Thom216 Posted December 11, 2016 Share Posted December 11, 2016 It's like looking at a full size plain being built. Great stuff! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airscale Posted December 23, 2016 Author Share Posted December 23, 2016 thank you, all of you, you are very kind I very much appreciate the support and encouragement, and have done ever since I took my first work in progress photo and put it on here. I wish I had some progress to show, but the last few weeks have been mad with Christmas and life in general. I wanted to wish all my friends all the best, say Merry Christmas and thank you, and I will see you in the New Year see you soon and hope Santa exceeds his All Up Weight with kits for everyone TTFN Peter 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Thanks Peter - a Happy Christmas to you and yours and here's to a happy and prosperous 2017 (and more shots of your excellent work on the Spit!) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melvyn hiscock Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Peter, I have been totally absorbed with this build and thought this post would be another 'fix' but I can understand this Christmas thing getting in the way of the proper stuff! However, thanks for a couple of builds I have thoroughly enjoyed and wishing you, and all of yours, a great Christmas and a 2017 that kicks the living doodahs out of a 2016 that was, for many people, not one to remember. Onwards and upwards! (I really should scan all those Spitfire pics I took for the follow up to my Hurricane book that never happened but the new version of my guitar making book and a slight case of cancer - apparently all under control - have held that up. I don't have any of TZ, but I do have loads of stuff from Coningsby) All the best, Melvyn Hiscock 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor Rich Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 (edited) Merry Christmas one and all! Happy New Year 2017 too!! Edited December 30, 2016 by Pastor Rich just because I could! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airscale Posted January 3, 2017 Author Share Posted January 3, 2017 Happy New Year folks Sorry to say it's still been a bit quiet on the build front, what with the holidays, family staying and all the other distractions, but the bench has been tidied and I am nearly ready to go.. I did manage to work out the lower panel area (at least I think I did..) for the XIV by looking at a lot of photo's and changing the monforton drawings to suit what I could see.. so that will be up next,, In the meantime, another distraction has been a wonderful Christmas present from my eldest daughter and her partner - it's a 1.1m span R/C Spitfire Mk1a, with loads of scale features - working flaps, retracting U/C, 3-bladed prop and is quite incredible for 'park scale'. They also got me the latest Transmitter and all you need to fly it (apart from experience!) I have an R>C pusher trainer already so will learn on that before one day taking this to the air. I have not put markings on it as I would like to do a scale scheme and repaint & mask it and maybe some weathering etc.. There is a Tamiya paint pot to give a sense of scale, but I think it is about 1/10.. ..scale details are really well done... ..and a little cheeky taxying... ..I still can't believe they bought it all for me, and not only that, my youngest daughter got me a hangar tour at Biggin Hill with a 'sit in the cockpit' experience in one of their Spits - they know how much I have been looking at Spitfires lately, but I am truly blessed (and humbled :)).. ..so not much on Race #80, but at least this has been all about Spitfires TTFN Peter 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airscale Posted January 3, 2017 Author Share Posted January 3, 2017 On 23/12/2016 at 9:36 AM, melvyn hiscock said: Peter, I have been totally absorbed with this build and thought this post would be another 'fix' but I can understand this Christmas thing getting in the way of the proper stuff! However, thanks for a couple of builds I have thoroughly enjoyed and wishing you, and all of yours, a great Christmas and a 2017 that kicks the living doodahs out of a 2016 that was, for many people, not one to remember. Onwards and upwards! (I really should scan all those Spitfire pics I took for the follow up to my Hurricane book that never happened but the new version of my guitar making book and a slight case of cancer - apparently all under control - have held that up. I don't have any of TZ, but I do have loads of stuff from Coningsby) All the best, Melvyn Hiscock Thank you Melvyn, very kind. I do hope all is well with you and thank you again Still not quite 'back at it' yet, but won't be long Peter 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave665 Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Very nice Christmas present Peter... I can see why you've been distracted. Hope you get as much fun out of it as I did with rc electric cars. Your drawing of the lower central panels looks good to me. There is certainly a lot of variation between the restored XIV's in this area and very few clear photographs. What you have come up with looks consistent with what I'm seeing on photos of XIV and XIX spitfires. The couple of photos I found of TZ138 that show this area look to match this layout, but I can't find anything to confirm the panels behind the carburetor. One thing to be careful of is all the drain pipes in the panels either side of the carburetor intake. As you may have already noticed they seem to differ in number and placement between XIV's and are very different to what is shown on the Monforton IX/XVI plans. