[BAMDFISHER]

Originally Posted by grosbeak

I wondered why you were multiplying a 1/32 kit by 12 to get 1/4. Wouldn't it be a factor of 8? Then I looked at the photo of the box and saw that the kit is actually 1/48 scale.

Thanks John I must have had a mental breakdown, I also bought another plastic kit of the original Mk. 2 version and that one is 1/32 scale.

I went back and fixed the mistake. Again Thanks for catching this error.

[BAMDFISHER]

For those interested in reading about "The Ultimate" in scale building of a Spitfire go to RC SCALE BUILDER and read Detlof Kunkel's notes on his 1/4 Spitfire MK VIII using Mike Reeves kit. He started the build in April 2010 and is still at it in April 2016.

It's a fascinating read!
http://www.rcscalebuilder.com/forum/...886&PN=1&TPN=1

[Midair]

Hello Brian. Following your build thread. You are such a talented and meticulous builder. Wishing you all the best with your health issues.

Peter

[grosbeak]

Originally Posted by BAMDFISHER

Thanks for you support.

There will be some stops now and then on the build as I have my surgery and then Chemo and Radiation treatments. But I will slowly plug on. Some days it will be for major items and when out of energy I'll tackle a small scale detail.

Brian, I wish you successful a successful surgery and a quick recovery with a minimum of pain and discomfort. In my experience it helps to surround yourself with positive people and to stay active and involved.

Cancer can (and will) be beaten.

[RAMJET]

Hi Brian, when you feel up to it just let me know, I would be happy to come over and give you a hand any time . Brian truly is a great guy and amazing builder ,I never come away from his house without learning something. to fully appreciate his planes you have to look inside . I have been doing this for a while and consider my self no slouch but I am amazed looking at his engineering skills . all the best buddy , cheers Roger

[Midair]

Originally Posted by RAMJET

Hi Brian, when you feel up to it just let me know, I would be happy to come over and give you a hand any time . Brian truly is a great guy and amazing builder ,I never come away from his house without learning something. to fully appreciate his planes you have to look inside . I have been doing this for a while and consider my self no slouch but I am amazed looking at his engineering skills . all the best buddy , cheers Roger

Couldn't agree more

[BAMDFISHER]

COWL ATTACHMENT

On the real aircraft all around the fuselage and Cowl, they used DZUS Fasteners.

But this CARP Spitfire was built with Exposed Phillips Head Screws as can be seen in picture 1.

To hold the cowl on, I can't duplicate a true Dzus fastener system in a logical timely manner, so I am going to keep what's there.

I found a 4-40 machine screw that has the perfect head diameter and with the combination Roberson Slot head is the same size in diameter and height. I had to sand the small bump down with a diamond file to have the screw sit flush.

To attach the screws to the inside of the fuselage, I used Wood Mushroom Caps used in the furniture industry to hide screw heads. I drilled then tapped them to a 4-40 thread. To hold them in place I used HYSOL 9462 glue.

I used a total of 8 screws and Mushroom caps.

The total weight gain for this was part of the build was 12 grams (not counting the glue weight).

[Max]

This is going to be a great build. Looking forward to following your progress, Brian!

[BAMDFISHER]

RUDDER DETAILS

My goal is to add simple scale effects to the Spitfire that will stand out when you first approach the plane.

On the Rudder I have added the Navigation Light and the Trim Tab control mechanism.

I found the "Perfect" Light Bulb 0.375" in diameter at Advance Auto.

For the Trim Tab components I purchased them from Nick Ziroil.

https://ziroligiantscaleplans.com/pl...cessories.html

The MONFORTON book gives every dimension that you would need to put the light and trim tab in the proper location.

The Rudder control on the spitfire does not use our traditional Pull-Pull system so I had to compromise a bit to make it look somewhat real and yet be quite sturdy enough.

I scored the hinge line for the trim tab and added a tiny thin wire to give it that more scale look. After Sanding the components down I painted it uses a Etching Primer.

The original weight of the Rudder was 82 grams and it is now up to 112 grams. Unfortunately at the wrong place to be adding weight to a war bird, but I believe the engine is heavy enough to compensate for this tiny increase.

[BAMDFISHER]

UPPER NAVIGATION LIGHT

This was my first try at Vacuum forming. John Allen lent me his box to make the dome light.

For those that are new to this it does take some experimentation, but the results are certainly worth it. I made a wooden plug "tried Balsa but like soft pine better). After putting on several coats of Urethane I then pulled a 0.015" styrene part. From reading others vacuum trials, this acts as an excellent base to pull the clear plastic over. It produces a super smooth finish. I tried making the clear plastic part from 0.015" plastic but it just was not rigid enough so I ended up using 0.030" material. This produces the perfect strength of part.

The light bulb comes from Advance Auto at the correct diameter of 0.375" for a 1/4 scale plane. The mounting plate is made from 0.030" styrene that is held in place with some #0 screws. The inside was painted with an etching primer that has the "Almost Right Look" for any interior metal parts on the real Spitfire.

When ready for painting the mounting plate will be the correct colour of the fuselage, just the interior where the bulb is will remain green.

The net gain in weight to the fuselage for this small scale feature was 18 grams.

Again the MORNFORTON book gives all the dimensions for you to make your own Navigation Light.

And again don't loose sight of the overall game plan, this is a Sports Scale Plane and minute deviations are accepted as long as the "Message is There"!