Top Flite Giant Scale Spitfire ARF
07-19-2013, 06:50 AM
#228
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RE: Top Flite Giant Scale Spitfire ARF
The dihedral on the wing isn't flat, it appears to be very similar to the Top Flite P47 which I also own and fly regularly.
Is it exactaly scale? I don't know and frankly I don't care, it's a model, like the TF P47, that flies really well and looks fantastic both on the ground and in the air which is exactally what I was looking for.
07-19-2013, 09:53 AM
#232
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RE: Top Flite Giant Scale Spitfire ARF
Your eyes are not deceiving you Bob. The Spitfire does not have scale dihedral nor do the TF Mustang, P-47, or FW-190. The P-40 looks better to my eye but it may or may not be correct either.
07-19-2013, 11:15 AM
#234
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RE: Top Flite Giant Scale Spitfire ARF
ORIGINAL: Capt G
Great flight report - thanks. Will probably do the same on the nose weight . Looking forward to flying mine when I get my pilot. BTW - I put small wing tip skids on the wing like on my P-40. I know I will need them sooner or later.
Great flight report - thanks. Will probably do the same on the nose weight . Looking forward to flying mine when I get my pilot. BTW - I put small wing tip skids on the wing like on my P-40. I know I will need them sooner or later.
07-25-2013, 02:47 PM
#235
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RE: Top Flite Giant Scale Spitfire ARF
I've had my Spitfire out the last two days for a total of about 16 flights. All the after build tweaking is now done and it's a solid flyer that I am really enjoying!
07-31-2013, 02:21 PM
#236
RE: Top Flite Giant Scale Spitfire ARF
I recently picked one of these up myself and I am making it look like this one.
http://markonepartners.co.uk/spitfire-i
I bought the book so I could get all the details and painted the bottom to match along with the spinner. Plane is basically done just waiting on the graphics to be completed.
Should be cool!
http://markonepartners.co.uk/spitfire-i
I bought the book so I could get all the details and painted the bottom to match along with the spinner. Plane is basically done just waiting on the graphics to be completed.
Should be cool!
08-01-2013, 02:09 PM
#237
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RE: Top Flite Giant Scale Spitfire ARF
You will love it. I had mine out again today for a couple of flights even though the wind was 16 to 20. The Spit handled it with ease, I can't say enough about how much I'm enjoying this aircraft!
08-01-2013, 02:54 PM
#239
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RE: Top Flite Giant Scale Spitfire ARF
ORIGINAL: Lifer
ronht,
How is the narrow wheel track on your takeoffs? I'd have to say my P-47's have spoiled me! Does it seem to hold a straight line on it's own or are you correcting a lot?
Thanks.
ronht,
How is the narrow wheel track on your takeoffs? I'd have to say my P-47's have spoiled me! Does it seem to hold a straight line on it's own or are you correcting a lot?
Thanks.
Tracking isn't a problem at all, just slowly advance the throttle to let it accellerate and you'll find it takes very little rudder input at all. Start with a little elevator back pressure to keep the nose from going over too far and you'll be airborne at about 2/3's throttle.
Additionally, tracking isn't any problem on landing either as long as you don't try and turn it when it's moving too fast. I've found making wheel landings with a bit of forward pressure once the mains touch works the best. The rudder remains very effective until the tail drops and then you'll have to be a bit quicker with it to counter any tendency for the tail to start roaming. Don't read too much into that, it's really very controlable for the narrow stance gear. I also have a Top Flite P-47 and have been spoiled by it's wide track, but flying the Spit hasn't been a problem at all.
08-01-2013, 03:11 PM
#240
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RE: Top Flite Giant Scale Spitfire ARF
Just wanted to add a couple of small items that I had to address after I started flying my Spit.
I have a side exhaust with the J-Tec wrap around muffler, and found that the muffler bolts kept coming loose no matter what I did. I had to add a couple of access holes so I could get to the muffler bolts without removing the cowl and the best solution to that problem has been to wrap the muffler bolts with teflon "pipe" tape and tighten them after a few flights. They now stay completely secure.
