Steve Ebbon

Lindsay look forward to hearing how you get on building and flying your Spit. I flew mine for the first time yesterday (no drama flies like its on rails) after having continual problems getting the engine to run without cutting out below 20 percent throttle, fitted an on board glow unit which cured the problem and as an added bonus, I don't have to conect up a glow starter now, I would highly recommend these little gadgets especialy on inverted engines. Working exhausts would be great but too complicated for me to fabricate even if there was room for them, I compromised by drilling holes through the exhaust stubs into the cowl, helps with cooling. But be ready with the glue as I'm forever snapping mine off, copper pipes brazed to a plate would be the answer and would also help with CG.

Well finally got round to maiden the Spit by the club expert, no drama, flew very smoothly and scale like with the RCV 91-CD up front sounded very realistic too. Just one problem mine also tips onto nose on landing so will adjust for more elevator movement and rake U/C forward a few degree's. All up weight 10.5 Ibs just needed to add 2 strips of weights fixed to engine mount and battery strapped to the other side of mount.

Why not just buy the rubber bushes and fit whatever engine mount you like, the Mick Reeves mount uses a Top Hat type with threaded insert, these can be purchased from building suppliers in various sizes to suit engine size and bulkhead thickness, you might need to add extra ply to bulkhead for the bigger sizes. They cost from £6.86 plus VAT for pack of 50, M4 x 11 and are called Rawlnuts you can get them from Tool Fast Direct at - www.toolfastdirect.co.uk/acatalog/Rawlnuts.html Hope this helps

Glad to hear of your successful maiden flight, I would be interested in knowing where the new balance point is after removing the weights. It is good to know that I can possibly remove some lead from my model as the lighter the better.

Hi Andrew, Thanks for the PDF cheers. Steve E

Hi Andrew, interesting info about strengthening undercarriage mount, is it in a current mag. - any info would be of help, I have already applied some fibreglass resin to the inside of the top wing surface inside the wheel wells to help a bit, what engine are you fitting to yours ? Purchased a car compressor with gauge from Halfords for mine usefull for the car too.

Hi Jimmy, It's good to know I'm not alone and these thing happen to other people as well, not that I would wish mishaps on anyone but it's good to read of the mistakes that can happen, it might help others to keep their models flying longer.

Hi, I'm about at the same stage as you Steve, contemplating fitting an in-cowl silencer too from Just Engines as I think having a pipe sticking out of the side will spoil the looks. Yes mine too is looking like needing quite a bit of lead up front, I think the fit of the air intake moulding that goes under the engine cowl is a very bad fit and the wrong shape with a large gap between it and the wing also how to attach it is left up to the builder to figure out, it should have been moulded to fit against the bottom of the wing properly as the real thing, might fabricate something to tidy this up or remake if I can find some paint to match. I will not be flying it untill I get my 2,4ghz gear so looks like you will be flying before me, look forward to hearing how you do.

My email should be enabled if you click on it. - Joined my wings together today - found it quite difficult to align evenly but not to bad, fitted valve acutator and bracket to servo tray and will use a micro servo for this as I have one laying around will help with the weight a smidge.

Thanks for your comments Steve, I wish I had a friend with a model shop but would end up spending too much I think. I hope the RCV 91 will be OK I don't want to zoom round too fast just to keep it at scale like speeds but would agree a bigger engine would be better also help with the balance, the new RCV 130 would be my ideal engine but out of the question at the moment. Will try my snakes out as bought now any slop and will use carbon rod not the wooden efforts supplied, a alloy spinner would finnish the front end off nicely but they are not cheap. It would help if you can email any pics of the retract set-up the manual shows two air pipes entering each wing but I have only one connector on each retract, also how and with what do you use to pump up the air cylinder with ? Look forward to seeing some photo's

I have also just bought a Top Gun Spitfire, I agree with what Steve says and would add that the instruction for setting up the retacts are very poor, more information is given on assembling the fuel tank, I have never fitted air retracts so will have to look on the web for instructions, not good. I intend to join the elevators together and use good quality snakes for both elevator and rudder, the wheels supplied are undersized should be 4 inch diameter at this scale so I will fit as big as possible but not much room, oleos a good idea Steve. The top wing roundels need to be moved nearer the wing tips so will get the hair dryer our and have a go at lifting the vinyl adhesive. I will also add some detail to the cockpit cutting out the floor, adding instruments pilot etc., it would have cost nothing to print an instrument panel in the instruction manual page or pence to provide a self-adhesive one. Also engine centre lines on the bulkhead would have been helpful. I will be fitting my RCV 91CD as this was used on the CML test model or might have been the YT Spit (not sure) and fits in the cowl well plus sounds superb and is British (what would Riginald Mitchell have thought about a Jap engine in a Spit) Would give 8/10 too but with a bit more thought could have been 10/10

My worst worst muppet moment. The mother of muppetry in fact, (are there any prizes) was last week, flying my new (Christmas present) Sportsman Aviation Spitfire on only it's 4th flight when after a couple of circuits the wings suddenly departed from the fuz which then did a good impression of an unguided missile while the wings gently fluttered to earth, yes youv'e guessed it I forgot to tighten up the wingbolts only hand tightened them, my excuse was I got distracted by the people around me. Moral check your nuts! sorry bolts before flying. Suprisingly I think the fuz is repairable so if any one out there has a spare cowl and canopy for a SA Spit. let me know please.