Richard Forder-Denham

It’s a Seagull Arising Star, it’s had a going over and is a bit of a patchwork. The engine was gummed up freed it up with a soak in WD40 and ran it up on my test bed - worked just fine. all ready to go - just need a virus free world 😃 fingers crossed that my repairs don’t all peel off 1st time out and that it doesn’t plummet to the ground!🤬

To be honest I didn’t start out with printing it in mind, I was going to use 20x20 T slot frame again, but everywhere I looked the frame would have cost a fortune. it looked like buying a Prusa or some such would be cheaper than building it myself, and that goes against the grain. As usual I looked around my workshop, I didn’t have enough threaded rod to hand (yes I could have bought some!), but I recently bought some reels of filament.......... there you go, would have been far less bother to use threaded rod, but I had started down the printed frame road🤡 now it’s done and up and running I am quite pleased with it, though I haven’t used it for a few weeks now since I got the RC bug again.

My 1st build was a Maricado, I picked up an RCME in smiths whilst waiting for wife & no.1 child and there was this free plan, got the bug there and then. I needed something to fill the void after doing a full nut and bolt restoration of a Triumph Spitfire! I never got to flying stage as an unfortunate incident in the garage whilst having a house extension turned my Maricado in to a part built model & when looking for more wood for repairs I came across the Tony Nijhuis 62.5” spit, I bought a laser cut wood kit, cowl & pilot and knocked it up off plan - almost I also bought a damaged seagull trainer on eBay along the way, which I repaired and is ready to go, so I just need to not do anything stupid!

My own designed (inspired by others out there), printable from any 200x200 printer, I bought all of the non printed parts from Amazon! And B&Q 😁 I have tweaked it since this photo to give it a little more rigidity and height so that I could add a wades extruder. This was the 1st prototype.

My 1st home brew 3D printer - works a treat !

It will never fly, but this is what has been keeping my from my spit! I built a home brew mendelmax alike printer, great fun but I kept looking up at my 3 part built planes hanging above me in the workshop. my new friend kept me busy, I wanted to up production so designed my own printer that I could print, then printed that, so now have two printers. whilst looking at servos for my 3D printed robot, I remembered my Spitfire - Now my printers will be printing Spitfire cannons and arials and air scoops - the fun never ends!!

I have spent 10 years on and off (more off than on) building my spitfire off Tony Nijhuis plan. i have never flown - somewhere in those 10 years I bought a Seagull trainer, I was just putting out feelers to a local flying club, had a look around last summer and was starting to get my mind in the game then along came COVID-19. bad news for learning to fly but good news for my spitty build (time on my hands due to self isolation and need to escape to my man cave! The dog & I are the only two Y chromosomes in the house) the only thing is that my spitty will be finished when I eventually head out to the flying club with my L plates, the temptation will be there, I just hope they don’t let me do anything stupid!! or I may come home with a big box of kindling for the fire🤡🤡

Tony Nijhuis 62.5” Spitfire - longest build ever! Started building around 10 years ago 🤡 then discovered DIY 3D printers, built two of those from scratch instead. Thanks to the bug going around, I got the bug for my Spity again😀 Today it got its base coat - good old COVID-19!