Spitfire Mk IX Stunter
 

I've almost finished this Spit which was built from a plan. Span is 36", fairly lightweight and powered by an OS .15. I'm hoping to try it out next weekend..........John

RE: Spitfire Mk IX Stunter
 

G'day John,

Very nice model. Is it an Aeroflyte model? I had one of their second series Spits, not as fine looking as yours, but a beaut flier.

Hope you have clear skies and gentle breezes for you test flights.

Regards

Greg

RE: Spitfire Mk IX Stunter
 

Hi Greg, the plan was published by MM Plans Service during the 60's I think. Model Maker was an Australian magazine apparently. Although I'm 58 YO I can't recall ever seeing a copy of it. A friend was kind enough to copy his plan for me. This one is mucher closer to scale than the AeroFlyte version, which I've also built and crashed ( a line crimp failed ) a few years ago. Thanks for your encouraging comments.........John

RE: Spitfire Mk IX Stunter
 

Greetings from the States.

Looks good! It always seems strange to see a plane like that without dihedral ... the wings almost seem to droop. But I'm sure it's gonna fly beautifully. What's the finish, silkspan and dope?

Nice job on the landing gear, too. I like the scale look of the plane.

Good luck,

Phil

RE: Spitfire Mk IX Stunter
 

Beauty mate

RE: Spitfire Mk IX Stunter
 

Hi Phil, you're right about the thick, flat wing. Doesn't look right, but its a concession to flight performance. The "droop" is an optical illusion caused by the gently curved leading edge. Considering the fuse. is so scale I was tempted to build a thin dihedralled wing to match it, but performance would have suffered.
The wing covering is indeed doped Silkspan. The fuse. is talc/dope mix sanded smooth. Paint is Tamiya spray can matt RAF colours, finished with a few coats of oilbased polyurethane clear matt. I printed the decals on my inkjet using MS Word........John

RE: Spitfire Mk IX Stunter
 

I assume the oilbased poly U is fuel proof and seals the decals and brings the paint finish to a uniform consistency. Looks great. I'm in the midst of building a Guillows Spitfire, 1/2 A, R/C conversion, and I'm considering the best paint job. I'll have to remember the Tamiya paints. Are they fuel proof without the overcoat?

Phil

RE: Spitfire Mk IX Stunter
 

Phil, fuel proofing is an art unto itself and I'm no expert on the subject. However, I have just run a tank of 5% nitro, 20% castor through the Spit to ensure everything will work at the field on Saturday and I'm happy to report the mineral based polyurethane finish appears impervious to this fuel mix. Look for a clear, matt top coat product that says on the label " Clean Up With Mineral Turpentine " for your R/C Spitfire.
In my experience lacquer ( esp. automotive touch up spray ) is usually OK with diesel fuel, but glow fuel needs a good quality, slow drying oil based paint such as enamel. Tamiya spray appears to be lacquer based and unprotected may be vunerable to glow fuel. I'm no expert, just reporting my observations.
So.... Tamiya matt camouflage colours covered with matt polyurethane mineral based clear spray MAY be OK for your application with the high nitro fuel used in Cox engines. Any repairs could be a problem as you can respray enamel over lacquer, but NEVER spray lacquer over enamel, it will bubble. Perhaps you should first do a test first on a piece of scrap balsa......John
P.S. I've been following your Spit. build on the 1/2A Forum, I also fly small R/C models and enjoy running my small Cox engines. I was recently given a Guillows Spit. by a family member which'll be slotted into the production line in due course. Cox powered of course!

RE: Spitfire Mk IX Stunter
 

Oh come on...don't leave me all up in the air like that :D. Tell me (us?) how you did it because I've been thinking it should be possible somehow.

I'm in the (slow) process of building a stunt trainer for my son and taking a few photos as I go so when it's finished I'll start a topic on it. That's if it flies ok :)

RE: Spitfire Mk IX Stunter
 

I wouldn't mind knowing myself.;)


BTW Vauxhall, that is a fine spitfire. I also had the Aeroflyte spitfire and it was not the most scale like stunter.

RE: Spitfire Mk IX Stunter
 

The first thing to do is buy some decal paper at your LHS, I've also found some for sale on * Bay. Ensure you get the correct paper for your printer...laser or inkjet. Mostly I use white decal film, clear is also available. I design my graphics and lettering using MS Word, Windows Paint will also do a reasonable job. Don't forget you can incorporate photos and pics too if you want. When you're happy with your design work, print out a test copy on plain printer paper. If it looks good, print it onto the decal paper. Let the ink dry completely, then spray a LIGHT coat of clear lacquer over the sheet. Most inkjet print disolves in water, the clear coat you've sprayed on prevents this happening. When dry, just cut out your designs, soak in luke warm water for a minute or two, slide onto the wetted surface, position the decal and remove any air bubbles. Later you can seal and fuel proof the decal with a suitable clear coat. Only hard bit is getting the graphics correct. Quite a lot of info on the net re this topic..............John

RE: Spitfire Mk IX Stunter
 

downunder,
It's also possible (and is a bunch cheaper) to use Label Maker sheets that're sold at office supply stores. I'm presently using AVERY brand. Most are marked as being for Ink Jet printers.

They sell two types that I've used successfully. One is clear sheets and the other is white sheets. PC ink jet printers don't have white ink in them so if your decal has white in it, you use the white sheet. When you use the white sheet, you then have to trim the decal to it's outline.

I spray the printed sheets with Lustercote for fixing the ink. Even if the decal isn't placed where it'll be subject to exhaust spray, that decal is going to be "outside" and will benefit from the protection. I've found that if the decal is hit by glowfuel residue, the oil will seep under the edge. So what I'm doing is to spray the decal's edges after it's on the airplane, to seal the edges. Then it's pretty close to bulletproof.

RE: Spitfire Mk IX Stunter
 

I have test flown the Spit., what a great model. Flew right off the plan, no ballast or adjustments needed. Good line tension, nice tight loops, very successful design.......John

RE: Spitfire Mk IX Stunter
 

G'day John,

It looks really great in the air.

What's your next project?

Regards

Greg

RE: Spitfire Mk IX Stunter
 

Hi Greg, haven't decided yet. I have quite a few plans to choose from and I enjoy building models of real aeroplanes. I've an old plan for a Hearns Hobbies Wirraway, I built one back in the very early 60's so its time I built another, 1.5 c.c. diesel powered...........John