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Supermarine's best? [Now with added Seafire 47... & Seafang!]


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On 11/09/2017 at 05:41, 71chally said:

If helps at all Crisp I have got the Shacklady Spitfire/Seafire bible and Sqns of the FAA if you need anything from them.

 

That was overly brave of you, since I may yet pester you around the twist regarding Seafire information, if I ever get my 1945 HMs Indefatigable(?) Seafire (Mk III) mojo (what is this word 'mojo') back...

 

Run out of loiks again. Mañana, as they say in Southwestern Europe...

 

Cheers,

the alex.

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No probs Alex, let me know if you need anything from the book.

 

That photo for me just sums up the beauty of flight, high above the cumulus in the gin clear sky, wind through the hair, and strapped to 2000 bhp of power in a beautifully responsive airframe.

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12 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

I am somewhat concerned that the pilot seems to be sporting either a one-eared Mickey Mouse hat or a fetching man-bun...

Probably a man-bun. The 'Mob' is very 'cosmopolitan' nowadays.

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On ‎12‎/‎09‎/‎2017 at 07:32, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Not sure that replacing a seat really constitutes an outbreak of rampant über-detailing, but whatever...

Why do I keep thinking that this build will end up being OOB in a Martian sort of way>

 

Martian

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4 hours ago, 71chally said:

That photo for me just sums up the beauty of flight, high above the cumulus in the gin clear sky, wind through the hair, and strapped to 2000 bhp of power in a beautifully responsive

 

if longitudinally unstable, airframe. I reckon its just his comb over blowing back. :)

Steve.

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12 hours ago, stevehnz said:

if longitudinally unstable, airframe

I already knew that the Mk46/47 had a larger tail, but I don't think I'd realised just how much larger it was until I compared the fin and elevators of my Mk.XVII kit with those of the Mk.46.  No wonder the Mk.45 was a tad longitudinally unstable; the difference is huge!

 

Besides, there was already a known problem with Seafire XVs & XVIIs (& the Merlin-engined ones, for that matter); torque reaction and the accompanying tendency to swing on take-off isn't great in any circumstances, but on a crowded flight deck it can be lethal - and of course the Griffon turned the opposite way, so the later aircraft swung towards the island, making it even less desirable.  I have read an account recently (can't put my finger on it this morning to attribute it; sorry) of a Mk.XVII effectively side-slipping on deck - the pilot kept the yaw pretty much under control with rudder, but even so the aircraft crabbed bodily sideways during the take-off run.  Bet that was fun...

 

So the Mk.45 was never a realistic prospect as a Naval fighter - tail hook or no tail hook - and I think it never went to sea [Edit: it did, but only for a session of deck landing trials - which presumably resulted in a report that said: "On no account take this thing to sea!", since the Mk.45 was only issued to 2nd Line squadrons] even in the later version with contra-props (which were the answer to all this yaw & crabbing malarkey).  Buckets of power is all very well, but controlling it is just as important - and that's before we even start talking about torque stall when over-shooting from a failed approach...

 

[We have to wait a little longer to see sexy 5-blade airscrews on a flight deck, with the immortal Sea Fury - my "if I could fly only one aircraft" winner by a mile.]

 

Anyway, enough of this idle chatter; there has been some modelling going on.  My replacement upper cowling has arrived, so I've started cutting to accommodate it; port fuselage half almost done, starboard not started.  

 

I've also been doing some simple improvements to the cockpit internals - specifically, drilling the lightening holes in the frame behind the pilot's seat, which are pretty visible in a Spit.  Airfix's more recent releases - e.g. the Mk. XVII - have these distinctive holes moulded as dents, but the Mk.46/7 moulds must be 20-odd years old now, and they have nothing.  Simple change, but helps to pep it up.

 

No photos, but modelling is happening - & I'm enjoying it, so the initial aim seems to be achieved!

Edited by Ex-FAAWAFU
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Brief update, showing what I have been up to:

 

1.  Drilling the lightening holes in the frame behind the seat.  Holes at the bottom of this shot mostly drilled; top of shot only marked out. Not the neatest job in the world, but it will look fine once painted and in position, especially seen through a closed canopy (which is my plan with the Mk.46).  

 

Also note replacement seat frame (from spares box - I think originally from an Eduard Spit XVI, judging by colour of plastic; this is much more delicate than Airfix's somewhat agricultural equivalent).  

There was a horrible ejector pin mark just under the head rest, now filled (but invisible because it's over-exposed).

37212407855_3ea19e73c3_b.jpg

 

2.  The cuts to the port fuselage half to prepare it for the replacement cowling top; lots of careful sanding to get it as precise as possible:

37212407415_577b844d23_b.jpg

 

3.  Said replacement cowling held in place to show fit - pretty happy with that (the apparent overhang on the top of the fuselage is in fact because I was not quite holding it straight, though I'll really only know for sure once both halves done):

37212407065_d3185ed642_b.jpg

 

I am enjoying this kit enough to be seriously considering acquiring a second one, for eventual building as a folded Mk.47.

 

More soon.  Very happy with progress.  

 

Crisp

Edited by Ex-FAAWAFU
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11 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

I am enjoying this kit enough to be seriously considering acquiring a second one, for eventual building as a folded Mk.47.

Sounds like re emerging Mojo to me.  That or displacement stash building activity.  One or 'tother..........

 

 

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The line between mojo-restoration and displacement stash building is so blurred as to be invisible, methinks!

 

 

 

The Generally Accepted Wisdom on the Interwebs (GAWotI) is that the Airfix 45/6 is an excellent kit, especially given its age - but that (like any kit) it has a few weaknesses; since I am no Spit-/Sea-fire expert, I have simply accepted the GAWotI.

 

The areas that could be improved are said to be:

- the shape of the upper cowling and chin oil cooler intake (plus in both cases the need to hide a difficult seam - or seams, plural, in the cowling case; I think sanding the central join would be OK, but the Griffon "bulges" less easy, and I believe it is the bulges that are the wrong shape);

- the shape of the propellor blades (not chunky enough - and there is certainly a significant visible difference when resin compared to original); and

- though Airfix provide an open canopy option, the rear canopy is too narrow to look right in the open position - it sits too high, and the slope of the reverse edge of the windscreen is said to be wrong.  

 

The replacement cowling was already with the kit when I acquired it; I have since bought a resin chin intake, replacement blades, and vac form canopy…

 

…but the vac form canopy turns out to be only the FR47 (rounded "PR" windscreen, as opposed to the more familiar angular job on the 46), so I will probably run with a closed canopy on this model, so as to keep it relatively simple.

 

I have not yet completely ruled out acquiring a set of resin control surfaces; I generally think that aircraft with rigidly central rudders, ailerons and (especially) elevators tend to look unrealistically "wooden" - I will make a decision when I see how the 46 looks when it starts to come together.  The available Aires cockpit, engine set, gun bays etc.... definitely not for this build!

 

Edit: here's a comparison shot.  I think you can see the blade differences pretty clearly; Barracudacast yellow resin - Airfix grey plastic.  

 

The bulge is more subtle (and/or difficult to photograph), but you can see the difference with the naked eye; Quickboost resin top, Airfix plastic below.

36825110560_589d51714c_c.jpg

Edited by Ex-FAAWAFU
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