LynnR

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OK what am I doing wrong?

S.R.Stoene

Nmac,

Did you get the program to work? IL2. Stoene

LynnR

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SpitfireMKI

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Man, If only I could get our club to loosen up and have a pint or two

Phil, yes spitfire production must remain constant, however it's the highly trained pilots that are in short supply.

Just in from fighter command !, pilots are hereby restricted to base until further notice ! No more sorties down the pub !

My work on the XIV has been very slow, between my wife ending up in hospital earlier this week (all is fine !) and me just being a little blue from the unemployed bug, just haven't been motivated. So for Friday night, it's down to the local tandori for a curry and some pints, that'll make me feel much better ! Hah !

Weather looks lousy for the weekend so work should resume on the wing panels Saturday. Then F1 returns in Australia on Sunday Morning ! YAAAAHHHH ! Go Jens !

S1

nmacwarbirds

Dear S.R.Stoene
No I have not been able to get IL2 Forgotten Battles to work.
I have the original IL2 Stormovik and that works fine.

REgards Phil G.

nmacwarbirds

Dear LynnR
Well done you finally got your pics posted.
They look fine.

Regards Phil G.

nmacwarbirds

Dear S1
It's a fair cop, I'm grounded till next months club meeting.
Now that I am older I can't hack this going out and drinking malarkey.
I must make a point of making a chuck glider for next months meeting.
The comp secretary has been trying to get this going for the last three meetings.
I think instead of an He Salamander, it will have to be a Spitfire.


keep your chin up on the job front, I'm sure something will come a long soon.
As a stop gap, could you not give talks demonstrations etc around local flying clubs
schools etc. You seem to have a vast knowledge of World War Two.

Why not let that knowledge earn you some money.

Just a thought.

Regards Phil G.

Perhaps this pic will cheer you up

SpitfireMKI

My Feedback: (2)

Phil,

Thanks for the encouraging words and the spit profile, I go through this cycle once a month and am getting a handle on it. I've had some positive responses from a few UAV companies here in the Maryland area, so hopefully fulltime work again soon.

One thing I've noticed that I'm jealous of is how many warbird modelers you have in your area. Our club has only five true dedicated warbirders. Four WWII types and one WWI guy. Last year I was the only one flying giant scale, most fly sport or the big 3D Extra 330/Cap232 helicopters. That's ok, it just tough when you don't have mates on the same level and understanding. I think the need for ' total commitment ' in building and flying scares many off. We must ask ourselves, "why put so much time into building a plane that usually ends up being difficult to fly and usually rattles itself apart ? " For me, It's love I suppose ! Nothing like a low pass followed by a victory roll with the tune "Aces high" from the 1969 BOB movie going in your head !

This year looks real good as the five are going to be doing more flying and we have a scale event scheduled for June.

Next post I'll try to shed some light on 315 squadron and the poles.

Mike

Phantom pty

LynnR

very Nice Spitfire ... Is it an ARF who makes it..??

rgds

nmacwarbirds

Dear S1
We have about seven or eight people people in our club who own at least one warbird, by warbird
I mean aircraft of WW2. About three years a go I started a drive to try and get more people
building and flying Warbirds. I choose 1/6th scale as they are not over large but not to small either and they look right together. You can buy plans in this Country for a 1/6th scale FW 190A for £11 canopy £7 Eurokit
retracts for £60. So most people can afford this size warbird. So things are getting better on the
warbird front at our club. I am hoping when the YT International (kmp) Spit XIV comes out we might have some takers on that.

At the 22 runway end at RAF Coltishall, is the Station cemetery.
Buried in there are many brave young men of many nationalities.
Chechs, Poles, New Zealanders, British, French etc.
This is a sad place, but one of the saddest things I saw there was the gravestone of a young
Australian airman an only child he was just nineteen years old when he lost his life in 1943. He lie's
in a cemetery 10,000 miles from his homeland.

We owe them so much.

Regards Phil G.

LynnR

My Feedback: (4)

Yes that is the el cheapo Jamara ARF. But I followed a gentleman's tutorial here on RC UNIVERSE on how to build it right (such as reinforcing the firewall, pinning the control surfaces, etc)and this thing is great. ST90 it screams on low passes. Lands almost like a trainer. My only complaint is the covering seems to come loose here& there now & then. I'll probably re-cover it sometime. Thanks for your comments. LynnR

SpitfireMKI

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Phil,

That's a heartbreaking thing, if only this country really understood what sacrifices were made by other countries during the war.

As far as our club, since warbirds require total flying concentration to master, I think many take the easy way and fly sports, not even scale representations of real planes. In fact we only have a couple of Cubs ! To each is own, I've always been up to a good challenge. Nothing like the feeling of a good flight and a perfect landing !

