RE: The complete YELLOW AIRCRAFT SPITFIRE thread.
 

Just a suggestion for hinging your alu tube. Cut slots in it for the hinge. I would use G10 or similar material to fashion the hinge. Or you could use one half of a robart hinge.
Piano wire connects all the hinges etc. That should work just fine.

RE: The complete YELLOW AIRCRAFT SPITFIRE thread.
 

Brad and Bob,

Thank you for for the suggestions.

I discovered that the flap well is pretty deep without the foam. I was able to keep both the 3/32 plywood sheet and the balsa wedge to make the flap and it still fits into the flap well with the tube and ribs. I wasn't sure how to hinge the flap, so I tried square plastic hinges, made by Dubro I think. In the second picture, the flap is temporarily attached with four square hinges, although not glued. I think these will work. There is only a small gap between the flap and the trailing edge and a full 85 degrees of deflection can be obtained. My old spit used three of these hinges on each flap and they never came loose, so I think using four hinges on each flap for extra strength will work. I know the flap detail won't often be seen, but I've always wanted to do it and I'll know it's there.

I'll have some time off work next week between Christmas and New Year's Eve, so I hope to make good progress on the wing, including the full spar modification.

Cheers!

-Ed B.

RE: The complete YELLOW AIRCRAFT SPITFIRE thread.
 

Good job mate, sounds like you are well on your way.

Cheers,

Brad

RE: The complete YELLOW AIRCRAFT SPITFIRE thread.
 

Thinking I need more air supply for my internal carb on the 3W I got to work with the Dremel and cut out a couple of intakes to allow air into the scale carb intake under the wing center section. I tried to run the engine but didnt get as far as setting up the model as the batteries were just that bit too low on volts. With the extensions I need to run to have the switches under the rear hatch the volt drop is pretty huge so I might bite the bullet and move the switches so I do not have to run any extension leads. I took volt readings straight from the batteries with no leads or switches and one was 5.2 volts![X(]

Ever learning, cheers,

Brad

RE: The complete YELLOW AIRCRAFT SPITFIRE thread.
 

sounds like crap leads and connectors

RE: The complete YELLOW AIRCRAFT SPITFIRE thread.
 

[X(][X(][>:][>:] Far from crap my banana bending buddy:) I have heavy duty twisted leads and JR heavy duty switches on both, all brand new items. Only thing is I have a 6" extension lead from the battery to the switch and then a 12" extension from the switch to the RX. I must admit that I had only had the batteries on the 'trickle' charger for a few hours to top them up before wanting to run the engine and they had been sitting a while before that so they probably didnt have much guts in them. I have charged them over night so they should be right. I will definitely be keeping a good eye on them in the future. I check volts before every flight just so you all know and check other's models before I fly them if at all possible.

Cheers Pete and all other Spitfire affectionates, hope you had a great Chrissy and have an awesome new year,

Brad

RE: The complete YELLOW AIRCRAFT SPITFIRE thread.
 

Hi Brad,
hmmm I'm thinking I would connect a load and measure at each connector as your voltage drop over those distance with high qualitiy leads and switches should be miniscule. I run about 30cm leads on the seafury with no problems.

Hope your New Year is great too mate. I'm about to get back into the P47, only needs some sanding on cowl, dummy antenna and retract test and it is ready for painting. :eek:

Or I might re-engine the Seafury! hmmm or get the MkXII Spit in the air! 90" so no a small one. Same stable as out P51s. JMI.

Cheers
Peter

RE: The complete YELLOW AIRCRAFT SPITFIRE thread.
 

I've been using a set of Yellow Spit gear for probably 6-7 years. I recently had the need to replace the left strut assembly and received the new strut from Yellow. It's quite different from the older strut. First, it's 1/4" longer, with the addl. length due to larger drag links that allow the ram to extend 1/4" further out of the upper strut. Second, the axle threads are coarse on the new strut and the door mount hole is threaded differently. Anybody know why all the changes? I'm also looking for some ideas on how to shorten the strut so it matches the original. Oh, one other thing, the hole where the strut mounts to the trunion is larger so I need to find the right diameter brass tube to insert into the strut.

RE: The complete YELLOW AIRCRAFT SPITFIRE thread.
 

Well that does not seem right... thats alot of changes
Did they warn you about this?
Casey

RE: The complete YELLOW AIRCRAFT SPITFIRE thread.
 

Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year to everyone!

So, with some time off from work, I made some progress on the spitfire. I built the ailerons. The stock wingtips seem a little flimsy to me, so I added a single 1/16" balsa rib to each fiberglass wing tip to add some strength. I know some have filled the wingtips with insulating foam, but I don't have any experience with this material and have heard some people who had problems with the foam continuing to expand in the hot sun. The balsa rib is easy to make and install and is very light, so I went with that. I roughed up the end of the wing tips prior to gluing them onto the wing panels


-Ed B.

RE: The complete YELLOW AIRCRAFT SPITFIRE thread.
 

