RE: Keith's Top Flite Spitfire build  
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RE: Keith's Top Flite Spitfire build - 7/18/2004 1:13:21 AM   
saramos



Posts: 2301
Joined: 12/6/2003
From: Northridge, CA, USA
Status: offline 		Kieth,

Locate a three-view of the MK IX online and download it.
Scale the drawing of the wheel area to match the gear door template on the plans and print it out. Be sure to include some of the rib lines and spar line to help with alignment.
Position the printout on the skinned wing in the proper location and mark through it with pinholes.
Cutout the well holes a little small, mount the gears with the wheels on, and fine adjust the fit by sanding till the wheels just close.

Scott.

(in reply to CHEF-UK)
       Post #: 101

RE: Keith's Top Flite Spitfire build - 7/30/2004 10:16:42 PM   
CHEF-UK



Posts: 203
Joined: 2/17/2004
From: Chesterfield. Derbyshire, UNITED KINGDOM
Status: offline 		Sorry I have not updated this build for a couple of weeks for those of you who follow this and give me your input. Had a hard time sorting out the wheel wells etc. Anyhow I am about to do the Top sheeting now, but I need some Spitfire advice.

On the wings, are there any navigation lights, etc, landing lights what have you. I would "maybe" like to think of putting these in, and would of course need to feed the wire in before sheeting. If you have any photos of where the Nav lights are etc, let me know, I cant seem to find anything usefull on the net. I have some photos of Nav lights on the rudder but thats it.

Many thanks


_____________________________

Due to government cutbacks,the light at the end of the tunnel has been switched off!

(in reply to saramos)
       Post #: 102

RE: Keith's Top Flite Spitfire build - 7/31/2004 12:36:58 AM   
Irish R.Seer



Posts: 193
Joined: 2/17/2004
From: Cookstown, ON, CANADA
Status: offline 		Keith if you can obtain a copy of this book from Sam Publications in the UK, it will tell you most of what you need to know about the Merlin powered Spitfires.

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_____________________________

Land with FLAIR!!!

(in reply to CHEF-UK)
       Post #: 103

RE: Keith's Top Flite Spitfire build - 7/31/2004 5:41:02 AM   
morro


 

Posts: 213
Joined: 9/20/2003
From: AdelaideNot-applicable, AUSTRALIA
Status: offline 		Keith, I have some close up pics of nav lights and how to install them from a scale mag I have, would you be interested.

Todd

(in reply to CHEF-UK)
       Post #: 104

RE: Keith's Top Flite Spitfire build - 7/31/2004 7:06:50 AM   
saramos



Posts: 2301
Joined: 12/6/2003
From: Northridge, CA, USA
Status: offline 		Keith,

There are small nav lights near the wing tips on full wings, and lights at the front tips on the clipped wings. I have not seen any photos or drawings indicating a landing light. At the least, there are no leading edge mounted landing lights.

Here is a book I came across recently that has a lot of photos of restored Spits.
Spitfire Flying Legend. By John Dibbs and Tony Holmes.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1841762105/qid=1091251615/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-4273997-9355211?v=glance&s=books

I have a hard cover version of the book. Great photos.

Sounds like you are going to be passing the point that I am at with my wings. I haven't run the air tubes for the retracts yet, and have not put the top skin on. I've framed the upper fuse and attached the horizontal stab, but not the vertical stab. Been taking a break from the Spit to build a four star 40, do some flying, and work on the house. Scheduling looks like it'll be Sept. before I get back to the Spit in a serious way.

When I do skin my wings, I was going to try a technique that I've read about. You use alphatic resin glue. You apply it to all the mating surfaces and let them dry (like you would using a contact cement). Then, lay the skin on the wing and use a cover iron to "reactivate" the glue. It is suppose to provide a very fast and strong bond. It sounded like once the prep is done, you could take time to position the skin, and once in progress you would not have to deal with time constraints that come with CA, or maintaining contact with clamps and weight bags as with normal gluing.

I greatly look forward to your progress!!

Scott.

(in reply to CHEF-UK)
       Post #: 105

RE: Keith's Top Flite Spitfire build - 7/31/2004 7:53:36 AM   
CHEF-UK



Posts: 203
Joined: 2/17/2004
From: Chesterfield. Derbyshire, UNITED KINGDOM
Status: offline 		Many thanks for all your responses. There is of course a few more bits to do before I put the top skin on though.

Saramos, that idea does sounds interesting about the alphatic resin, then reheating it with a iron. Didnt know you could do that. Is it a special type of glue, or do all glues have that property. Would you still wet your sheeting though to allow a bit of a bend in it ?


Many thanks


_____________________________

Due to government cutbacks,the light at the end of the tunnel has been switched off!

(in reply to saramos)
       Post #: 106

RE: Keith's Top Flite Spitfire build - 8/1/2004 5:04:29 AM   
saramos



Posts: 2301
Joined: 12/6/2003
From: Northridge, CA, USA
Status: offline 		Alphatic Resin is the generic term for yellow carpenters glue. Titebond II is probably the most widely used. Sig makes one. I believe that this technique can be used with Elmer's glue as well. I have not tried the technique myself, but have read about it and seen it demonstrated on an RC tv show as well.

