Guillow's Spitfire Build
 

I've read a lot about converting Guillows kits to R/C, and I've built a bunch of them for C/L and display, so here is my attempt at a Guillows R/C project.

I guess this thread could wind up lasting quite a while because I tend to build slowly and get distracted from the project at hand, but here goes my build, anyway. Perhaps knowing that there's interest out there will help me stick to it. First of all, props to Combat Pig and his FW 190 thread that has lit the fire under me.

First couple of photos show the kit and most of what I think I'll be needing. I'm going to try to keep a tally of how much this costs, as well. First off, the kit was a gift (Christmas '04) but they run about $35, I think. I bought a Norvel .061 Big Mig start up for $44 and a Hi-Tec feather flight pack for $63, and extra servo for $17, AAA NiMH battery pack for $25, and misc. hardware and balsa. Total cost is about $145 plus tax at this point. I know that I'll still need a receiver crystal, covering material and dope or paint.

RE: Guillow's Spitfire Build
 

I checked to see how the Norvel will fit ... looks like I'll be moving the firewall back about 1/8"

Oh yeah ... I haven't bought a fuel tank, yet, either, so I'll be starting with the wing.

My first step is to modify the airfoil from the flat bottom included in the kit, and make it semi-symmetrical. I began by sketching on the rib profiles on the plan. I basically took 1/16 off the top, and added it to the bottom. Did what looked right to me, freehand.

Next I traced the outlines onto some nice 1/16 balsa sheet. (Don't ask me what weight, I have no idea. It just feels good to me!) BTW, the balsa in this particular kit isn't bad, either. I probably won't be replacing everything, just some select pieces, and drilling some lightening holes.

RE: Guillow's Spitfire Build
 

PHLIP, You're getting off to a good start! You might have already done it, but I think it pays to run some lines through the newly airfoiled wing on the side view drawing and check incidence, chances are you will need to recontour the wing saddle. Same goes for the stab and firewall, just to make sure that everything in the drawing is at zero-zero-zero.

RE: Guillow's Spitfire Build
 

Yee ha! Let 'er rip dude! I've heard that making the wing semi-symmetrical makes for better flights! Before getting too far along you should do a draft layout for your tank, battery, receiver and servos as well. This will help you determine if you have enough clearances, if you need to trim formers, if you CG will be close, etc. I did some of this early on w/my Zero but not nearly enough...

eroc

RE: Guillow's Spitfire Build
 

I did a Spit a while back.. Now hangs proudly from the ceiling of my office. It would proberbly still fly if converted to E-power.
It started life with a Pee Wee. Flew great on a good engine run.
An old .049 reedie was later grafted on... Quite zippy ..

I don't remember doing too many mods... I think I may have made the nose half inch longer and sheeted with 1/32. The fin a taste larger and a little more dihedral.
Aso an aeronautic PhD. advised to build washout in the wing (4 Degs) Even the full size had washout 2 or more degrees of twist I believe.
If I did another I would lose some of the wing ribs.

RE: Guillow's Spitfire Build
 

Skaliwag - That looks great! How well did the air scoops on the underside of the wing survive landings?

eroc

RE: Guillow's Spitfire Build
 

Very nice, SKALIWAG! Looks like a museum piece. Is that the largest size they offer? I don't know much about GUILLOWs but it seems like they have 3 main size ranges in the product line.

RE: Guillow's Spitfire Build
 

Oh, yeah, Skaliwag, nice job! What did you use for control? I'm curios about the scoops surviving landings, too.

Here's my progress today:

Finished tracing the ribs; cut out all the ribs; sanded them in pairs.

RE: Guillow's Spitfire Build
 

I think I had HS 55 size servos with a de-cased 555 or 535. 150 MaH battery. Don't remember having trouble with scoops coming off. I used Z56 to glue them on. The carb scoop is the hatch to get in. Looks like one of the manifold is off... It's supposed to look beat up... It's a war bird.

This one is their big one, #403, the other #504 is only 16 inch span.
Easy Built stilll makes a big one at 50" #FF-55. Also a 17"(#FF-49) and 20"(#EB-01) I have a 44"(#ERC-5) and I think I have a 35" statched away somewhere.


Edit ..... remove a wrong picture

RE: Guillow's Spitfire Build
 

Hi Steve, that Spit. looks fantastic.

