Construction is under way on a giant replica of the Hawker Typhoon, which played a crucial role during the D-Day landings in the Second World War.

This is being created as part of the Chalke Valley History Festival 24-30 June (cvhf.org.uk); it will be perched on the crest of the hill in Broad Chalke and will be three-times the size of the original, with a wingspan of 25m and a length of 18m.

Philip Ewen, the festival’s head of marketing and digital, said: “The Hawker Typhoon is one of the unsung heroes of the war.”

During the festival, a number of talks will be given about the aircraft.

The replica is being built in partnership with Qinetiq (www.qinetiq.com) and the MoD’s Boscombe Down STEM team.

Geoff Clarkson, the group leader for systems engineering at Qinetiq, said: “Everyone knows about the Spitfire, and the Hawker Typhoon was also built initially as a fighter, but it turned out to be a fantastic aircraft for ground operations and was a key platform during D-Day. It was quite a significant aircraft for the allies.”

Mr Clarkson said that the hardest part of the project was the design stage.

The construction is being overseen by Qinetiq engineers, with much of the work being carried out as a special project by the company’s apprentices.

They have been using cutting-edge techniques to create the replica, which will be made up of about 1,000 parts. Seventeen apprentices have been working on the project, and local schools have also been involved.