans_junk_is_another_mans_spitfire.html

His lawn art collection of cars and planes delights guests at the family’s Model “A” Acres Bed & Breakfast. https://modelaacres.omnistudios.net/