Nihjuis Spitfire 62"

[Snaba]

Mac,

jus by adding a plate migt look pretty wird...I think you could just carefully cut ope the sheeting, remove enough wood from the rib and make a second wing plate. No need to remove the one from the top, it might just add some stability

[Mac Duberia]

Snaba,

 

What about the glass bandage, do you think i'll have to wrap another layer to strengthen the area?

 

I could do that but just worried about weaken the root area.

 

Thanks

 

Mac.

[Snaba]

I guess it wouldn't harm and it is quickly done, anyway. I regret my glass bandage, it is not as neat as it could be. At the time when I did it I ran out of GFK sheets, which I normally use, and used a generic bandage instead.

[Snaba]

Looking at the plans don't think you significantly weaken the structure by opening the last few cm at the t.e. between two innermost ribs, ad replace the mising balsa with thick ply. I assume a glass fiber coat will keep the wing s one piece, together wih the epoxy between the first ribs. Actally, this wing attachment was a point of doubt for me as normally you have to glue some thick wood sliding inside the wing constrction. Thus the glass fiber is essential, IMHO.

[Mac Duberia]

i suppose i could try cutting out the bottom sheet and then lay a patch of glassfibre around where the cut is made.

 

 

[Snaba]

Mac,

I had another thought: as the wing mounting plate is supposed to be 6 mm it could be that you end up practically no rib at all, if you follow the first ideas above. Maybe a plate of something like 3 mm would still leave enough rib for the plate to grab? Opinions from others?

[John Laverick]

Mac

I thought the plan states it should be 4mm plate? it's not situated too near the trailing edge so just replacing the plate and then perhaps adding a bit of glass cloth to the outside won't make it as obvious.

 

Snaba, I've used the 3.25 wheels and they fit a treat if you remove the recessed wing spar above the wheel. I can strengthen this area once I've sheeted the wing.

 

I've included a picture of my spit in it's bare metal skin before painting. I've modelled my exhaust stacks on the picture of the MK IV, they are a bit large but I'm happy with them

 

Regards

 

John

Edited By John Laverick on 21/04/2010 17:48:17

[Mac Duberia]

Hi Guys,

 

Thanks for your input but i've managed to get round my problem by cutting 1" inch sq hole round the wing bolt then fed in 3 layers of liteply into the hole, then sanded down to the wing. For security i layed 1 layer of glass over the liteply's and if feels strong without adding to much weight.

 

John,

How did you make your exhaust stack?

 

Thanks once again.

 

Mac.

[Snaba]

John,

I saw the first foto about exhaust pipes and thought I can stop working...was so perfect. Good that I scrolled down a bit, seems more like a model...you made a hatch on top? I've solved the same issue of access by making a removable cockpit, for the fuel nip and DC for the glow I've installed under a small hinged hatch just after the firewall. Could you make a close-up of your cockpit?

I don't get the angle of your wheel fotos, is this from the top, bottom or how? I see a bit of the oleo leg UNDER the wheel...?

Edited By Snaba on 21/04/2010 19:19:19

[Snaba]

Ah,

you didn't sheet it yet

[John Laverick]

Snaba,

yea it's from the top of the wing, that's the axle you can see which needs to be cut off flush.

 

Glad you've sorted your problem out Mac, the exhaust pipes are made from aluminium tubing bought from B & Q and cut to shape. My model is electric hence the large hatch I have. it won't become as noticable when I've painted it, but I might just want to keep it silver and model a post war Belgian MK IV!!

 

we'll see

 

Regards

 

John

[Snaba]

John,

am I missing something in your plane? Those little bulbs from engine 'rockers' and these sweet little flippers between the fuse and wing? Are you planning to install them later?

[John Laverick]

Snaba,

 

yea, I'm going to add them later, I got a bit ahead of myself. I've used Poly-c as a covering for the first time and I couldn't wait to see what the finish was like so I gave it a spray with silver to have a look.

 

I didn't use glass cloth but painted the wood with sanding sealant and then painted on coats of Poly-c over a period of a week until I had about 15 coats on, (the more coats the better if you have the patience) I'm really impressed with the results, and even though it takes a lot more time to do than solarfilm I think the finish is much better.

 

I'll do the fairings, (little flippers) when I've covered the wings to get the correct shape.