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor Rich Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 WOW!!! What an awesome Christmas gift and from a family that knows (and loves) you best! Congrats buddy! Q: Who is the mfgr of the R/C? (Inquiring minds want to know) Happy New Year 2017, PR 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Boogaloo Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 Hello everyone, and Happy New Year!!, just been reading up on the Tigercat build ( oh, like wow!! Just awesome!!), which inevitably led here; I have some information about this RC model Spitfire; it's available from a company called Hobbyking ( they have a UK warehouse), under their own Durafly brand, and they also do a Mk Vb, in both European and tropical schemes, complete with Vokes filter! It's the best scale foam Spitfire, it really does look right, down to the 'gull wing' and split flaps - the placement of the undercart and the size of the rear stabiliser are the only cheats ( both tweaks tame the usual problems RC spits have, namely elevator sensitivity and nosing over whilst taxing. The detail is down to a Grumman engineer by the name of Tom Hunt, who is a huge scale RC fan. They do a very nice P40 too, but I bet you'll like the next release even more......it's an honest-to-God Bf 109E4, in (almost) the same scale. Battle of Britain at 1/10 scale, anyone? By the way, there is a way of modding the retracts to take sprung oleo legs, the standard ones with this Spit are bent very easily, unless you land.....rather than 'arrive'! hope that helps, but I do warn you.....the scale foam warbirds are amazing now....and very addictive!!! Blue Skies!! Captain Boogaloo 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor Rich Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 Hey, Captain! Welcome to Britmodeller, good to have you here! Thanks for the review and 411 on the R/C. I had a feeling that it was one of the Hobbyking planes but had not seen it specifically. One model I saw had an autopilot and stabilisation systems -- simply amazing! It is tempting to get one but I know that I would need a trainer first before tackling a "sexier" plane! My boys and I are going to build rockets this winter and try flying with a local rocketry group. Our youngest has a think for engineering and our middle son has a thing for fire. Rocketry seemed like a common ground for family fun! But, if I can clear the junk off my plate and create a workspace that doesn't grow mountains of clutter -- I might just be able to build something with wings. I have a giant scale Guillows P-38 that has been bugging me to be built with Peter's methods in mind. It would be finished as an F-5E Lightning in NMF from the 34th PRS (XX) of late 1944 or early 1945 from their time in Azelot (Nancy) or Hagenau. Thanks again and welcome to the "club!" Pastor Rich 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave665 Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 WOW... These electric rc planes have moved on a lot since I last looked. The sound options look to have improved as well so you can now put a Merlin in your Spitfire! As well as the Durafly brand there is also FlightLine who do a Spitfire IX and other warbirds. Not sure if they have a UK distributor but they also do twin engine aircraft... dare I say... a P38 Lightning and a F7F Tigercat. Back to Race #80... On 1/3/2017 at 16:23, airscale said: I did manage to work out the lower panel area (at least I think I did..) for the XIV by looking at a lot of photo's and changing the monforton drawings to suit what I could see.. I believe I have found a recent photo of TZ138 that confirms the two access panels behind the carburetor. So your drawing of the lower panel area looks a good representation of TZ138 to me. Dave 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor Rich Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 (edited) E-flite did an F-5E in the markings of none other than the 34th PRS (for which I am the official webmaster and a historian/scribe). That plane is no longer available from E-flite (discontinued). You can get it from your LHS here and there or online (obviously). Their F-5 was finished in PRU and represents the personal mount of 1Lt. Wallace Bosworth named "Margy". Some of the markings are missing