Additionally, the magnets on the bottom of the antenna mast came out of the bottom of the antenna. (didn't lose them as they were still stuck to the mount magnets) I didn't notice this until I was packing up after flying on the first day - solution here is to make sure you have the polarity correct and CA them back into the antenna mast.
Last issue was when I screwed the tail-wheel cover on, one of the screws I used bound on the tailwheel steering arm when the airplane was sitting on the ground - solution, clip the screw to make it shorter and re-install.
That's pretty much all I've had to address in about 18 flights now.
08-07-2013, 06:49 AM
#243
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The problem with the lack of dihedral, especially with the Spitfire is that it almost makes the wing look droopy. The Spitfire's top surface tapers down more than the bottom tapers up and looks like the top surface has a bow in it. Combine that with a reduced chord center line dihedral, and it looks like the wings are melting in the heat! 
08-07-2013, 07:31 AM
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The problem with the lack of dihedral, especially with the Spitfire is that it almost makes the wing look droopy. The Spitfire's top surface tapers down more than the bottom tapers up and looks like the top surface has a bow in it. Combine that with a reduced chord center line dihedral, and it looks like the wings are melting in the heat!
08-07-2013, 12:51 PM
#246
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There is a real easy solution to this guys - If you don't like it don't buy it - problem solved.
For those that won't have problems losing sleep over a degree or two of dihedral, I highly recommend this Spitfire. It's a well laid-out, easy to build kit that presents really well in the air and flies great!
For those that won't have problems losing sleep over a degree or two of dihedral, I highly recommend this Spitfire. It's a well laid-out, easy to build kit that presents really well in the air and flies great!
08-07-2013, 01:14 PM
#247
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I think the answer has little to do with cost and more to do with sport design. It's someone's opinion that the plane would fly better with the wings as they are. Really? Maybe with the combination of airfoil that's used it may. I really like the a spit but I wished this one would look gooder too.
08-07-2013, 01:43 PM
#248
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This is the same story for the armchair critics in thread after thread in these forums to the point of ad nauseum. The dihedral's not right, the shape of the tail's not right, the canopy's not right the angle of the gear's not right, the color scheme's not right, they didn't choose to make the right model and so on and on it goes in thread after thread.
Not everything that's "scale" transfers into a good flying model aircraft that a majority of customers would be happy with and one which is worth the time for a company, in the business of trying to stay in business to spend their R&D resources to produce. While more dihedral would certainly satisfy the "scale critics" it would bring with it many of the nasty flight characteristics that would drive many customers away. You don't like it? Don't buy it.
This is a hobby where some of us fly, enjoy the hobby and support the companies producing products we can enjoy, while the rest sit around and criticize every little thing while looking for excuses why they don't fly. I get it, every club has them - what they don't get, is that the ONLY people they are impressing with their constant criticism are themselves.
Not everything that's "scale" transfers into a good flying model aircraft that a majority of customers would be happy with and one which is worth the time for a company, in the business of trying to stay in business to spend their R&D resources to produce. While more dihedral would certainly satisfy the "scale critics" it would bring with it many of the nasty flight characteristics that would drive many customers away. You don't like it? Don't buy it.
This is a hobby where some of us fly, enjoy the hobby and support the companies producing products we can enjoy, while the rest sit around and criticize every little thing while looking for excuses why they don't fly. I get it, every club has them - what they don't get, is that the ONLY people they are impressing with their constant criticism are themselves.
08-07-2013, 05:13 PM
#250
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OK ladies take a deep breath and lets gather ourselves together. People can and do express their opinions about nearly everything. No one says they have to agree or disagree with said opinions. What's the point of a public forum of all we read are like minded opinions? What's to be learned from that? True there are bashers that just enjoy bashing. Personally I don't see that a lot on RCU. I do see differences of what people feel is important to them as flyers and modelers. Considering that manufacturers do read these threads the sales of a particular plane and its over all impressions some times go hand In hand. So it can be a useful tool for them as well.