Continuing on with the main wing. The first thing I wanted to do was to avoid having to route the aileron servo wire through the wheel well. I don't care for the look of this and there is a very easy work-around. I made a hole tool out of 12" of 1/2" copper tubing and taped a dowel in the end. I heated the end of the copper tube and made a hole from the inner edge of each outer panel through the flap servo well and all the way to the aileron servo well. It's incredibly easy to do and the hot copper tube slides right through the foam. I was surprised at how easy it was to do. I then went ahead and used the tool to make a larger hole through the center panel. This provides a nice hole for routing the aileron and flap servo extensions and allows easy servicing if necessary.

The first photo shows the tool, the second photo shows the tool sitting in the new hole from the inner edge of the wing panel, thorough the flap servo well and into the aileron servo well. The second photo also shows some of the rib detail I added to the wing. The third photo is an end shot showing the new hole in the outer panel. The fourth and fifth photos show the new hole through the center panel.

-Ed B.

RE: The complete YELLOW AIRCRAFT SPITFIRE thread.
 

I also made new spars for the wings. The first picture shows the stock wing joiners and the new spars that I made from five ply plywood. The new front spar and the stock front spar are shown on top. The new front spar extends 10" into each outer panel instead of perhaps 2". The new rear spar (extended by 2 inches) and the stock rear spar are shown on the bottom. The second photo shows the new front spar glued into the wing. I think the new front spar adds a lot of strength to the wing. Thanks to Leo and Brad for all their contributions on this.

One word of caution about the new front spar: After cutting the bottom sheeting and the slot in the center section, the only thing that is holding the portion of the center section in front of the cut is the top sheeting, which gets pretty flimsy. When gluing in the new front spar, I was concerned that clamping it or taping it might change the shape of the front of the center section, since my new trench was slightly larger than just the spar. I didn't want to put too much pressure on the front of the center section to change the aerodynamic shape of center section or to create problems with the center section not fitting the fuselage. So, I kept the center section on the styrofoam template when gluing in the new front spar so that the center section would maintain its shape and I checked it probably five times before gluing. I used Gorilla glue, which I have never used before. It does expand a lot, so tape off any adjacent areas and be prepared to wipe off excess. It seems to bond very well to wood and foam, but it does have voids.

I have glued both outer panels and will have pictures tomorrow.



-Ed B.

RE: The complete YELLOW AIRCRAFT SPITFIRE thread.
 

That is indeed sad news fytrjok. One would think that a well established company like Yellow would not have to change anything of what they sell as it is tried and tested all OK over the years. AND to not notify of changes is poor management. I am so grateful that you posted that here as if I ever had to replace one of my UC legs I would have done like yourself and just ordered away. I would have been very peeved (pissed) off at the world if I were you.
Might I suggest you contact the good people at YA, explain the situation and ask for the other gear leg at at least a discount because they can not supply you with the proper spare??
Good luck mate and please keep me (us) informed.

Flyfast, good work mate. Good to see you didnt add lightning holes where the wing dowels go.;). Like you I made sure the center section stayed in it's cradle from cutting to final gluing to ensure it kept it's correct shape.
Now for the UC interconnecting plates ay? All easy. Like the servo lead tube as well.

Cheers,

Brad

RE: The complete YELLOW AIRCRAFT SPITFIRE thread.
 

I joined the outer wing panels to the center panel. This is depicted in the first picture below. Before joining I decided to add some lightening holes to the new rear wing joiner that is 2" longer than the stock one. I am happy how it turned out structurallyseems strong and light.

Brad, I plan to add a plywood plate to connect the inner end of undercarriage mount to the wing joiners. In the second picture, the left side of the blue tape is where the new plywood brace will be located. Did you run the joiner from the rear joiner to the front joiner? At the location indicated by the circle on the blue tape, there is a plywood spar running across the center wing panel. Did you just cut through this with a dremel before adding the support plate for the undercarriage mount, or do something else? Looks like the support plate could just tie into the rear wing joiner and that would be strong enough.

Thanks,

Ed B.

RE: The complete YELLOW AIRCRAFT SPITFIRE thread.
 

Hi Ed,good work mate. Sorry just a quick reply tonight,,, check out post 356,,, shows the inter plate.

Cheers,

Brad

RE: The complete YELLOW AIRCRAFT SPITFIRE thread.
 

Hey Flyfast.. nice work... I think Brad means post 456/7 because it's not 356/7. and Yes the landing gear reinforcement plate stops at the center joiner... the mark on your blue tape. In my case a simple butt joint with lots of epoxy

Cheers

Len

RE: The complete YELLOW AIRCRAFT SPITFIRE thread.
 

Yeah, sorry man post 379 shows it all.

Cheers,

Brad

RE: The complete YELLOW AIRCRAFT SPITFIRE thread.
 

