Mick Reeves 1/4 Mk IX Spitfire
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Mick Reeves 1/4 Mk IX Spitfire
Another customers project in the form of a half built Mick Reeves Spitfire arrived a couple of weeks ago. I will be posting some pictures shortly and keeping you up to date with its progress. I know not many people are too complimentary of this kit but does anyone know if the normal spinner supplied with the kit is a dodgy look a like of a later Griffon powered Spit or if we have the wrong one as it really doesn't look like a MK9 spinner?
Stewart
fighterfactoryuk.com
Stewart
fighterfactoryuk.com
Last edited by stewart clifford on April 17th, 2011, 9:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Mick Reeves 1/4 Mk9 Spitfire
i looked at 3 views with mine, and it looked ok, there where a few differant shapes, what does worry me, was the whole set up, of a thin backplate, and the bolt through the middle routine, i read on RCU of a guy who lost his, and the model, so, i was going to make a backplate that i could screw through the side, sadly, i decided to sell the kit etc, as i would not get to fly it much, even if it got built, so it never came to fruition,
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Re: Mick Reeves 1/4 Mk9 Spitfire
Stu a word of caution from long experience.
The spinner on a model this size needs to be completely sound in every possible engineering way and sorry but thin backplates and a single bolt are not enough and are asking for trouble.
The first thing that will happen is the tendency to want to over tighten the bolt thus putting excess pressure on the the backplate and bending it out of shape over the prop driver.
This habit will also slowly compromise the strength of the countersunk hole in the spinner nose.
In flight the centrafugal forces are massive and anything slighty out of alinement like that bolt, or a hole too big, will induce vibration, to a point of failure.
If this happens the bolt will soften and fail just above the thread which will lead to one of two situations.
The bolt fails and throws the spinner in which case you may be lucky and have an airframe left to land.
The worst situation is the bolt only bends and now the loose spinner flatens out of shape and the resulting massive catastrophic vibration destroys the entire airframe.
I know you probably know this, but I'm never ceased to be amazed, that this crucial part of a scale model is given so little thought on the engineering side.
My advice would be to turn up a new backplate from the right grade aluminium.
Dont make it too heavy as it does not want to turn into a flywheel.
When making it, design in some raised wall to the outside diameter, so that you can drill and tap this in 6 places to hold on the spinner.
Throw the centre bolt in the bin.
Another small piece of advice I learnt from Richard Scarborough, is to use some Evostick around the heads of screws so there is no chance of anything coming undone in flight.
See ya soon, Mike.
The spinner on a model this size needs to be completely sound in every possible engineering way and sorry but thin backplates and a single bolt are not enough and are asking for trouble.
The first thing that will happen is the tendency to want to over tighten the bolt thus putting excess pressure on the the backplate and bending it out of shape over the prop driver.
This habit will also slowly compromise the strength of the countersunk hole in the spinner nose.
In flight the centrafugal forces are massive and anything slighty out of alinement like that bolt, or a hole too big, will induce vibration, to a point of failure.
If this happens the bolt will soften and fail just above the thread which will lead to one of two situations.
The bolt fails and throws the spinner in which case you may be lucky and have an airframe left to land.
The worst situation is the bolt only bends and now the loose spinner flatens out of shape and the resulting massive catastrophic vibration destroys the entire airframe.
I know you probably know this, but I'm never ceased to be amazed, that this crucial part of a scale model is given so little thought on the engineering side.
My advice would be to turn up a new backplate from the right grade aluminium.
Dont make it too heavy as it does not want to turn into a flywheel.
When making it, design in some raised wall to the outside diameter, so that you can drill and tap this in 6 places to hold on the spinner.
Throw the centre bolt in the bin.
Another small piece of advice I learnt from Richard Scarborough, is to use some Evostick around the heads of screws so there is no chance of anything coming undone in flight.
See ya soon, Mike.
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Re: Mick Reeves 1/4 Mk9 Spitfire
Agree 100% with Mike...........light weight spun aluminium spinners, thin backplates and centre bolts should be avoided at all cost on large models.
Here is a machined backplate for the 1/4 scale Mk.1a we built last year.........the raised lip centres the cone (which was carbon in this case), this is drilled & tapped to take nine M3 countersunk cap heads. (The 'dits' marked by the arrow are balancing marks as this backploate was st/st as we needed the nose weight)
Phil
Here is a machined backplate for the 1/4 scale Mk.1a we built last year.........the raised lip centres the cone (which was carbon in this case), this is drilled & tapped to take nine M3 countersunk cap heads. (The 'dits' marked by the arrow are balancing marks as this backploate was st/st as we needed the nose weight)
Phil
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Re: Mick Reeves 1/4 Mk9 Spitfire
Perfect Phil, Stu copy that picture.
