A creative pair spent six weeks creating
a lifesize model of a Spitfire made from 6,500
egg boxes.
The replica of the Battle of Britain fighter was built using
five litres of glue, 5,000 nails, ten litres of paint and 10,000
staples.
The 36ft-long Supermarine Spitfire was constructed using Eggs
for Soldiers cartons and will go on display
at Imperial War Museum Duxford in
Cambridgeshire.
To mark Help for Heroes event March
Fourth, Charlotte Austen, 27, and Jack Munro, 26,
used 450 Pritt sticks to glue the cartons
together.
In addition to thousands of egg boxes, they used 772ft of
wooden batten, 100 square metres of canvas and 82ft of
steel.
The model of the iconic World War II plane was also
constructed with 25 sheets of plywood and 23ft of foam.
Mr Munro, an architect from Hackney, London, said: ‘It has
been hugely enjoyable working on such a unique project for a
fantastic charity.
‘The biggest challenge in building the Eggs for Soldiers
Spitfire was to recreate the plane's iconic but complex geometry as
accurately as possible.
‘Every surface of the Spitfire is double curved.
‘To replicate this we have used a combination of traditional
timber construction techniques and advanced digital processes such
as laser cutting and CNC routing.
Charlotte, a sculptor, also from Hackney, said: ‘Working on
the Spitfire has been quite a challenge and one I have enjoyed
immensely.
‘It has been a huge honour to do a project for Eggs for
Soldiers in support of Help for Heroes, a charity I believe in
enormously.
‘I hope everyone enjoys seeing it as much as we did making
it.’
While constructing the model the pair also drank 120 cups of
tea and chomped their way through six packets of chocolate hob nobs
and 18 cream eggs.
Jack added: ‘The project has been hectic due to the enormous
amount of work, which resulted in a number of sleep-deprived
nights.
‘There were a few bangs and accidents along the way too - one
our helpers even had to go to A&E for stitches after she
slipped and sliced a chunk of her thumb off.
‘I suffered a gash to the head after bumping into the model
and also got the inevitable cuts and bruises you would expect with
building a model like this.
Now in its second year, March Fourth is an annual fundraising
event in aid of Help for Heroes.
Supporters are encouraged to 'march forth 'with Eggs for
Soldiers in support of servicemen, women and veterans who have
suffered life-changing injuries and illnesses.
Eggs for Soldiers was created in 2011 to aid wounded
servicemen and women returning from conflict.
Steve Horton, Marketing Director for Noble Foods, said: ‘We
are hugely proud of the Eggs for Soldiers brand and our work
supporting this incredibly worthwhile charity.
‘We hope this year's March Fourth campaign will be as
successful as last year's.
‘That way we can continue to raise money and awareness for
Help for Heroes and the vital support they give our servicemen and
women.’
