Spitfire's do they use washout?

[fly boy3]

Hi, been fly ing for 14 years, mostly sport and scale, but have always kept away from tapered or pointed wing forms. Now I really want to build and fly a Spit.Do any of the plans out there use washout or any other means of preventing the dreaded tip stall, or is there no washout at all. Next quest. if washout is required is it easy to build into the wing. Cheers FB3.

[Danny Fenton]

Brian Taylor uses washout, and you wont find a better flying Spit. The ribs are all drawn with building tabs so that the washout is automattically built in.

 

Tony Nijhuis doesn't use washout on his Spit designs because he says he doesn't think they need it. The Spit has a lot of wing area and is not as bad as traditional pointy winged planes. Just don't slow it down too much on the approach or attempt three pointers until you are happy with the way they fly, they are fine and not the scary monsters made out to be.

 

Dust down the building board, fresh bottle of zap, and take loads of pics

 

Cheers

Danny

 

[RICHARD WILLS]

Warbirds replicas have loads of washout in their spit kit . Dont ask me how i know that !

[Kozmyk]

I believe that R J Mitchell employed washout in his design.

 

 

 

 

 

 

But what did HE know?

 

 

[Big Bandit]

Posted by Kozmyk on 05/04/2011 21:24:10:

I believe that R J Mitchell employed washout in his design.

 

 

 

 

 

 

But what did HE know?

 

 

About 1 1/2 degrees on each tip.

 

Chris.

[Simon Chaddock]

Just a historical point but the Spitfire ended up on aircraft carriers, notwithstanding many shortcomings, primarily because its elliptical wing (and washout) gave it about the best low speed handling characteristics of almost any high speed fighter then available.

 

It is interesting to note that the non pointy wing Mustang although of superb performance was noted for not having the best low speed characteristics.

[Tim Hooper]

Doesn't that elliptically pointy wingtip minimise all those nasty tip vortices anyway?

 

Think Mr Mitchell knew what he was doing?

tim

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

Dead right Tim.

 

A long, long time ago (I'm talking 1970's here) I remember having the copy of the mag (Radio Modeller - I think) in which Brian Taylor actually launched his Spit design with washout. I remember reading the article hundreds of times as a kid and being "dead impressed" with the idea of built in washout. To this day I can still remember the last sentence of the article "So, come on, you've always wanted to try a Spitfire haven't you." Shows you the impact it had on me! I've probably still got the mag somewhere, but going away to university, 'n' house moves, getting married and having kids lie between me and those happy days so I've no idea where it would be - sad, I'd enjoy reading it again.

 

I'm still waiting to get round to that Spit - but it is on my bucket list.

 

BEB

[Bob Webster]

I have had 2 Mick Reeves 74" Spitfires and cannot remember whether they had washout or not. All I know is that both flew beautifully and would only drop a wing if really slowed to the extent that they practically stopped flying. That was taking liberties and shoild only be done at height.

 

The other concern flyers express about Spifires is ground handling. Mine handled really well on the ground and neither had a tendency to ground loop, provided that care was taken with the rudder. By the time you're ready to fly a Spitfire your flying should be well up to the mark anyway.

 

Enjoy your Spitfire and relax!

Bob

[fly boy3]

Thanks all who replied to my Spit. washout query, Some use it ,others do not. To be on the safe side I will incorporate 11/2 degrees as per Big Bandits advice. Also thanks to all who put my tip stalling ghosts re. the Spit to rest. Cheers

[Evan Pimm]

Actually, the full size uses 2.5 degrees washout built progressivly into the wing, root to tip. If you are considering a serious scale job, then leaving it out, or using less, would be non-scale, wouldn't it?

Evan.

[mal brewer]

Hi BEB and others,

I too remember the Brian Taylor 'Spitfire' article,when he explained his scale model history.I distinctley remember him saying his first scale model was written off on it's first flight due to tip-stalling,in his own words,as I remember them,he said'I thought this isn't the way to go scale modelling,two months(!) work for two minutes flying.He built wash-out into his next model,apparently too much as he said it would roll out of loops.It seems that he reckoned 3% was the optimum figure for washout,and every model he designed incorporated this.As I think we would all agree,there is no more successful or prolific modeller than Brian,his designs are righly acclaimed world-wide.If he considers it essential,who are we to argue,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Mal.

[Terence Lynock]

Not many people know this but R J Mitchell didnt design the Spitfire wing, it was designed by Beverley Shenston one of the young aerodynamicists working on the project, R J was a fine forward looking aircraft designer agreed but people tend to forget he had a 30-strong team doing most of the work.

[Erfolg]

I find it interesting that the slow speed stall characteristics of the Spitfire were attributable to the washout by at least one historian. The elliptical planform was an endeavor to both enclose the weapons bays and reduce tip losses, particularly at the slow speed end of the speed range.