Scott.

(in reply to CHEF-UK)
       Post #: 107

RE: Keith's Top Flite Spitfire build - 8/1/2004 7:41:44 AM   
Chad Veich



Posts: 2850
Joined: 12/13/2001
From: Litchfield Park, AZ, USA
Status: offline 		Chef, your Spit gear is more scale than you think. The full size airplane has a slightly oblong shaped wheel well for just the same reasons your model has to have them. Also, the full size airplane has a blister on the top wing skin which is to allow the wheel to retract fully as they do indeed protrude above the top wing skin.

(in reply to saramos)
       Post #: 108

RE: Keith's Top Flite Spitfire build - 8/1/2004 8:45:31 AM   
saramos



Posts: 2301
Joined: 12/6/2003
From: Northridge, CA, USA
Status: offline 		Chad is correct. I found a number of photos that clearly show a blister for the wheel in the upper skin.
Here are two photos I found online.

interestingly, none of the 3 views that I have show it.

Scott.

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(in reply to CHEF-UK)
       Post #: 109

RE: Keith's Top Flite Spitfire build - 8/1/2004 9:28:26 AM   
Merlin65



Posts: 216
Joined: 2/17/2002
From: MelbourneVictoria, AUSTRALIA
Status: offline 		Not entirely correct. From MK 7 onwards the undercarriage doors are convex (bulged) and the retraction geometry was changed to prevent the gear from retracting entirely into the wing. This made the wing bulges un-necessary.
The changed geometry also increased the toe-in as tire wear was not a real issue on grass airfields. Post war restorations often spend a lot more time using hard runways and so it's common for these aircraft to revert to the original settings and so the blisters are re-fitted. Your 3-views are likely correct.
--
Merlin65

(in reply to saramos)
       Post #: 110

RE: Keith's Top Flite Spitfire build - 8/1/2004 10:02:00 AM   
CHEF-UK



Posts: 203
Joined: 2/17/2004
From: Chesterfield. Derbyshire, UNITED KINGDOM
Status: offline 		Great advice guys, that would give enough clearence maybe then when the wheels are fully retracted.

Another thought I am having at the moment, is how do you make the gear doors/covers. I was thinking along the lines of covering the retract area with monokots etc, then glassing on top of that, then cutting out the shape following the lines/holes of the retracts and wheels etc. then I would have a shape with the correct curvature. and the rest of the glassing would just pull off of the wing as I would have put it onto the monokote. Is this how you do it. Or is there some other easier way.

Because I am thinking, if you make them flat then they wont sit on the wings with the correct angle etc.


I shall await some of your advice.

PS. Many thanks for all your help. it really is noted and appreciated.


_____________________________

Due to government cutbacks,the light at the end of the tunnel has been switched off!

(in reply to Merlin65)
       Post #: 111

RE: Keith's Top Flite Spitfire build - 8/1/2004 10:38:10 AM   
Merlin65



Posts: 216
Joined: 2/17/2002
From: MelbourneVictoria, AUSTRALIA
Status: offline 		Keith, attached is a pic that shows just how much the gear doors are curved.
It's also worth noting that the wheel cutouts in the wing are actually quite round at the lower skin.
It's where the wheel well walls meet the top skin that they're very much oval in shape. Most modelers make this mistake as they naturally make the sides of the well from a balsa tube and this projects the oval shape from the top skin down through the bottom skin. To make them exactly scale would require an impressive bit of engineering
The attached factory drawings show the MK7 gear door, the red line indicating a perfect circle. The last pic shows the shape in the bottom skin (red) and shape at the top skin (blue).
If you use glass over monocote you will get exactly the opposite of the curvature you need. (The monocote will be flat in the open area)
Personally I would carve balsa masters and use them to produce glass doors.
--
Merlin65

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(in reply to CHEF-UK)
       Post #: 112

RE: Keith's Top Flite Spitfire build - 8/1/2004 7:23:04 PM   
Chad Veich



Posts: 2850
Joined: 12/13/2001
From: Litchfield Park, AZ, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Merlin65

Not entirely correct. From MK 7 onwards the undercarriage doors are convex (bulged) and the retraction geometry was changed to prevent the gear from retracting entirely into the wing. This made the wing bulges un-necessary.


Hi Merlin, I was aware of the changes mentioned but did not think it was a feature of most MkIX aircraft due to it essentially being an upgraded MkV airframe. Oh well, seems the only for sure thing about Spitfires it that nothing is for sure! Best bet, gather your docs and model a specific Spitfire. Regards, Chad Veich.

(in reply to Merlin65)
       Post #: 113

RE: Keith's Top Flite Spitfire build - 8/1/2004 11:47:16 PM   
oifvet23


 

Posts: 33
Joined: 7/25/2004
From: Goldens Bridge, NY, USA
Status: offline 		nice pics and a good choice

(in reply to dragoonpvw)