BT Spitfire Fiber Fuse
07-29-2003, 06:41 PM
#1
BT Spitfire Fiber Fuse
Guys, I too am working on the BT Spitfire MkIX kit. I have a kit from B. Holman, therefore my fuse is going to be built up.
My question is this: When Vic developed the his fiber fuse, I'm wondering if he altered the contour of the chin portion of the cowl, making it more sleek looking. After admiring the great job Vic, Burl, and Sean have done on their kits (using Vic's fuse), I look at my cowl (supplied from B. Holman) and the contour on the chin portion appears to resemble a Mk I or a MkV cowl. It's not as sleek (Vic are you out there?). I'm talking about the section from the bottom of the spinner to the front of the carb intake.
Please don't get me wrong. Vic did a fantastic job on his fuse and if an alteration was made it only improved it toward making the cowl more accurate in outline. I'm just trying to make sure that what I'm looking at in your pictures, is what I'm going to get using Holman's cowl and my built-up fuse. Any comments?
Mark IX
My question is this: When Vic developed the his fiber fuse, I'm wondering if he altered the contour of the chin portion of the cowl, making it more sleek looking. After admiring the great job Vic, Burl, and Sean have done on their kits (using Vic's fuse), I look at my cowl (supplied from B. Holman) and the contour on the chin portion appears to resemble a Mk I or a MkV cowl. It's not as sleek (Vic are you out there?). I'm talking about the section from the bottom of the spinner to the front of the carb intake.
Please don't get me wrong. Vic did a fantastic job on his fuse and if an alteration was made it only improved it toward making the cowl more accurate in outline. I'm just trying to make sure that what I'm looking at in your pictures, is what I'm going to get using Holman's cowl and my built-up fuse. Any comments?
Mark IX
07-29-2003, 08:02 PM
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BT Spitfire Fiber Fuse
Hi Mark IX,
Great name, do you have some pictures of the cowl.
Is it the same cowl as you can buy from Brian Taylor himself?
On my website I have a picture of the one from BT.
http://www.t-birds.be/myspitfire.htm
Cheers
Tom
Great name, do you have some pictures of the cowl.
Is it the same cowl as you can buy from Brian Taylor himself?
On my website I have a picture of the one from BT.
http://www.t-birds.be/myspitfire.htm
Cheers
Tom
07-30-2003, 11:51 AM
#5
BT Cowl
Vic ,thanx for the response. My cowl has 4 rivets from the rear of the exhaust opening to the back of the cowl, as did the MkIX version. The MkI-MkV had only three there. Did you use the BT cowl outline to develop the cowl on your fuse? Was the cowl you used from BT or B. Holman?
Tom, I don't have any pictures right now. I will try to get some.
I got the cowl from B. Holman when I bought the rest of the semi kit and I assume he got the cowl from BT. It is finished in a gray coating, unlike yours which looks like the natural fiberglass color.
I do notice, however, my cowl does not have the bump on the front, right hand side, around the spinner centerline. I can add that myself. I am concerned about the contour of the bottom of the cowl.
Mark IX
Tom, I don't have any pictures right now. I will try to get some.
I got the cowl from B. Holman when I bought the rest of the semi kit and I assume he got the cowl from BT. It is finished in a gray coating, unlike yours which looks like the natural fiberglass color.
I do notice, however, my cowl does not have the bump on the front, right hand side, around the spinner centerline. I can add that myself. I am concerned about the contour of the bottom of the cowl.
Mark IX
07-30-2003, 04:41 PM
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BT Spitfire Fiber Fuse
Vic, didn't you use the cowl from Holman on the plug? I'm sure you must have so it should be identical to what MkIX has except that yours has the rest of the fuselage behind it!
MkIX, Vic has developed two different airplanes from his fuse. The MkVIII/MkIX fuse has the cowl molded with the rest of the fuse. He also modified the molds so he could produce a MkI-V fuselage. The cowl for that one is molded seperately and is based on a cowl available from Holman for the enlarged Taylor Mk1 plan. I don't know if Holman still offers it but he used to. It was the 69 inch Mk1 plan that he had blown up to 83 inches. The cowl was not exactly scale and Vic modified it quite a bit before making a mold from it. I'm not sure that helps but hopefully it clears up things a little bit!
MkIX, Vic has developed two different airplanes from his fuse. The MkVIII/MkIX fuse has the cowl molded with the rest of the fuse. He also modified the molds so he could produce a MkI-V fuselage. The cowl for that one is molded seperately and is based on a cowl available from Holman for the enlarged Taylor Mk1 plan. I don't know if Holman still offers it but he used to. It was the 69 inch Mk1 plan that he had blown up to 83 inches. The cowl was not exactly scale and Vic modified it quite a bit before making a mold from it. I'm not sure that helps but hopefully it clears up things a little bit!