from the R/C as most photos of the plane don't show the nose art. (Something I do have in decal form). If I am blessed with the time to actually build my Guillows kit, I will finish it in the colours of my friend and former Operations Officer and (for a short time) Commanding Officer of the 34th PRS, Col. James "Tut" Frakes. His plane was called "Turbo Anny" is was rather colourful in NMF with red and golden yellow trim! (I already have the decal art created for this ship too). Photos of these planes can be found at: http://www.34thprs.photorecon.org/html/aircraft/F5E2LO.html I have always intended on building my BIG P-38 into an F-5; but Peter, YOUR TECHNIQUES AND TEACHING are what has REALLY inspired me to do something special. Lord may I have the time to enjoy doing that. Cheers! PR Edited January 7, 2017 by Pastor Rich just because I could! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Boogaloo Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 Thanks for your very kind welcome, Pastor Rich; HK also do a really nice Me163, with optional rocket boost ( and a dropping take off dolly as per the original!!) - lots of fun but it's not a terribly beginner friendly plane! Maybe it's something you and your boys can work up to? I'm trying to get back to building kits (more accurately, finish kits!!)and Peter's work on the Tigercat and now this Spit is both inspiring.....and daunting! Hello Dave665, yes, some of the Flightline RC models ( particularly the newer ones ) have really moved the standard up, especially with regard to scale details: the new Tigercat looks very good, but is likely to be eclipsed by the forthcoming FMS 1.7 metre Tigercat; scale alloy cnc undercarriage and a new lightweight (!) foam should make it a very impressive model!! But if you like P 38 s....I'd build the Guillows model for the shelf......the Flightline RC one is the best, flies very well, option of olive drab or silver finish, reliable flaps, undercarriage ; check out Motionrc in the USA; and apologies for putting such temptation before a Pastor!! Best wishes for your work with the 34thPrs, also. Peter, do you think you could do a dash, and perhaps some other detail bits for your RC Spitfire? I'd be very, very interested!! And, back to your normal station!! Apologies for more off(ish) topic rambling. Blue Skies! Captain Boogaloo 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor Rich Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 Intermission... Back in my school days my buddies and I (pilots and engineers) used to launch watermelons on various apparatus. Our preferred delivery system was radio controlled and unguided high powered rockets. We called them cruise missiles, but they were basically UAV's before the term existed. The word "overkill" barely described the power we applied to these machines. The absurdity we exhibited was only exceeded by the fun we had! It was fun beyond measure! My last contraption was based around a swivelling seat from a drift boat. I built a frame around it, covered it in cardboard and mounted a launch rail attached to foot pedals to control elevation for launch. Some electrics for the firing system and a fire bottle (just in case) and it looked very much like a tank turret painted in camo colours. That launch did rather well too if I remember right. Ah, my "carefree" days when my wife and I were in college and long before we had kids! Time in abundance it seemed.... I should do some shopping for scale hardware, litho and glue. : ) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airscale Posted January 17, 2017 Author Share Posted January 17, 2017 evening folks 40 days, 40 days of modelling drought... a blip, an odd loss of will and mojo.. strange, but today is the first day since early December that I felt I wanted to sit at the bench and do something.. I thought it was distractions and Christmas, but it was wierd, I just didn't want to... I did manage to get a few training R/C flights with the motor glider and have added some mission markings, one which included a tree! (survived...), but flying the R/C Spit is a loooong way off.. anyways. I have actually done something so I thought I would share it even though it is nothing much.. The underbelly of the Spit - I used the monforton drawings with some mods for the MkXIV (and thanks for the info chaps) stuck onto litho.. ..after adding rivets, I punched out where there are panels to cut out to get radiused corners.. ..and with the apertures cleaned up - I also feathered the edges of the main panel as others will overlap it as in this area there seem to be panels on top of this one with cut-outs for various features... so, just one small part, but in the grand scheme of things actually quite a big one ..back soon... TTFN Peter 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 And it's a lovely one too. Take your time, don't push it and the urge to build will come back. Me, I never even touched R/C. I just know I'd be rubbish at it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Very nice Peter, as usual! Modelling droughts are a pain aren't they, but the idea is you enjoy yourself. I never feel the same when I force myself to the bench, it's just 'not right'. I've had limited r/c experience and most flights have been, er, short and sharp. I find with my AR drone that you have to sort of 'feel one with the model'; watching it in a disconnected way usually results in a panic as it heads towards a tree and a flap trying to connect again and correcting the flight. A bit like modelling really, you have to feel 'in the mood'. