David Hazell 1 Posted March 27, 2021 Share Posted March 27, 2021 1 minute ago, Andy Gates said: I am wondering if I am getting slightly obsessed with tail weight now. Tailplane / fin fillets fitted in 1/16" balsa rather than block. Just leave the tail plane off completely, that is about as light as it gets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hazell 1 Posted March 27, 2021 Share Posted March 27, 2021 I'm just fitting the strengthening to the U/C bay. Spent ages trying to find something with just the right daimeter to fit the hole!! Boom: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Johnson 4 Posted March 27, 2021 Share Posted March 27, 2021 David, I thought that hole was for the wheel? OH I seeee you have to 'pump' up the gear.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hazell 1 Posted March 27, 2021 Share Posted March 27, 2021 Funny how the smallest achievements can _make_ ones morning when the world is as it is! "Ooh found something with the correct diameter. Winning at life!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Gates Posted March 27, 2021 Share Posted March 27, 2021 Nice one David. It is always a great feeling when something works out. Just been sorting out my tail wheel and extreme rear underside fuselage, photos to follow in a short while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Gates Posted March 27, 2021 Share Posted March 27, 2021 Photo of steerable tailwheel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Gates Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 Surprisingly my SBus decoder turned up yesterday at 10pm via the Royal Mail. That meant today is play day. David you were dead on with your comment, I have tested every SBus receiver I have (excluding the Spektrum compatible ones) in conjunction with the FrSky 4 channel decoder and in every instance the output timing to the servo from the decoder is 9ms not 20ms. This will mean I will leave the spitfire wiring as is and use the decoder on the Lanc with digital servos when it happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leccyflyer Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 On 18/03/2021 at 18:52, RICHARD WILLS said: Good stuff Andy . I am doing similar , Have also taken 15mm off the front , battery in from the top as I wanted to fit a speaker in the base of the "tank bay " . The top of the cowl is just held on with magnets . My battery is at 30 degrees as it is over the speaker at the back , but under the motor at the front . If we compare notes at the end , I can come up with a variation on the original MkIX kit that will include the changes that are worth doing . Balance is looking good for us both at this stage . I will be using a more rounded spinner , 3 outlet exhaust stacks and outside armour plate canopy . Should be able to duplicate that lot if required . It would be nice to produce a bespoke BOB Spitfire kit with lots of detail at some point . If you do that, please sign me up for that definitive Spitfire Mk 1A (or II at a push) - the MKIX is nice, but the early mark is nicer. ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Gates Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 Play day has now lead to confusion. As stated, the SBus decoder is outputting at around 9ms (111hz measured). I have connected up a range of servos and all except 1 work perfectly so I have left them to cook and all seem OK, no heat build up or jitters. I tried 2 retract units separately, one does nothing, the other cycles continuously. I will stick to my Spitfires current set up and pose this question on the thread that Chris linked to earlier. Back to the planes..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 I don’t know the precise mechanism for analogue servos becoming damaged by higher frame refresh rates but it strikes me that it’s just possible that running the servo smoothly from end to end might be less stressful than it receiving frequent ‘corrections’ to a nominally held position. Probably nonsense, but perhaps best not to treat a successful soak test as definitive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hazell 1 Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 VID_20210327_155339.mp4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Gates Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 Thanks for that Trevor. Nice one David, my bays have a lot more free space around the wheels than yours do, having said that mine are lined with 1/16" balsa with the lining under the edges of the skins. Too dark to take pictures now but I have just put mine together to check the CoG with my light battery fitted and it is still nose heavy which bodes well for when it is covered and painted. Currently weighs 2270g or 5lbs exactly with battery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hazell 1 Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 (edited) I guess I might end up regretting making the fit so tight if something moves, but I guess if so I'll chalk it up to experience! Edited March 28, 2021 by David Hazell 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Gates Posted March 29, 2021 Share Posted March 29, 2021 1st time all pieces come together and powered up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted March 29, 2021 Share Posted March 29, 2021 Looking great Andy ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RICHARD WILLS Posted March 29, 2021 Share Posted March 29, 2021 Well done Andy . In fact there was an Andy on the BOB film ? Ian McShane . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leccyflyer Posted March 29, 2021 Share Posted March 29, 2021 Get Out Andy! Jump! Great job sir. ? Less of the Sir! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hazell 1 Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 OK, so I have a question. Thanks to my slight misalignment of the skins, I ended up having to strip off about 3mm. This ends up with me having a slight gap where the wing sits in the fuselage. My question is - should I set up the wing such that it sits with the gap (appropriately filled/hidden) at the front, a bit of both, or at the back. If it helps sway the decision, it seems to sit better somewhat in the middle... A couple of pics: \ Now obviously there are going to be the fillets in place above the wing and the filler and the carb scoop, so it can all be hidden. But... Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RICHARD WILLS Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 I laugh at a 3mm discrepancy David . Sit the wing where it feels comfortable in the middle . Make a little rectangular plate out of the 3mm scrap hardwood to fill the gap between F2 and the leading edge . Put a hole in it to match F2 and ensure that the new "doubler " is securely glued to F2 . People often get concerned about the central wing joint having a gap . Yours doesnt , but it really makes no difference as the long dihedral braces reaching into each wing do the work , not two R1's glued together . Its always good to think about where the stresses really are on a model and then you realise that 90% is cosmetic . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hazell 1 Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 1 hour ago, RICHARD WILLS said: I laugh at a 3mm discrepancy David . Sit the wing where it feels comfortable in the middle . Make a little rectangular plate out of the 3mm scrap hardwood to fill the gap between F2 and the leading edge . Put a hole in it to match F2 and ensure that the new "doubler " is securely glued to F2 . People often get concerned about the central wing joint having a gap . Yours doesnt , but it really makes no difference as the long dihedral braces reaching into each wing do the work , not two R1's glued together . Its always good to think about where the stresses really are on a model and then you realise that 90% is cosmetic . Thank you good sir. That was my plan and you've just made me feel a little more secure! ? Hopefully things will start to come together a little more rapidly now and it won't be all that long before I start venturing into covering territory... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Gates Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 David, I have those gaps too which is quite normal with any kit and quite a few ARTF machines too. Reasons can be many, wood shrinking, over enthusiastic sanding, most are due to the plane being hand built and no ones hands being the same. As Richard says, fill the gaps with some of the scrap wood - I used balsa left overs from the laser cut sheets. Just choose the thickness to suit the gap, cut the packing oversize so it "hangs out" into the air stream and do not sand it down until you have added the under wing sections to blend wing to fuselage and blend them together in one hit. I have made a start on the under wing intake which has to be fitted to the LE blend in section. Again I have been using left overs since I have used sheeting to replace a lot of the block work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Gates Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 My light weight steerable tail wheel and the under wing air intake taking shape Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RICHARD WILLS Posted April 4, 2021 Share Posted April 4, 2021 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RICHARD WILLS Posted April 4, 2021 Share Posted April 4, 2021 I have just received some pictures of another Lock Down Spitfire ready to maiden. Robert Stainsby is the rightly proud builder of this beauty . Its a classic Johnny Johnson Spit ,as you can see . Robert is a jeweller and is due back at work on 12th after a typical Furlough lay off , just long enough to get the paint work done in time for the nice weather . I reckon he's he's made a "gold edition " version. Should fly like a diamond..... (Sorry , just cant help myself sometimes) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Gates Posted April 4, 2021 Share Posted April 4, 2021 That is going to make mine look like Frankensteins monster! Very nice indeed,well done sir Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.