07-30-2003, 07:36 PM
#8
BT Spitfire Fiber Fuse
Hmmmmmmm!!! Thats interesting Chad. I wonder if Holman mistakenly gave me the MkI cowl used for the blown BT 83"MkI plan when he was filling my order for the BT 83" MkIX! I think I have the MkI plan somewhere, I'll check that plan against my MkIX cowl. The only thing is, my MKIX cowl has the correct number of rivets, (4), behind the exhaust banks to the back of the cowl. The MkI would have had 3.
Vic, is it possible for you to post a couple of pictures, here on RCU, of the cowl you used when making the MkIX fuse? My cowl has a gray coating (gelcoat?) on it, did yours? The coating is similar to what Mick Reeves used on his fuse, but a darker gray.
Mark IX
Vic, is it possible for you to post a couple of pictures, here on RCU, of the cowl you used when making the MkIX fuse? My cowl has a gray coating (gelcoat?) on it, did yours? The coating is similar to what Mick Reeves used on his fuse, but a darker gray.
Mark IX
07-30-2003, 09:09 PM
#9
My Feedback: (37)
BT Spitfire Fiber Fuse
Chad - yes that is what I had done. Mark was saying that his cowl is missing the buldge on his cowl.
Mark IX -I no longer have the cowl. But it was gray gellcoat and the cowl was heavy as it used fiberglass mat cloth
Looks like you have the correct cowl. 4 fastener screws behind the exhaust. Why your missing the bulge just behind the spinner on the right side is strange, please take a picture as you might have a one of a kind or maybe there were changes to Taylor's production runs?
I don't think Holman makes a gray fiberglass of anything. Usually the gray are from Brian Taylor. But I could be wrong.
Vic
Mark IX -I no longer have the cowl. But it was gray gellcoat and the cowl was heavy as it used fiberglass mat cloth
Looks like you have the correct cowl. 4 fastener screws behind the exhaust. Why your missing the bulge just behind the spinner on the right side is strange, please take a picture as you might have a one of a kind or maybe there were changes to Taylor's production runs?
I don't think Holman makes a gray fiberglass of anything. Usually the gray are from Brian Taylor. But I could be wrong.
Vic
07-31-2003, 12:43 AM
#11
BT Spitfire Fiber Fuse
I found the 83" BT Mk1 plans and I compared my BT MkIX cowl to it. The MKIX cowl is 1.5" longer in the rear (when I align the spinner end of the cowl to the spinner back plate position on the plans) as I would expect. Surprisingly, the contour of the chin portion of my cowl is nearly the same as the outline of the Mk1 chin outline shown on the plans.
Anyway, I have added a picture of my cowl, here ( I hope it comes out) so Vic, Chad tell me if this is what you guys started out with when Vic's fuse was developed.
Oh ya, my cowl does have the bump on the right side at the spinner center line, I don't why I did'nt remember it...................
Mark IX
Anyway, I have added a picture of my cowl, here ( I hope it comes out) so Vic, Chad tell me if this is what you guys started out with when Vic's fuse was developed.
Oh ya, my cowl does have the bump on the right side at the spinner center line, I don't why I did'nt remember it...................
Mark IX
07-31-2003, 03:22 PM
#13
My Feedback: (37)
BT Spitfire Fiber Fuse
That is what I have started out with. You have the correct cowl for a MkVII and MkIX
Where you interested in building a MK1? That cowl has the wrong shape for the MK1. The MkVIII and later are sleeker on the chin and larger above the exhaust stacks. Bob Holman wouldn't send you a blown up version of MK1 with MKIX cowl.
BobH - I don't have any at the moment, been busy with the P38. Are you ready for one?
Vic
Where you interested in building a MK1? That cowl has the wrong shape for the MK1. The MkVIII and later are sleeker on the chin and larger above the exhaust stacks. Bob Holman wouldn't send you a blown up version of MK1 with MKIX cowl.
BobH - I don't have any at the moment, been busy with the P38. Are you ready for one?
Vic
08-01-2003, 03:17 PM
#14
BT Spitfire Fiber Fuse
Thanks for the info everybody. WHEW!!! I thought I had the wrong cowl for the MkIX.
Tom, Looks like the cowl I have is the correct one for the MkIX.
Vic, I'm not interested in building the Mk1 right now, want to finish the MkIX first. I might be interested in some of your accessories for the MkIX later on. Like the canopy frame. It would be nice
if that were available separately.
Chad, how about that cockpit kit for the MkIX? Done yet?!! HeHeHe
Mark IX
Tom, Looks like the cowl I have is the correct one for the MkIX.
Vic, I'm not interested in building the Mk1 right now, want to finish the MkIX first. I might be interested in some of your accessories for the MkIX later on. Like the canopy frame. It would be nice
if that were available separately.
Chad, how about that cockpit kit for the MkIX? Done yet?!! HeHeHe
Mark IX
