Monday 24 June 2019

6th scale Supermarine Spitfire Mark IX - nearing the finish line! (300th post!)

Only a few days (well, 3 in fact) to go until we leave for the Lley, so the Spit has been at full throttle all weekend.  Paint, most of the decals, and first pass weathering now complete :


Cockpit glued on and masked

All primed and ready to roll: 

Underside light grey first: 

Top side "Ocean Grey" added: 

Grey masked off, green sprayed: 

Masking off, paint hardening: 

Close enough I think: 

British warbird storage area :) : 

More decals going on, along with panel lines: 

First pass at weathering: 

Yes, she is a DiVA: 

More to come, might have to start putting in a few hours before work now, too.

I just noticed, that was the 300th post!

Tuesday 11 June 2019

6th scale Supermarine Spitfire Mark IX - build continues

The build progresses well, and I think a finish for the Lleyn is still likely - just!

3D printed gun bulge, cyano'ed onto the glass :



The wing was then ready for primer, so into the shed for 2k high build primer :



3D printed exhausts all in a row for priming.  Two from the Tiffie there too, as she lost them on the Orme somewhere (oops) :


Elevators and rudder covered in green Solartex, ready for priming :


Slightly out of sequence, but here is the carb intake with magnets attached, getting a P38 filler base applied :


The 3D printed spinner had a hole cut in the back, then lead shot and epoxy poured in through the rear.  I still need to sort the attachment method here :


I'm currently working on the cockpit installation so I can get the fuselage buttoned up ready for top coat.  Not long now I hope!


Wednesday 5 June 2019

D-Day 75th Anniversary - a Typhoon related post

So, nearly a copy of a post from a year ago - it's the 75th anniversary of D-Day.  On this day 75 years ago, the 2nd Tactical Air Force were heavily engaged over the skies of France with rocket and bomb attacks on enemy positions, and vehicles in front of the line of advance.

Eisenhower himself specifically praised the Typhoons - "The chief credit in smashing the enemy's spearhead, however, must go to the rocket-firing Typhoon aircraft of the Second Tactical Air Force... The result of the strafing was that the enemy attack was effectively brought to a halt, and a threat was turned into a great victory."  I think this was more related to the "Falaise Pocket" rather than the landings themselves.

Heavy praise indeed for the aircraft and pilots.  The records of losses over the war showed that today and tomorrow there were very heavy casualties for the Typhoon force, a factor of the sudden invasion and the huge amount of missions flown per day.

"Return of the Hunters" by Anthony Saunders
Rest in Peace all those airmen and crew that paid the ultimate price for our freedoms in the face of great adversity.

Monday 3 June 2019

Hawker Typhoon for PSS - maidened!

Well, I chose my day and me and some local helpers got to the Orme in amongst 30mph SW winds - perfect.

After flying the SBD for a few flights, the Tiffie was rigged and readied.




By the time it came to fly the Typhoon, the wind speed had increased to 50mph - if she wasn't going to fly in that, she wasn't going to fly at all.

Photos complete, let's get her airborne!






Amazing!  A 28lb beast with a 4" thick root section actually soared away, and needed down trim to stay in sight.  Aileron and rudder trim were spot on, I think the C of G can come back a little too. I tired a few rolls - very axial.  A slight bump on landing meant that the spinner fell off - not surprising with the mass of it.  A quick repair though and she'll be good to go again soon.

The wind increased to 70mph+ as the day wore on, and the light got better and better.  Alas, it became to dangerous to launch aircraft so I walked the dogs a bit then drove home.

The video, as promised...








6th scale Supermarine Spitfire Mark IX, for PSS - progress to glass

More Spitfire progress, I now have everything around me to complete the aircraft, so its a steady push now until the Lleyn Peninsula meet where I hope to maiden her.


Elevator push-rod made up. M3 fittings in an 8mm OD carbon tube.  Bunged with balsa, potted in epoxy:


The glass fus is more scale than what I am shooting for on this model.  Hmm, how to get rid of the double scallop on the fuselage?


A 64th" ply plate with a former in the front of course.  This will be glassed again later.  In the below picture, you can see the wing has also now been glassed :


Wing bolt plate (quarter inch ply) cut, shaped, installed :



A quick bit of CAD to create the spinner :


New rudder made and hinged :


We're getting there - primer starts tonight.