 

Regards

 

John

[Tim Mackey]

Those exhaust stacks look terrific John.

[Trex700e]

with reguards to some earlier posts, I Have Glued my wing mounting plate to the top of the wing. I used the slec UK 6mm nylong bolts and these actually go right through the bottom sheet to secure onto the top sheet.

 

John, I too have opted for an electric set up. and I also need to build a hatch. However this has to be done near the engine rocker box covers so something will have to be worked out here.

 

 

I wasnt going to go for the glass firbe strip as I would have to cut a huge hole in it to account for the retract servo, but the way you guys talk about the strip make it seem vital. I was instead going to glue (with epoxy) some 1mm birch ply to the top of the wing to act as the GF strip. Do you think this is wize?  

[John Laverick]

I covered the wings today and I can't believe how heavy they are?

 

I don't know about you but I think we could have got away with 1/64 inbsted of 3/32? for the covering.perhaps I'm coming from an electric point of view. but they seem very heavy.

 

Guy's, when your talking about the wing mounting plate I'm really lost? I obviously  don't undersrtand what problem  that  you have?

 

I must be daft

 

regards

 

John

[Hugh Coleman]

The timbr re-enforcing that stops the wing mounting screws from tearing through the wing.

I too forgot to put mine in before covering.  But I want to retrofit some lfaps, so I will be cutting that part of the skin away anyway, so I can put the plate in then.

 

I used 2mm Balsa for the covering and tissue and dope for re-enforcing.  I have not weighed it yet.

 

Cheers,

 

Hugh

Edited By Hugh Coleman on 25/04/2010 00:13:36

[Peter 'Ivanna Crashalot' Savage]

Bought the plan special for this plan, just finished druelling over the plan... Maybe after the lizzie

[Snaba]

Mac,

if I get it right you solved your wing mounting plate problem in a elegant way. However, I don't want to be negative but I am pretty sceptic about your setup. Although now the mounting bolt rests on the pile of ply the main thing that keeps your wign as part of the rest of the plane relies on the strength of the glue between the plate and the rib. In right orientation, i.e. plate under the rib, the force is spread on the ribs and the whole wing construction. I would be scared to fly any negative figures with your plane...

[Mac Duberia]

Snaba,

 

I can see where you are coming from, however i have wrapped glassfibre around the T. E. to give strength as well as distribution of the forces.The original plate is already glued to the ribs on to which the ply is glued on, the sides of the ply is also glued to the wing skin. So i cant think how else i could have rectified the problem without added too much weight.

 

 

[Snaba]

Starting to take shape....first outing! A bit to do, still....

[John Laverick]

looking good Snaba,

 

I've now finished covering the wings and the undercarriage, just have to put on all the add on's, like the radiaters and guns, fairing and filter etc and then cover it. here is a picture of mine so far, I've decided to go for a Belgian MK IX, overall silver with yellow bands on the Fuz and the centre of the wings with a black anti dazzle in front of the cockpit.

If yo look at the close up on the last photo you can see what kind of finish I got when using Poly-C as a covering direct on to the wood, I'm quite chuffed with the finish. if you wanted to you could get a finish like glass if you had the patience, but I just want to get it done so I can fly it,

 

have a good weekend

 

Regards

 

John

[John Laverick]

Snaba,

when you butted your wings together did they fit flush with each other? I have quite a large gap towards the trailing edge where the wings meet which I'm obviously going to have to fill somehow.

I mustn't have glued the first ribs on each wing square, or was yours the same?

 

Regards

 

John

[Snaba]

John,

your plane looks cool! Speaking of alternative colour schemes, in the mid 90's there was a story in FlyPast about a pink recon Spitfire. I wonder if I should go for that

Anyway, my wings went straight flush together, apart very slight sanding of the ribs. By the way, how did you assemble the other wing, I made mine on a mirror carbon copy of the original, as usual. Maybe you could solve your problem by gluing an adapter ply rib to the other wing (the one which is more ikely to be straight) and then sand that one until the other wing fits without a gap? Maybe you already solved the problem otherwise?

[Hugh Coleman]

Lovely choice of finish John.  I would never have thought of using Belgiam markings.

 

Snaba, the pink photo recon example will need you to alter the profile of the chin cowel as the oil cooler was enlarged on these aircraft.  It's a nice scheme though.  Go for it!

 

Cheers,

 

Hugh