fokke

WOOOOOWWW

It is super ...........super [sm=thumbs_up.gif][sm=thumbs_up.gif][sm=thumbs_up.gif]

Grumpy1940

here how i work with litho.
-anneling litho with low cost torch. colorside of lithoplate works as a indicator, when its lightly brown its ready.
-then cutting panel to shape
-drawning the rivetlines with pen
-shaping the blister cores from balsa. then forcing tha alloy over the core with hard balsa block. glue the core to panel.
-hammering the rivets and small screws to panel
-contact glue to panel and plug. waiting 15minutes, then rubbing the panel to plug with balsa block.
-after all scotch brightening patch is good for smoothening the surface and killing the sharp edges lightly. better releasing for mold.

in pic i read factory blueprints and drawning the rivetlines...

cheers

fokke

Hi Grumpy,
Nice work ,how much thin is this al. litho ?

Grumpy1940

Hi Rumen!
the lithoplate is 0,35-0,4mm thick. i think its perfect. but annealing is really must or its impossible to hammer perfect rivets to it.
just few seconds per area from clean side of alloy. keep your eye on colorside when you see color changing lightly its ready.
let it cool down. and drop the alloy to table, and if it sounds like dead. its perfect then. if its like steel with repound its not ready.

Grumpy1940

..and wheelwell bumps looks like this in the end.

vasek

My Feedback: (4)

WOW! i'm impressed [8D]

how much more weight does the process add compared to the classic glassing ?

Thanks,
V.

Grumpy1940

Hi Vasek!
i will make molds from wings, fuse and tailplane. so the the plane will be full composite plane. carbon/balsa/glass sandwiched. vacuum bagged.
so i believe it will be light.. at least hoping so!!

cheers

Grumpy1940

I will mold ailerons with wings. then i have proper wash out in ailerons too. left on is done and right one half away (upper skins)
mick reeves scale tape used on ribs... and reading blueprints all the time...

duckalliance

After a long break from the hobby, we've completely gone off glo-power and are looking to convert a scale spit from mickreeves to electric.
This thread is _very_ useful so we'll be keeping an eye on you, sir!

Your spitfire is going to be beautiful.

Grumpy1940

There is never too much spitfires! im glad if you find my thread helpful. and dont hasitade to ask help if needed. i will help if i can.
let us know how it will go!!! good luck!

Grumpy1940

..i was helping my friend with composites and on side laminated spinner mold.
it was extrem tight on spinner plug. but finally i got it off. mold is 8mm thick. so i think it lasts forever...
when im bored about hammering.. i will make carbon spinner. after that i working with backplate plug...

langerl

My Feedback: (5)

Hi Grumpy!
Your work is coming along GREAT! You will have many people standing in line to buy your Mk I kit when ever you get ready to market the model. I will be very close to the head of the line. Hope you can get it to the U.S.

Just a note. In looking at your fuse and wing bottom pictures, I can't really see whether you have included the slight inverted "gull wing" shape which is a subtle part of the the wing fairing on all early Mark Spits. Take a close look at the bottom of the real aircraft, where the fuse meets the trailing edge of the wing and aft toward the end of the wing fairing. If you can find one, the Aero Details books have a couple of color photos of this area (reference Vol 8 and Vol 27). If you can't find a good reference, I'd be glad to help out.

Keep up the GREAT work!!!!

regards,
langerl

Spitfire222

This is amazing. I wish you the best of luck on the build and flying. Thank you for doing this so that now I know what plane I want to build after college.

Sincerely,
An unconditional Spitfire buff since birth

PS: Keep the pictures coming, love them.

Grumpy1940

Hi! real scale gull wing is included!! 100%scale one. i have 3000 (yes three thousand) pictures from early mark spitfires.
in few weeks i will work under side of wing. trying to get wing plug ready in 3-4 weeks. my friend visited last summer in britain and took excellent pictures from bottom side of spitfire mk1a.
and thanks from kind words. those pushing me forward. i will send pictures and show my molding progress too.
my goal is get plugs done in 3 month. im working every week average 15-18hours with spitty.

cheers

langerl

My Feedback: (5)

Hi Grumpy!
GREAT! I will follow your progress closely. I am looking forward to the release of your kits.

regards,
langerl

duckalliance

just to spur you on a little...
http://media.putfile.com/81--H9-P-47...-Middle-Wallop

SJN

That actualy sounds pretty cool [sm=thumbs_up.gif]

Grumpy1940

http://www.enrarot.net/videos/spitfire/spitfire14.wmv
here with merlin sound.....

tahustvedt

Hehe Griffon actually.

Startup and idle: http://www.enrarot.net/videos/spitfire/spitfire12.wmv



I'm following this thread with great interest!

Grumpy1940

Very nice Tahustvedt!
its very interesting to see where electrical scale planes is going in future...

fokke

Hi Jukka ,do you have some progress of moulding?

Very nice video

Grumpy1940

No new molds yet,Rumen.
i spent 1 day cleaning my shop, because i had some sirious problems to find tools.
now i can really speed up hammering plugs... pics in few days.

i´ll be back...

Grumpy1940

..More panels.. on wing tips is less rivets. so panels are now kinda easy to do at this point.
2-3 more days and upper surface is ready...

Grumpy1940

Time for a beer!!
upper surface is hammered. later i will smoothen the surface littlebit with scotch brightening pad. makes panels edges softer (you cant see with eye it, but can feel it by hand) makes mold release much easier.
i started to cut bottom panels....

Grumpy1940

hello!
i started hammering bottom side of wing panels.
i think one of most diffucult part in spitfire wing is leading edge panels. and how to get those fit together.. this time im happy with result... it wasnt easy...