Having flown all sorts, I have a hard time comparing a Hanger 9 P-51 60 ARF to a 80" plus 'scale' bird. Each has it's own nuances, but the smaller bird doesn't fly as much like a real plane as the larger one will. One must fly a big scale bird to know the difference. I can only imagine what it's like flying those 1/2 scalers you crazy brits have over there. That one chaps 1/2 scale Maggie is truly wonderful, man I'd love to see her fly ! Better yet, take the sticks !

On the other side, the 60 size arf's are a great start into scale warbirds, I came down that path too. I would love to help my clubmates get a start here, if they'd only take the plunge. A great start would be a WM 40size P-51 or H9 P-51 then into a large low winger gasser like my Dynaflite Chippy or H9/GP PT19. Get proficient at that then get a TF ARF or ARC P-51. Then head for a good kit build! You're idea of a 1/6th kit is good, over here, building is slowing and the cost to do a TF 60 kit is close to that of a larger bird. I do really like the Brian Taylor kits in this size, nice scale builders.

Job front is looking real good today, may know something soon ! Man it'll be nice to get back to the grind !

S1

nmacwarbirds

Dear All
Spit XIV versus the BF 109G
What do you think.

Early in1944 the Air Fighting Development Unit at Duxford flew a Mk XIV Spitfire in a comparative trial against a captured Messerschmitt Bf109G. The 109G was the latest sub-type of this by-then veteran German fighter. The following are extracts from the official report.

SPITFIRE XIV VERSUS BF109G

Maximum Speed: The Spitfire XIV is 40 mph [64 km/hr] faster at all heights except near 16,000 feet
[4878 m] - where it is only 10 mph [16 km/hr] faster.

Maximum Climb: The same result - at 16,000 feet [4878 m] the two aircraft are virtually identical, otherwise the Spitfire XIV outclimbs the 109. The zoom climb is practically identical when the climb is made without the throttle open. Climbing at full throttle, the Spitfire XIV draws away from the 109 quite easily.

Dive: During the initial part of the dive, the 109 draws away slightly, but when a speed of 380 mph [611 km/hr] is reached the Spitfire XIV begins to gain on the 109.

Turning Circle: The Spitfire XIV easily out-turns the 109 in either direction.

Rate of Roll: The Spitfire XIV rolls much more quickly.

Conclusion: The Spitfire XIV is superior in every respect.

Regards Phil G.

SpitfireMKI

My Feedback: (2)

If I was a Jerry, I'd have wanted a MkXIV ! That's not good odds by any means.

I think you'll find the FW190D9 was much more comparable to the Spit XIV in it's performance.

S1

nmacwarbirds

Dear All
I could not find a test against a FW 190D, only the 190A.

SPITFIRE XIV VERSUS FW 190A

Maximum Speed: From 0-5,000 feet [0-1525 metres] and between 15,000-20,000 feet
[4573-6100 metres] the Spitfire XIV is only 20 mph [32 km/hr] faster than the FW190;
at all other heights it is up to 60 mph [97 km/hr] faster.

Maximum Climb: The Spitfire XIV has a considerably greater rate of climb at all altitudes.

Dive: After the initial part of the dive, during which the FW 190 gains slightly, the Spitfire XIV has a slight advantage.

Turning Circle: The Spitfire XIV can easily turn inside the FW 190. In the case of a right-hand turn, this difference is not so pronounced.

Rate of Roll: The FW 190 is very much better.

Conclusions: In defence, the Spitfire XIV should us its remarkable maximum climb and turning circle against enemy aircraft. In the attack it can affort to 'mix it' but should beware of the quick roll and dive.
If this manoeuvre is used by a FW190 and the Spitfire XIV follows, it will probably not be able to close
the range until the FW190 has pulled out of its dive.

Regards Phil G.

nmacwarbirds

Dear All
A bit off thread this, just a word of warning.
A friend of mine who is in the RAF, had just charged his LiPo batteries.
They exploded wrecking the model setting the carpet on fire and they also blew a hole
in his ceiling. Fortunately no one was hurt.

Regards Phil G.
PS. They were purchased off of ebay, for a to good to be true price.
Be warned.

GCMDesigns

Hey Phil

Great thread good to see pete's P40?

Here's some spit pics all mkIX.

All sadly departed I will look though some more.....

Graham

GCMDesigns

Phil

1 st B of B pics at colt.

Do you remember this one?

Sure remember chasing those FW190's and Me 109.

nmacwarbirds

Dear Graham
Thanks for the posts, it's a shame those Spits of yours have gone they really do look nice.
It's hard to believe those pics were taken in 2002.

Regards Phil.
PS. The Lightning is back together again, after hatch and wing tube strengthening.

