1/4 scale Mk.1a Spitfire

[robert ellis]

looks good phill,well better than good,,simply awsome!!!.looking foward to you getting stuck into my 144" p47...rob..

[Phil Clark]

Plenty been happening on the Spit over the last few weeks..................the cockpit area have been extended down to the top wing skin following the fuselage skin profile rather than the 'moulded' wing fairing profile. Internal formers have been added and riveted and the whole area has been primed ready to take the colour coat.

The seat is 100% complete and also ready for paint....................I know I really must get out more, but the height adjust mechanism is fully functional as well.

Colour chips or the original colours used on the full-size restorastion of AR213 have kinds been supplied by Tom Woodhouse at Booker airfield. These are VERY close to the Warbirdcolors paints I'd planned on using, but not quite 100%, so we've decided to get solvent acrylic paints mixed to match perfectly (thanks to Neil Hutchinson for his help here). An interesting statement from Tom was that they were badly advised on colour when they repainted the fullsize. He asked me if I wanted 'authentic' WWII chips, or the chips they used (V slight different). Being as we're modelling the restored verion rather than the wartime version, we had to go with the 'wrong' chips.........this is correct for the fullsize as it is now, and will also match our documentation for judjung perfectly. Sounds daft, but to go with the WWII chips, even if they are historically correct would be the wrong thing to do as far as documentation for static judging is concerned.

[Phil Clark]

Internal cockpit walls ready for detailing.................

[Phil Clark]

This week has seen a lot more progress made on the wings.........all of the lower skin cover hatches for the speakers have been produced.....2 sets have neen done, 1 'solid' for static judging, and a 2nd set with etched brass grills that are fitted for flight to allow the sound 'out'. The radiator and oil cooler scoops are also complete and ready to be fitted to cover over the speaker/amplifiers mounded in the lower wing skin.

Wheel arrived on Monday having been specially made by Darrell @ Sierra.....we've also got the gear doors fitted and ready for their internal structure to be added, as well as the various stiffeners and ribs inside the wheel wells.............

The replacement Hacker H-200/8 motor arrived back from Germany today......their latest test results seem to show this is the perfect motor for the model compared to the 200/6 they sent us initially. With around 40v per rpm less than the original motor, this one should be happy on the 32" Solo prop and 14s without pulling the massive currents we saw on initial tests.

[Jason Griffiths]

Looking good there Phil .....

[Phil Clark]

Hacker H-200/8 'test run'

14s 13,500Mah 'Dualsky' LiPo's, Schulz 220A ESC, Solo 32" 'Variable Pitch' 3 blade prop (set at 12")........full throttle gave 4,900 rpm at just under 190A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrsGbepnVPc

[Phil Clark]

We're well on with final painting now..............

Phil

[Phil Clark]

Wings...............

[Phil Clark]

Taken yesterday..................

[Jason Griffiths]

Coming on very nicely i must say

[Mike Booth]

Excellent, would be nice to think you could both walk away with the top prize in the US.
Brits with a Brit machine, that would be worth seeing.
M

[Phil Clark]

Nearly there..............

Application of matt clear coat well underway........cockpit fit out, final few loose ends and the final few items of hardware going in over the next couple of days

Phil

[Jason Griffiths]

Hello Phil now that is looking very very nice i love it well done spot on

[Phil Clark]

Well....we're all done and it's flown.

Things however didn't quite go to plan as we've encountered some fairly major issues with the electric power system. The model was flown last Saturday and with the V tight deadline to make it over to Florida for Top Gun, this didn't leave us with sufficient time to resolve the issues, carry out more test and get her flying as we'd hoped.......sadly, and a little reluctantly initially, we have therefore had to withdraw from Top Gun with the aim of sorting the problems over the summer and 'trying again' next year. (Having though further about the decision and what's required, all involved are now convinced we've made the right decision)

During the short flight we did have before the problems arose, she was flying OK and exhibited no nasty habbits. CG was a fraction rearwards, and with a little more 'uumpphhh' (more prop pitch and higher current ESC to be used)....she should perform as a Spit should.

[Phil Clark]

A few of the completed 'office' .....................

[Phil Clark]

I'll add some flying pics once further testing has been carried out................

Phil

[Alan Cantwell 1131]

COME ON, COME ON, admit it, whoes drooling? best of luck with the further testing Phil, you deffo made the right desicion, if those colonials look at these piccys, they will breath a sigh of relief you didnt attend, just tell them to etch the trophy for next years win--save a bit of time

[Vince Raia]

Hi Phil, looking at those photos, especially the cockpit views, I had to keep telling myself they weren't pictures of the full size, absolutely incredible workmanship and attention to detail, it's worth an Oscar for the modelling workmanship alone! as you said, "you don't get out much" looking at that Spit, I reckon your better off indoors!

Well done mate, incredible job, museum quality, too nice to be flown.

Regards,

Vince.

[Mike Booth]

Outstanding cockpit. It will be worth the wait.
M

[Neil Hutchinson]

Hi All,

Congratulation to Ali & Phil on the 3 successful flights of the Spitfire at Longhorsley. The Spitfire looked superb in the evening sky. From the photos you can't tell if it's the real thing or a model - apart from the absent pilot!

If someone will tell this Muppet how to download photos onto the forum, I'll then post some.

TTFN,
Neil