Have you guy's seen this


http://hsfeatures.com/features04/spitfiremkidg_1.htm

Great bird, and that is putting it mildly

Yeah, it's OK I suppose, a bit flashy for a Brit Bird. Where is the full body pilot figure? I want to see the flying video.

Jez, makes quite a joke of your very best F4C model... never mind Top Gun candy scale.

great to hang in a museum, be nice if it flew too.

Not knocking it as it is a purely static model.

Its' just amazing that this post has so few hits and replys.
The thread just above, entitled "where have all the builders gone?" has got 176 replies and 3652 views!
What does that tell us?
maybe, a bit less talking and a bit more action?

Another thread above, TF 1/5 scale P51 ARF (!!!) has 954 replys and 85089 views.
In that perticular case, words fail me.

This Spit is one of the truely, totally mind numbingly amazing projects ever published in any forum
How anyone can every publish a picture in these pages of a scale masters not to mention Top Gun detailled cockpit ever again without hanging their head in shame will be a mystery.
What this says is simple, Dave Platt and the rest of the crowd... bend down and eat the dirt. This is how its done from now on.
This is one of the finest, if not the finest piece, of aeromodelling I've ever seen...
it's moved the goal posts, expanded the envelope, and sorted the men from the boys.
Well done that man.

Now back to the ART's.
Preferable one that resembles a war bird...ish.

Bla Bla:
You are so funny, yet spot on. It takes years to take on a project like this one. It is a true work of art. I just posted this and hopefully it will tearch us all a little something about our ability. It took me 3 solid weeks just to finish my cockpit on my F-18,,, and yes it is a warbird. Merry Christmas to you Sir

Dave

I agree that this is one of the best scale models I've seen. But, it is a static model and not an RC model. It may have started it's life out as an RC (kit or scratch built), but it is not one now. Museum quality scale models can be very impressive, but to compare them to those that compete in scale competition, is not a fair comparison. One can do amazingly fantastic detail (19,000 rivets, some of them actual fastners, completely covered in litho plate) if you don't have to worry about weight, function, radio interference, structural integrity and so on. I marvel at the craftmenship of models like this, but I don't think it lessens the achievements of Top Gun and Scale Master winners like Dave Platt and the rest of the crowd, let alone something that they should 'bend down and eat dirt' over!!

I agree that it's unfortunate that builds often don't get as much attention as ARFs, but ARFs are what is popular, so it's no big suprise either.

Scott

Well what the.....Its' the Oslo thing part of me is the X berserker//VIKING too!! I mean I agree and continue to well.......guess I will play 'Humble Pie'

Hi Guy's
Point taken,,, but I must say it is a great model.... because that is what it is, you can find great work in plastic also, In fact a lot of what the scale modelers use was brought to the scale masters as well as top gun. I have helped in scale master judgeing sense Norm Goyer was around. From Dennis Crooks Lear jet to Ziroli's Helldiver. I am sure that some of you that have been to the Toledo show have seen great models that have won and have as yet to fly,,, I am as guilty. Built a plane so darn nice I was affraid of it leaving the ground. I have lost planes on first flights that made me wanna go to all ARF's. It is a lost art, and for one I thought it deserved to be looked at. Its all good.

Merry Christmas

A very Impressive and superb example of a true builder. Alike true builders such as Dave Platt, Nick Zirolli,WhoDaMan, etc (the list is expansive). It would be nice to see this plane fly but that would just be the normal for RC planes. Having a plane displayed in a meuseum would be a great honor. I hope some day My builds will be on the same level as these listed above.

It could possibly be because this particular subject has been covered here at RCU already, as well as at every other model site and some full scale warbird sites that I visit. Maybe it's not that folks are uninterested but just that they've seen it already.

Scott hit the nail on the head gentlemen......

That Spitfire model is probably the nicest static model I have ever seen....absolutely world class. BUT......it is just that, a display model. When building a model for Top Gun, Scale Master or US Nats competition...the difficulty factor over a display model increases considerably. You have complex systems involved that all have to function reliably.....retractable landing gear (usually), engine and fuel delivery (along with the related cooling problems) servos and their accompanying linkages that need to be hidden and slop free, receiver, batteries, switches, etc. And all of these systems are installed in a airframe that must be as accurate as possible in outline, have enough structural integrity to handle flight (and landing) loads...yet be light enough to fly. Oh.....and I don't mean just fly. It has to fly well! If it is not stable, groovy and capable of precise maneuvers...you will not get good flight scores. And if you don't get good flight scores, it doesn't matter how good your static score is.

I say again, that Spit is awesome....but let's don't compare apples and oranges.

Jeff Foley
Mr. Top Gun 2000, 2003
US National Champion (Designer Class) 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004

Ah yes... I'd forgot about the mechanical complexities of an RC model!
It can be shockingly difficult to hook up those damned servos and plumb in the retracts so please excuse my dreadful cockpit detailing!
I spent all my energy removing the slop from some bell crank or another.
Plew, the troubles of an RC scale modeller.
This Spit guy doesn't have our problems because he's making a static model... what a lucky ******* 'eh.

My scale ability is nowhere near top gun level but I do build both statc and flying models. I am building a 78" Spifire Mk5 for static disply. It would not take away from the detail to put it in flight but it would add some complexity. I would love to see it take to the sky but I am happy with my baby on the ground where it is safe. My piont is if the builder of the spit had the desire to make it rc he could have without sacrificing the detail he put into it. I believe you can even but a 1/5 scale Allison engine that runs! If he was as detailed with the mechanics as he was the appreance I bet every guage in the thing would work and it would be controled by the yoke and pedals. I guess the only real challenge would be building a radio control pilot.


CHECK THIS OUT! THIS GUY WAS WAY OVER THE TOP.

[link]http://www.hallpass.com/media/fullyfunctional13scaleferrari.html[/link]

here's the website from the gent mentioned above;
http://mps-sportproto.com/en/

even earned himself a place in Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia on-line !


On the subject, Does anyone have more info/links on current state of Dana Muelot's 1/4 scale model of P-51 ???

http://51-fever.tripod.com/51feverdesigns/id2.html

Thanks in advance,
GJ.

Although it's "only" a display model it's a fantastic piece of work. I'm not in the category of one who has THAT much patience for perfection. Many any of us who build "could" do work to that standard but for a flying model??? I agree with Jeff F 100%.
Yeah..hooking up servoes and dropping in batteries is "hard stuff". I compete at TopGun and Scalemasters and I know what's required.
I'm not flaming anyone because I appreciate each and every model I see whether it's a flying model or not. What I don't care for though are supposedly flying models in static competion that the owner builder "won't" fly. Remeber Tom Pierce's award winning Dauntless. Sadly he lost it on it's first flight but good for him for trying.
If you're a museum builder so be it but please don't bring it to the WRAM show or Toledo without intending to fly it.
My 2 cents........Mitch

Obviously you have a great deal of experience and Jeff Foley is just a hack. Thanks for setting us straight.

Wish I'd said that Chad. Mitch

that sbd was tail heavy. very good builder but poor flying skills. not a flame but a true statement. In todays world noone wants to start and learn with a trainer