Cprl_lilhorn

Myron,

Could you post a picture of the retracts? I'm not familiar with those. You may be able to use 3/16" Robart struts, if they attach to the retracts. That's what TopFlite recommends in any case.

I think the only issue with piano wire would be a lack of a spring/coil. The Robart struts come with a coil near where the strut joins the retract to absorb some of the shock of landing without bending the strut itself.

Hope this helps!
Mario

flyingpasty

Hi corpl & others
Well the DB retracts can be fitted with a U-bend pulling the other direction .After a whole days working out what might go where,I've come to the conclusion that even though there is enough room between the wing top skin and a connecting rod going back on itself towards a central servo then the geometry doesn't quite work without a double servo disc & neither does it seem possible to fit the servo in due to the wing dowels as well as the flap servo.Too congested without the use of a few bell cranks etc . I thought in a dream / nightmare Why not couple up the retracts to the flaps with one or maybe two servos ? If so start with maybe 20 degrees of flap (a compromise for TO and landing ) Any more might be too much for TO .I really don't know never having had a model with either flaps or retracts .Has it been done before successfully ?There would surely be a weight saving if nothing else .I've evenconsidered using the fixed u/c legs supplied OR,I could fork out for those E-flite expensive jobs ,but then again,I'd like to buy an RCV 90 or 120 to install .Then there's a three bladed prop or two and then there's ad infinitum. You know exactly what I'm saying .I shall start on the fuselage and wait until I can decide what to do with the wing I think..Sensible advice or otherwise would be much appreciated.It's my first real scale model & I want it to be as near perfect as poss.
All the best Myron

prgonzalez

Myron,

Maybe that is why TF recommends pneumatic and not mechanical retracts. There is no space/geometry advantage in the wing's frame.

Pedro

prgonzalez

Anyone else doing any progress on their models?

I have not been working on my model due to some personal problems, "When it rains, it pours". I just hope everything is settled soon.

prgonzalez

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!

mmiller1

My Feedback: (75)

I have really enjoyed reading abut your thread on the Spitty. I have been working on my 1/7 TF Spit now for 8 months. Yea, I am slow. I have read much of what you guys have done and I have done some of the same and a few things different. I know I should not have been so lazy about shooting some shots during the build. However, I will get some shots of where I am at this point. Scott has been a great help with his vast knowledge of modeling. I agree, Scott....sometimes it is more enjoyable building than flying. Just knowing that you have months of work at the tips of your thumbs is very daunting! I used .75oz glass with poly mixed with a bit of microbaloons. Have used that formula for many planes....works great for me. I do recommend using a sanding sealer or some sort of sealer prior to covering. I have also used spot body glaze in various areas for filling in fillets and the like. Oderous, but dries fast and sands very nice (it is the red stuff). Also have used Squadron Putty with is much like the body glazing. I just primed using Rustoleum Hvy Duty Primer, helps to fill small scratches. However, if you go to re-fill anything after using that primer with a toluene base filler like spot glazing....it will just dissolve your primer. Better to use vinyl spackle such as One Time to finish off any small imperfections. I have my paint from Warbird Colors and will be painting fairly soon...need to pick up a water filter for the hose first. I will have some pics coming soon. I also, did not install retracts....bit short on change. However, I have used Sierra Giant and Robart in the past. I am thinking of going to electric retracts on my next plane....any feedback on those.??

WARBIRDRCER

My Feedback: (22)

Mmiller1, come join us in the Spitfire Brotherhood. http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_10...29/key_/tm.htm

prgonzalez

I just sent you a PM for my Brotherhood member number.

prgonzalez

Hi Y'All,

After some months of not touching my SF, yesterday I was able to break that wall on my building, Woo Hoo!!!

I glued the fairing bases to the fuselage. I feel more enthusiastic to finishing my model before summer is gone and mayden her on Fall. Pictures coming soon.

Pedro

prgonzalez

WOW, It's been almost one year since I stopped working on my SF. Well, I am coming back to the build at a slow steady pace.

I glued the FG fairings to the fuselage. Now, I wonder how to install the bottom part of the fairing at the back of the wings. I tryed the 1/16 balsa as recommended but I keep cracking the balsa because the way I am installing the piece creates a twist in the balsa. Also, I am trying with the balsa grain crossed, 90° of fuselage. Or maybe I need to wet the balsa first to make it more flexible.

Am I doing this right? How did you do yours?

Pedro

ForcesR

Pedro; the grain of the 1/16” balsa on the bottom aft portion of the fillet base should be parallel to the fuselage, meaning the grain of the balsa runs forward and aft with the fuselage. I am not sure why your FG fairing would cause the balsa to twist? When I installed the 1/16” balsa on the bottom aft fillet base; the balsa installed almost completely flat with a very slight curvewhen joining the fillet base with the fuselage.

<o></o>

Roger

cvial

Pedro, also try to soak the wood with alcohol before gluing it, it works better than water to get that curve.
hope it helps.

Cristian

Michel

Hi

Very nice to read the thread is alive again .