SpitfireMKI

My Feedback: (2)

Here's the D9 specs:

Focke-Wulf190D-9 Specifications

Type
Fighter Bomber

Power Plant
Junkers Jumo 213A-1, 1776 hp (Wep 2,440hp) 12 cylinder, inverted vee, liquid cooled

Unladen weight
7,720 lbs (3,500 kg)

Laden weight
10,670 lbs (4,840 kg)

Max Speed (Sea Level)
357mph (576 k/ph)

Max Speed (22,500ft)
415 mph (670 k/ph)



Climbing Rate
3,300 ft/min (1000m/min)

Max range
560miles (900kms)

Service Ceiling
32,810 feet (10,000 m)

Armament
2x20mm MG 151/20 or 30mm MK 108 (140 rounds per gun) sometimes in outer wings

2x20mm MG 151/20 (200 rounds per gun) in wing roots
2x13.1mm MG 131 Machine Guns (475 rounds per gun) cowling

or without outer MG 151/20's with provision for 30mm MK 108 firing through propellor hub

Wingspan
34ft 5½in (10.49m)

Length
33ft 5.25in (10.2m)

Height
11ft .25in (3.35m)

There was a great article in Flight Journal (I wish I could find my copy) by a British test pilot picking the top fighters of the war based on performance. The Spit XIV was his top choice which he clearly backed with data, the FW190D9 came next followed by the P-51D. That comparison was for the "best all around fighter" not just the longest range.

I don't agree with the bomber escort thing, that the P-51 escorting bombers made the difference. I think the fact was that the bombers drew up fighters so the escort fighters could have at them. After that, it was just a war of attrition for pilots and planes. As the relentless raids continued, germany's top pilots fell one by one. At the same time allied pilots gained experience and were able to pass that on to new pilots. Meanwhile german pilots got less and less training and less and less rest. All numbers folks !

Many also forget the P-47, P-38 and Spitfires escorted plenty of raids in western europe. They also escorted the deep penetration raids on the way out till the mustangs picked them up and also on the way back home. Wasn't all mustangs !

I guess this is one fascination for myself with the BOB. Facing overwhelming odds and numbers, RAF fighter command as a team, defended the skies over England and won. Even though the Me109 could not stay over the target long, it could escort to the most important tagets in Britain.

Goering errored when he told them to stick close to the bombers (Doolittle did just the opposite with the Mustangs) Hitler errored with changing tactics to London. In addition, had Hitler not been involved in Russia, I think England would have fallen just by numbers, the same as Germany did with the Allies.

Germany proved that you could have the best fighters in the world but without the best trained pilots and lots of them, victory could not be achieved.

S1

MANFRED

My Feedback: (27)

Ol' chap, you're probably forgetting the single most important factor in the whole scheme of things. The Brit radar facilities were left virtually unmolested during the entire campaign. This forward eye gave fighter command the ability to see the enemy when they left the coast of France. Although the Germans were also on the forefront of radar development, they failed to see the neccesity of taking out these installations. These radar sights were very vulnerable and although several were attacked, the network of overlapping sites was to remain intact. Had the German high command seen the value of blinding the enemy, the Luft bomber force may have not suffered such incredible losses. PLease keep in mind that the Luftwaffe was only four years old at the beggining of the battle, and although many of the pilots had served with the Condor Legion in Spain, the level of experience with regard to aerial combat was minimal. Another key factor was the range of all invading German forces, they basically were limited to only 10% of British soil leaving the other 90% of land untouched. This left Fighter command the ability to rebuild and grow it's fighter strength without fear of attack. I agree, hell of a battle!

SpitfireMKI

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Actually the radar was included in the "fighter command as a team", guess I should have been more detailed. Dowding's home defense was very well organized.

You say the german experience was minimal, better than that of the RAF with none........

Glad history worked it's way out as such.

S1

Moggy

My Feedback: (9)

Mind if I put my 2p's in? The BOB was the battle for the survival of a nation. The odds were tremendously against the British RAF. The Germans may have been able to clear the skies if they had continued their attacks against fighter command and its bases. Sorry Mike, "Turning on London could be the German's biggest blunder." It was because it gave figher command the opportunity to regroup. The biggest asset the RAF had was flexibility. They were able to learn from previous mistakes such as: formation flying, guns zeroed at 400m, etc. The British people took a pounding from the raids and still had the will to go on, they were tough and took the punch. After all, it was survival.

SpitfireMKI

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The RAF flexible ? Hah !

I think you will find that gun hamonizing and formations were done without approval especially in the early stages. Many pilots knew what they needed to do to survive and did. It wasn't till later on that it was truly accepted and changed.

In addition, many believe it was the London bombing which allowed the RAF to rebuild and fend off the jerries, this is true as it did give the air stations a breather, but it also allowed Dowding to concentrate what fighters he was able to put up in the London area. They had no problem figuring out where they were going . The RAF didn't just stop flying you know.....

Do you think that's why the germans couldn't figure out why there were always RAF fighters around when they had shot so many down ?

Great fun......this hanger talk...........Phil G., you're a genius !

Mike/S1

Moggy

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Mike, Do you mean to tell me that the RAF didn't know their airfields were the target of Adler Tag? All London did was put the Germans in the range of 10th Group. Lee Mallory and his Big Wing............ Proved to be very effective. I meant the Pilots were flexible not the RAF as a whole, Lord knows.