...
O.D.
'scratch built'.My first Spitfire, yes honestly, 40+ years of modeling and the first one I have ever built, (excluding plastic kits).
After my 30s Style racer, I knew I could fly something like this on 14 cells, and boy does it fly. Not like an over powered noisey/smelly missile, but like a proper Spitfire you see at a display.
Well it had to be reasonably light, so what construction?. A built up and sheeted wing could be a bit heavy, plus all those changing ribs, no, I'm too lazy. So some thing new for me, a white foam glassed wing, no spars, no leading edge wood, no trailing edge either, just a little strip at the aileron cut-out, sort of Clark Y in section. And then I glass clothed it, another first for me, and yes it is a one piece wing, and a sod to get in my car.
For landing, (no wheels), I made the under wing air intakes/coolers from balsa sheet and double glassed them.
Light?, well that finished wing with servos weighs 1lb 10.5oz.
The Fuz?, well I like balsa wood, so it was out with another piece of wall paper backing sheet and a lot of pencil work. But I must be mad as I decided to glass the fuz as well. Well 1/16 sheet isn't very strong, and it saves on covering it in film etc. Weight again? finished with all the gear, 2lb 11oz.
So we are looking at a 4lb 5.5oz model before fitting the batteries.
The power unit is a CEM 2008 with a 3:1 gearbox and a 13x6 prop, all spinning from 14 cells, well it looked right so it must fly. (Bumble bee principle, if you don't tell it it can't fly, it fly's, simple :-) ) (update - now has an Astro 15 and a 2.5:1 belt drive, the CEM self destructed).
The batteries, two 7 cell packs, live in the 'chin', one of the few bits of blue foam, the other being the rear of the spinner, I cheated there as the prop is well forward in the spinner.
Also to keep the weight down, plus I fly off grass, the under carriage was left off, also saves on retracts, (the bane of the Mitchell). A simple dolly was made and works very well, but trying to land back on on the dolly is a bit of a sod, (humour, ok).
Oh yes, there is another piece of blue foam, the pilot, hand carved and damned ugly, originally sprayed matt black, I had to 'pop' the canopy and sort of paint him a bit more human. You see I'm one of those tight people who won't buy some thing I can make, no matter how bad it comes out, not really true, but you know what I mean.
Flying?, well she's not overpowered, but in the air, she looks very scale like. I hate to see scale models flying at the equivalent of mach 2.
So another one notched up, now what's next on the list?.
Painted
wheels are lighter, (and cheaper).
Span - 70"
Motor - Astro 15, (was CEM 2008)
Gear - 2.5:1 belt drive, (was 3:1 gearbox)
Prop - 13x6 MA
Cells - 14 2400Ma nicad, 2x 7 cell packs
Weight - 6lb 2oz flying.
Takes off from a dolly.