Thanks for clearing that up. I wasn't sure whether you guys cut through the center joiner to extend the new reinforcing plate all the way to the front spar, or just stopped at the center joiner. It seemed a little counterproductive to cut the center joiner. I will bond the new reinforcing plate to the center joiner.

-Ed B.

RE: The complete YELLOW AIRCRAFT SPITFIRE thread.
 

I have successfully installed the extra support plates for the undercarriage. As has been mentioned before, these plates connect between the rear wing joiner and the front wing joiner and join to the inside of the inner gear mount to better support the inner gear mount. The first picture shows the locations of the trenches. I felt like a dentist removing decay! The second picture shows a closeup of the trench next to the right inner gear plate to show the foam that was removed, so that ultimately the plate gets glued to the wood of the inner gear mount plate and not foam. The trench ended up a little wider than I wanted, but I wanted to be sure to remove all the foam from the back of the existing inner gear plate and also from the rear and forward wing joiners, so that I could glue wood to wood. I used Gorilla glue with micro balloons and it easily filled in any of the gaps. The third picture shows the plates installed. I don't have a picture of my plates, but I did add holes to reduce weight and increase flow of the Gorilla glue. So, I am finally done with the structural upgrades to the wing. A lot of work that takes a lot of time, but not overly difficult, thanks to the contributions of Brad, Leo, Len and others. I think the end result is a wing that is much strong than the stock build, at a slight weight penalty and added build time.

In the third picture I have removed all the foam from the wheel wells and the landing gear mounting area. I have Sierra Precision gear that required removing the foam to fit. As shown in the picture, I've laid in some heavy 6 ounce cloth with resin.

-Ed

RE: The complete YELLOW AIRCRAFT SPITFIRE thread.
 

Taking a break from the wing, I had my spinner backplate lightened by a local machine shop. I prefer the quicker engine response (shorter spoolup time) provided by a lighter backplate.

Those of you using the Dubro balancer know that it can't be easily used with the backplate because as shown in Pic #1, the backplate is not thick enough to prevent the two cones from touching. I tried turning around one of the cones (Pic #2) and used a wheel collar to hold the cone tight. I found it difficult to ensure that the backward cone was perfectly centered over the hole in the backplate and if it is not, then I don't think the balancer works correctly. I tried disassembling and reassembling this arrangement a few times and found it was giving me inconsistent results.

So, I came up with a solution that seems to work well. At a local hardware store I found a nylon spacer that has an outer diameter that is exactly the same as the diameter of the hole in the backplate (Pic #3). With the spacer in place, the Dubro balancer cones can be used (Pic #4) without touching together and it seems to provide consistent measurements, so I am using this arrangement to balance the backplate. Once the backplate is balanced, I will add the spinner and see if I can balance both the backplate and the spinner using a cantelever arrangement.

-Ed B.

RE: The complete YELLOW AIRCRAFT SPITFIRE thread.
 

I was always under the impression that this aircraft needed some serious engine.
Here's a vid' I found whilst looking for something else:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0K2Z1si9GAo

Yellow Spit' powered by the small Saito 36cc four stroke gasser!
Scrappy flying (possibly due the the CG set wrong) but the aircraft has power.
Quite an eye opener, for me at least.

RE: The complete YELLOW AIRCRAFT SPITFIRE thread.
 

That vid was one of the ones that kept me going through my build. When I started I could not find too many Youtube clips on YA Spitfires but that one was a good'n.
I hope to get a video of good quality of mine one day.

Cheers,

Brad

RE: The complete YELLOW AIRCRAFT SPITFIRE thread.
 

hello David

Twenty years ago I flew my yellow spitfire with a supertigre3000 and it flew nice and fast...you didn't have to modify the wing spars and so on....I still have my yellow spit and one day it will be back in the air . A nice saito220 on glow will be more than power for my spitfire...

RE: The complete YELLOW AIRCRAFT SPITFIRE thread.
 

Another great day today,,, I flew the Spitfire for flights seven and eight.[X(]
I initially took it down the field for engine runs and vibration checks but everything was looking good so I did two flights.
Another test was transporting it in the new trailer and of course that went off with out a hitch (so to speak:)) With the engine in the model and with the 21x11 prop I was getting almost exactly 6000RPM. The other day on the bench with the 22x10 I was getting 7000.
With the work I have done on the spinner (not the static one I am still working on) I can now put my hand on the top of the cowl and not have it jump off with vibration and full noise. Today I tested, prop only, then with back plate and then whole assembly. There was an increase in vibration but not all that much so I reckon I have almost got it.
I am actually happy enough with it that I will now submit the paper work to have it certified.
I shall continue with mounting and then testing the kit static spinner I have laminated with carbon fiber and hopefully the rest of the vibration will disappear, or close to. I know there will always be some.

Cheers,

Brad

RE: The complete YELLOW AIRCRAFT SPITFIRE thread.
 

Hmmm,,, I did a post but the thread stayed on page 6 so I am trying to bump it.
I hate it when RCU has issues![:@][:'(]:(

Cheers,

Brad