Top Flite Spitfire Build

Started by octagon, January 23, 2017, 09:57:21 AM

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octagon

Well, I have finally cleared my building board of other projects and can now start on the Top Flite Spitifre Mk IX Gold Edition kit. Started yesterday afternoon, with breaks to watch football (both my teams got killed), I was able to build the stab and elevators. One of the things that takes the most time is locating the correct parts in the many sheets of die cut balsa, and bundles of different balsa sticks. It gets better as the build goes along, but at first there is a LOT of wood. I have ordered the retracts, oleos and motor for it and I have the ESC already. I was able to pick up a brand new 8 channel satellite Spektrum at the swap meet at Kitchener on Saturday for it. Hoping I can get it finished for Maidenfest. 
What could possibly go wrong?

octagon

Got the horizontal stab filled and sanded, hinged the elevators and joined them, started sheeting the vertical stabilizer. So far, so good. I have heard the balsa in some of these kits is not so good, especially the sheeting. Maybe TF has improved as this is a later kit, but the wood seems pretty good at this point.
What could possibly go wrong?

sihinch

Nice going Rob. Looks very tempting!

octagon

Started the fuselage this afternoon. A bit of figuring out what they wanted you to do, but went together pretty well and seems to be strait. Next step is sheeting the top of the fuse and then the bottom is built on that. The kit uses 3/32 sheeting which is pretty stiff and hard to bend and mould to the compound curves of the Spitfire, so Glenn, who built one of these last year, suggested I plank it rather than try covering it all in one sheet of balsa, so I may cut the 3 inch sheets into narrower planks and do that. Don't know for sure yet, have to see tomorrow.
What could possibly go wrong?

octagon

#4
Beginning to look like a Spitfire. This plane fuselage builds in 2 parts, the upper and the lower. The upper is pretty much done, filler is in, but not yet sanded. Horizontal and vertical stab are installed and look strait and true ( a first for a Dickinson model). I had to fashion a hatch forward of the cockpit, as this plane is designed to fly either gas or nitro and so no access to batteries was provided. I already had the hatch built, so I was happy when Glenn sent me pictures of the way he did it and it was the same as I had decided. Next up is the bottom of the fuse. Due to a number of build logs on this plane I have read, I have decided to cut planks and sheet the bottom that way, rather than all in one big sheet. I was able to find some light weight 3/32 balsa sheet at A&J which will replace the heavier stuff supplied with the kit. Spits are notoriously tail heavy so I want to make the back end as light as possible.
What could possibly go wrong?

Michael

Nice!

You're progressing quickly!
Michael

octagon

The light (almost contest I would say, 3/32 sheet I got from AJ was very easy to work with and I did not have to resort to planking (whew!). I used alcohol and windex and the wood became very easy to bend to the compound curves of the Spit. There is a bit of work around the tail wheel strut, and of course a lot of sanding and some filling, but the fuselage is pretty much done. I am waiting on the retracts before I start the wing, and I also want to elongate the motor mount so as to be able to get the battery farther forward for balance. I don't have the motor yet either so I cannot do that yet either. The wing is built in 3 sections so I may be able to start the centre section before the gear arrives.
What could possibly go wrong?

octagon

Fuselage is now fine sanded, filled and ready for fiberglass. The wing is built it 3 sections, 2 outer panels and a centre panel they join. Built the centre panel tonight. I kind of do not want to start on the outer panels until I have the retracts, which are on order.  I want to make the landing gear braces fit the retracts as closely and as strongly as possible (for those of you who have witnessed some of my less good landing, you will understand).The kit included decals are for a plane flown by Douglas Bader. I think I am going to do it as Johnny Johnson's JEJ, with invasion stripes. As a side note, it is interesting to note that those invasion stripes were only applied just before the Normandy landing, and they used anything they had to paint them on. So rather than being the neat, hard edged stripes we often see, they were hand painted with brushes or brooms or really whatever they had at hand. Sometimes they covered fuselage numbers and sometimes not, just depending on who did the painting. I am at odds as to whether to make them "authentic" and just paint them free hand, or forgo the scale appearance and just use hard edged ones.
What could possibly go wrong?

piker

Wow!  That's looking great, Rob.

octagon

Got the outer wing panels built this afternoon. I got the retracts the other day and they fit right in the rails, but I am going to have to cut away part of one of the inner ribs to make them fit properly. I think there is something on RC Canada about it so I will look and see how he did it. I am off to Florida for a week, so no more building for a while. I am meeting Roger That in Fla and we are going to maiden a P51 he has down there. Apparently the field he flys at there had a 500 foot paved runway, so it should be fun.
Anyway, see you in a week.
What could possibly go wrong?

octagon

Got back from a wonderful week in Florida. Actually got to fly at Sarasota RC Club. 500 foot paved runway, clubhouse with electricity and lockers. Even a simulator to practice in the clubhouse. Trip home on Sunday was harrowing. 2 hour flight delay, no food on board the plane (they ran out on the way down), beautiful white sand I brought from beach mistaken for cocaine......really, put into holding pattern over Lake Ontario. Then, 9:30 pm sunday night, when we finally got to the car buried in 6 inches of ice and snow, the battery was dead. 11.5 hours travelling time in total. It was like Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
Anyway, back to work on the Spit. Got the wing joined and the landing gear installed. Next major job is sheeting the wings, which I hope to have done this weekend. Glenn built this kit last year and suggested I extend the motor box to accommodate battery being slid farther forward to better balance the plane, so that will be done after the wing. If anyone is thinking of building this kit, my advice is to read the instruction book section on what you are going to assemble right to the end before you start building. There is a lot of pieces either not identified or misidentified and it pays to try and understand what it is they are trying to tell you. In the end, for quite a bit of this kit, I have built it the way I thought it should be done. I guess the maiden flight will tell whether this was a good idea or not!
What could possibly go wrong?

electroflyer

  Hey Rob,
Have you made any progress on your Spitfire? It is looking great!
 

octagon

Been busy at work and at home so progress has been slowed a bit. Wings are sheeted, gear is in and works, flap system in complete (bit of a pain those were). Plane is christened, spot on right wing is blood from an errant exacto #11 blade. Next is to fiberglass the plane. First time trying that on a plane. Fingers crossed it works out.
What could possibly go wrong?

octagon

Since I started this build, I have been dreading the fiberglassing as I have never glasses an entire plane before. I intended to use water based polycrylic, but read somewhere that because it is water based there is the chance the wing sheeting might warp. Michael advised me to put a very light coat of the polycrylic on first, before the glass. I did that, let it dry, and then applied the cloth and another light coat of the resin. I squeegeed it out to make sure there were no wrinkles.  It now sits drying as I prepare to make dinner and watch the Leafs. If the rest of the glassing goes as easily and well as this I will be a very happy camper. Next build it a TF P47 razorback and I will not have to worry about the glass part.  I think I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. This plane has not been hard to build, just a lot of steps. I know the plane has been done again and again, but I think I will do Johnny Johnstons plane, JEJ, with invasion stripes (makes it easier for these old eyes to see).
What could possibly go wrong?

bweaver

Re  "It now sits drying as I prepare to make dinner..."

Yeh, right, she said you could be the boss.... ;)