RE: Guillow's Spitfire Build
 

Latest progress:

With a gluestick, I applied a 1/16 strip of 150 grit sandpaper to the edge of a piece of 1/16 balsa, and used it to sand the 1/16 deep groves for the wing spars.

RE: Guillow's Spitfire Build
 

Next, I sharpened the ends of a couple of different diameters of brass tube and used them to drill lightening holes in the ribs.

RE: Guillow's Spitfire Build
 

PHLIP, looking good, at this stage you've only got 98 hours left to go!

RE: Guillow's Spitfire Build
 

Here's my progress over the last week, next few posts:

Cut out the die cut parts for the wing outline. Could Guillows have invested in new dies? These parts are among the best I've seen in a Guillows kit. The wood is pretty nice. I guess I got lucky.

Next I glued up the outline parts and laminated the LE and tips.

RE: Guillow's Spitfire Build
 

Next, after the laminates dried (I used yellow carpenter's glue) I remove the outlines from the board and trued up the insides with sanding block to get a better glue surface.

Then I fit the ribs to the LE/TE gap using my True Sander to get a good edge on the front of the ribs.

Then I glued in the ribs using Zap CA. Oh yeah, the LE/TE was pinned up on 1/16th shims so I had clearance for the rounded bottoms of the ribs.

RE: Guillow's Spitfire Build
 

After getting the right wing put together, I decided to get the aileron designed and built before going on with the left wing. I could get pretty close to the scale aileron outlines. just a touch larger, and route my torque rods as you see in the photo.

Then I cut the TE with a razor saw, and the ribs with a razor blade. Then I fit a piece of 1/4 square balsa which will accept the Robart hinge points.

Finally I used the cut off TE and ribs to make up the aileron.

RE: Guillow's Spitfire Build
 

A few more pics of the aileron construction:

RE: Guillow's Spitfire Build
 

Well, like I said, I move slowly, but this is getting ridiculous! I'm dying to get this wing finished up, but engineering the ailerons has taken a bit more time and effort than I expected.

At this point, I've brought the left wing along to the same stage as the right, and shaped and hinged the ailerons. I've also put the torque rods through the ribs and I'm getting ready to build the center section. After that, hopefully, the addition of the spars will go quickly and I'll be done with the wing pretty soon.

First pic is building the left wing. Second is shaping the ailerons, and third is shaping the LE and tips.

RE: Guillow's Spitfire Build
 

The first pic here is hinging the ailerons, second is fitting the torque rod, and third is the center section and how I'm offsetting the center rib so I can center the aileron servo.

RE: Guillow's Spitfire Build
 

Man! That's alot of work! The wing sure does have more work in it than what first meets the eye. Keep it up, you're doing a great job!

RE: Guillow's Spitfire Build
 

How do you plan to make the wing de-tatchable?

RE: Guillow's Spitfire Build
 

I find this very interesting actually. i dont mean to hijack the thread, but i got my hands on a guillows spit and a p-51 a while back. p-51 is already built and was my first model. i was trying to make it electric, but after runnign into issues of which motor to pick and what to use for a battery and how exaclt yi wanted to do the control sufaces, i gave up and started building the HoB two-tee i had sittign around. so the p-51 still sits partially uncovered waiting for a battery, engine mod/replacment, and a receiver.

could you possible post more detailed pictues on the modification you are doing to this plane, as i will be starting that spit soon and would love to make use of your changes since i am still new to the art of plane building.

RE: Guillow's Spitfire Build
 

Good question! Thanks for asking it ... I think you just helped keep me from building myself into a corner. I plan to put dowel(s) on the LE and use a nylon bolt on the TE. I guess it's time to start putting that together, too.

I'll see what I can do. Unfortunately, my camera won't get real close-up.

RE: Guillow's Spitfire Build
 

PHLIP, that's an easy corner to get into! :eek: I've helped myself get out of that corner with 1.5 oz fiberglass cloth and medium CA, to strengthen the trailing edge and tie it to the rest of the wing. With the help of FG & CA, I don't sweat mental lapses anymore, I just let them come ;). Are you running aileron torque rods the entire length of the trailing edge? The down side of long torque rods is they get twisty and the ailerons will not act positively, they will be springy and too wimpy to deflect much.

RE: Guillow's Spitfire Build
 

Yeah, CP, I'm running long torque rods. I think I picked the right gage {0.047" or 3/64"} as a compromise between being too heavy and being too twisty. I guess I'll see. My HOB .25 size PT-19 has pretty long torque rods that work quite well. Of course it's a bigger plane ...