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor Rich Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 Don't lament on a 40-day drought. Mine has spanned years. The last model that I finished was during the Gulf War in 1990. I started a couple since then but never finished them. They lay in wait for completion or to be binned. These days I don't have time to build and barely time to sleep. (But I digress) Thus I troll about and enjoy watching the likes of you display pure genius in multimedia! Each piece is sheer artistry, Peter. Sheer artistry! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasparov Posted January 20, 2017 Share Posted January 20, 2017 Wooohooo back in action! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airscale Posted January 20, 2017 Author Share Posted January 20, 2017 evening folks Still easing myself back into it, so took the panel made earlier this week and started to fit it... first, I annealed it (just held it over a gas flame) to soften it at the front as it needs to conform to the curves of the lower cowling area, then taped it down to burnish the shape with a balsa block before glueing it... ..you can see the outline of the panel under here and how it starts to take the curvature on the left, you can also see all the protective wrapping and foam that stops me dinking panels I have already finished.. ..and the panel glued into position... ..I added the missing panels and some bolts around the little hole that is an outlet of some sort to finish off this central part around which I will orient the rest of the lower wing panels - they lap over the edges of this one which is why it is an irregular shape.. ..you can also see how the forward part of the panel has taken the curvature.. ..the added panels are not a super tight fit, but then nor are the originals, in fact if anything, mine is too neat and tidy! ..and with the chin air intake resting where it will go... ..thats it for now, the rest follows outwards from this panel... TTFN Peter 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted January 20, 2017 Share Posted January 20, 2017 28 minutes ago, airscale said: outwards from this panel... And onwards and upwards towards a total work of art. Seriously impressive. BTW I love how the light shows those little imperfections in the intake duct. Just like the real thing. Please keep it like that! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor Rich Posted January 21, 2017 Share Posted January 21, 2017 Good show Peter! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airscale Posted January 25, 2017 Author Share Posted January 25, 2017 evening ladies ..I have been working on the removable panels at the wing roots as can be seen here on the Thai XIV - they are pretty untidy and agricultural and do not seem to be butt-fit everywhere, that is to say they seem to sit over some other panels.. ..the long strip like panels here.. ..again I used a combo of tape templates of borders and areas on the model, overlaid on scaled plans adapted for and XIV from the montforton book... ..after scoring all the outlines, adding the fasteners and drilling out holes for cut-outs in the panels, pipes or hatches the sheet looks like this - the detail is all a bit 'blown' looking until the panel is flattened by burnishing with a big brass rod on the reverse side.. ..you can see the difference afterwards and how it flattens out all the screw heads.. ..after bending the scored lines to snap off the waste, the final set of panels are finished.. ..here the glue has been masked and brushed on to start with this panel as it has a cut-out for the ring of bolts and orientates all the other panels.. ..and the panel in place, followed by the one behind it.. ..and then all panels are set out and cleaned up.. the holes in the forward panels are for pipes that I can see on pics I have of TZ138.. ..and in close-up - I am not too sure they are right as they don't look clunky enough to me, but they are on now and I am not doing them again.. ..next onto the lower cowl and then a big complex fairing that carries the intake and fairs it into the fuselage.. TTFN Peter 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 Another post of excellent modelling Peter - gripping. As always I'm in awe of the skills in use here and 'good job' just isn't enough! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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