Mike.
Mike.
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Re: Mick Reeves 1/4 Mk9 Spitfire
Thanks everyone. Although my original post was about it's shape I was also concerned about the 3mm backplate but I was hoping as it was the spinner supplied in the kit it would have been tried and tested and be up to the job. I checked the Reeves website and saw the offending spinner on some completed models and yes not quite a merlin spinner not quite a griffon spinner. Now without offending anyone, you have to ask why isn't it right? and why isn't the backplate thicker?
Last edited by stewart clifford on July 21st, 2010, 8:55 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Mick Reeves 1/4 Mk9 Spitfire
Heres a few pics of it just after it arrived
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- Jason Griffiths
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- Jason Griffiths
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Re: Mick Reeves 1/4 Mk9 Spitfire
Just a little update. The port wing has had to be rubbed back in order to remove all of the non scale mushroom head rivets and also to have some horrid lumps an bumps sorted out. The starboard wing also required some attention as it hadn't been glassed very nicely.
Some of the radio and air system has been installed and now I have to modify the firewall in order to accomodate a change of engine to an MVVS 80.
Most of the airframe has been primed and now needs rubbing back.
I have made an inspection hatch in the rear of the fuselage for access to the tailwheel and another one behind the cockpit(in the scale position of fullsize) for the switches and air valve.
The customer didn't want a great deal of detailing so it shouldn't be long before it gets some air under it's wings.
Pictures will follow shortly
Some of the radio and air system has been installed and now I have to modify the firewall in order to accomodate a change of engine to an MVVS 80.
Most of the airframe has been primed and now needs rubbing back.
I have made an inspection hatch in the rear of the fuselage for access to the tailwheel and another one behind the cockpit(in the scale position of fullsize) for the switches and air valve.
The customer didn't want a great deal of detailing so it shouldn't be long before it gets some air under it's wings.
Pictures will follow shortly
- Jason Griffiths
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Re: Mick Reeves 1/4 Mk9 Spitfire
Hello
Im looking forward to seeing some more pictures of the progress.

Im looking forward to seeing some more pictures of the progress.
Thanks JG
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Re: Mick Reeves 1/4 Mk9 Spitfire
Good luck Stu, Im sticking with composite.
Mike.
Mike.
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Re: Mick Reeves 1/4 Mk9 Spitfire
Hi Mike, composite is great but think about all that dust your missing out on.
Stewart
Stewart
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Re: Mick Reeves 1/4 Mk9 Spitfire
stewart clifford wrote:Hi Mike, composite is great but think about all that dust your missing out on.
Stewart
Ive had 40 years of dust, from my Minimoa glider in 1970, through Airbus/ Silverstone to current.
Resin fumes dont show on your tee shirt when you go out.
Hope to see the 109 before too long, I'll be right on your tail.
Mike.
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Re: Mick Reeves 1/4 Mk9 Spitfire
Just a couple of pics, one showing the hatch covering the switches/charging jacks and air filler valve.
The other of the primed fuselage which will be having the surface detailing added in the next few days.
Slight backward step with the wings as the only way to get a good finish on the port wing was to strip off all of the paint applied by the original builder the picture might give you some idea as to how thick the many layers of paint were.
The other of the primed fuselage which will be having the surface detailing added in the next few days.
Slight backward step with the wings as the only way to get a good finish on the port wing was to strip off all of the paint applied by the original builder the picture might give you some idea as to how thick the many layers of paint were.
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- This wing is now back to the glass and will be primed again in the next few days
- 2a.jpg (20.7 KiB) Viewed 14259 times
- Jason Griffiths
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Re: Mick Reeves 1/4 Mk9 Spitfire
Finally back to the spray shop. Everything has been installed now, just got to finish of the surface detail before the top coat of paint is applied. The exhaust and tailwheel leg are currently being made and a very nice set of paint masks have arrived from Flightline Graphics. The model will be finished in standard grey/green camoflage and will represent MH884(Not MH434) code letters "DS".
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Re: Mick Reeves 1/4 Mk9 Spitfire
All the camoflage and markings have now been sprayed on with the aid of some excellent paint masks from flightline graphics, just got to put the code letters on tomorrow. Should have some new pictures of it over the weekend.
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Re: Mick Reeves 1/4 Mk9 Spitfire
did this spitfire originate from Oldham by any chance??? built by Chris Riley?
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