Michel

prgonzalez

After some thought, I solved the problem of the back lower fairing balsa pieces. I used 1/8" piece of balsa instead of 1/16". I installed it flat and filled in the upper gap with soft-light balsa and a little of epoxy with microballons. I am pleased with the result after 2-hour work. Now need to do the other side.

prgonzalez

Just when I was so happy for the look of the side I did this afternoon, I found out that I did not install the fairings at the same height. The other side is higher in the back of the fuselage [:@].

Another big lesson for not paying attention to the building. The gap is larger than the side I made today. If I remove the fairing to make the correction, I am sure the fuselage will suffer due to the epoxy used for glueing the fairing. It will not look symetric if I leave it like it is. []. Big decision time.

prgonzalez

I made my mind over the weekend. If this build has taken me over two years, I will not ruin it for one fairing. Therefore, last night I took the dremel (cutter and sander) and removed the fairing. Now, I need to make another FG fairing. For its installation, I will make some measurements and will mark its correct placement to make my spitfire symmetric and good looking.

The best is to make of this mistake a GOOD learned lesson.

Michel

Hi

Determination is a wonderful thing ,............................

Michel

prgonzalez

Today I was able to make another FG fairing for the fuse. The epoxy should be cured by tomorrow and will proceed to glue it in place. I also made the bumps for the wings in FG.

Next week I will create the plug for the cowl. At the same time, I will patch the fuse for dings and will get it ready for final sanding and glassing.

prgonzalez

Both fairings are finished now. Not perfect but close enough to be happy for the results. Proceeding to the cowl now.

tubig

It’s been several years since I’ve looked in on this thread. Wow, I never imagined my original build thread would blossom into a general TF Spitfire building thread as this has. This really is becoming a great one-stop source of info for this kit. Unfortunately, it’s been so long since I built mine that I don’t have much to contribute but I’ve sure enjoyed seeing the current builds here. Keep up the informative posts!

P-Y

My Feedback: (1)

Your thread made things so much easier when I built mine. Thank you Tim!

ForcesR

I have not posted in this thread for a long while. I’ve been trying for quite some time to maiden my TF Spitfire on a weekend; my job interferes during week days. Unfortunately most weekends over the summer were either rainy or there were strong cross winds at the flying field. The few weekends that I may have been able to do the maiden flight was interrupted by other priorities.<o></o>

<o></o>

I took a day off from work on Tuesday, decided after a medical appointment to take the Spitfire to the field for the maiden flight. At the field a group of retirees gathered around the Spitfire to judge the build quality and to hear what a Saito Gas engine sounded like when fired up. Everyone approved of the look and quality of the build; I told them they would be really impressed by the sound of the Saito when she fired up.<o></o>

<o></o>

I started the engine; let it fast idle for 40 to 50 seconds to allow warm up. I then advanced the throttle to check maximum rpm before I launched the Spitfire. At ½ throttle, the engine abruptly stopped, I went for a restart and found that the prop/crankshaft would not turn, the engine was completely seized. I had to hang my head in shame after bragging to the retirees how well Saito engines performed.<o></o>

<o></o>

I’m beginning to think I have a Friday or Monday assembled Saito gasengine? Right out of the box it had a faulty carburetor. Through warranty, Horizon Hobby sent me a replacement carburetor for the FG20. With the new carburetor installed, the engine ran very well, smooth, loads of power and sounded great, until Tuesday.

The engine only has 2hrs 20 minutes of total run time; it has not been run lean. The low speed needle is set at 4 turns 10 minutes from flush with the throttle arm. The high speed needle is set at approximately 1 turn 25 minutes from closed and the engine had a slight burble at full throttle which indicates slightly rich. <o></o>

<o></o>

I am just glad the engine seized on the ground and not during take off. I would have lost the Spitfire and probably would not have known that the engine seized during take off. I would have associated the seized engine as the result of crash damage. I’ll send the FG20 back to HH for warranty work, hopefully they will let me know what actually failed and caused the engine to seize.

Roger

Michel

Hi Roger

Youre not the only one who took Tuesday off , I did as well , after a med appointment . It was a great day to fly . Something we haven,t seen here in a few weeks . I was maidening a 120 size Zero with a JC-28 , it had tilt and die issues . So , I flew the Styker Q ,..... oh well , it was a nice day .

Sorry to here about youre engine , like you said , better on the ground than in the air . Sure hope you get it off before the season ends .
As for my Spit , I haven,t even started it as of yet , other projects going , teething on the Zero , FW-190 project with a DLE-35 RA ( this should be a rocket ), it has rear exhaust . And one other project to do a super dooper balancing jig , ( picture included ) .

Please ,....keep us in the loop .

Michel

OldScaleGuy

My Feedback: (2)

Does any one have a flying report on this one? It may be here but i have missed it. Thanks.

prgonzalez

I am still working on the plug for the cowl. I had the plug ready with primer and let it cure for one week. Yesterday, I applied PartAll wax to the plug and the wax reacted with the primer and now I have a mess. [:@] Something I was never expecting.

I read the label and found that PartAll wax has petroleum distillates, so it acted as solvent to the primer. I should have used car wax. Now I am in trouble as warm weather is fading and will have problems working with epoxy for creating the mold and then the new FG cowl.