FT Spitfire Build

[TLMARK]

The canopy and pilot is from the PZ MkIX spitfire i had them left over from an other project
http://forum.flitetest.com/showthread.php?1490-Show-your-Warbird-mods&p=43403&viewfull=1#post43403

Its probable a little big but does help complete the look I think?
The paint is Tamiya I have never found anything it can't paint with out issue. As i said its not the neatest job I only sent a couple of hours on it

if you read this David thanks for this plane :applause:

 

[TLMARK]

K8350 Flys!

The wind finally dropped this afternoon enough for me to get out and maiden the FT spit now called K8350
and what a really nice gentle plane I love it even more now mine is probable a little under powered it was just a old motor I had kicking around. so anyway I'll bore you with some inflight pix.

 

[FlyingMonkey]

I have to be honest. This looks better than the ones the Flite Test guys showed on their episode. I was a bit on the "meh" side before. But this has me excited. And I think it's the canopy that made the difference. The paint job is awesome too though.

 

[roversgonemad]

I think that is the best looking FT Spitfire I have seen so far! The canopy definitely makes a difference. Great paint job, and the exhaust adds another great detail!

 

[jhitesma]

That is absolutely outstanding! The paint and canopy really make it - and great photography to showcase it!

I put off replacing the fuselage on mine and did one further repair to the now twice damaged front wing mount. In addition to gluing the foam back together I also added some toothpicks with glue on them going vertically through the foam.

Seemed to do well. Plane felt great in the air but still felt like the throws were too limited, tail didn't even seem to do anything. So switched up to high rates and it felt much more like I expected. Still can't get much of a roll out of it though, may have to raise the high settings a bit higher still there.

Misjudged a low turn and hit the ground hard...on bare dirt. Bent my motor mount shattered a firewall, broke a pod moutn skewer and the side of the fuse split where the bend for the back section starts. But the front wing mount held tight with the two toothpicks in there Maybe I'm ready to build fuse #2 now that I think I found a way to reinforce the one spot that bugged me...this one is repairable but I kind of want to make on that looks nice now. Just trying to do more minwax experiments before building a "keeper" and not sure I want to build one more "practice" version right now

 

[colorex]

THAT is a swappable? MAAAAAAAAN you got skills!

 

[TLMARK]

Thanks guys I put a couple more battery's through k8350 and she's is a keeper
I bought the speed build double pack so I have second tucked away.
What sort of life span do the swappable have?

 

[IBeHoey]

Awesome awesome build! The in-air shots you took look nearly as good as the plane itself. What kind of camera were you using?

Well, I'm close to having the build part finished.


The only big task I have to do now, aside from paint and maiden, is figure out a neat/clean way of adding on some landing gear. I have a few ideas to try out but I'm always open for suggestions.

After seeing the wonderful job you guys have done with your spits, I can't wait to get mine painted and up in the air.

 

[adergotardo]

Hello, TLMark. Nice plane. I made my silver… I crashed it some times, trying flying and all… But still like the plane. I'd like to know if you considering more easy to fly it without wind… Tell me, please, your hand lauching method. TKS.

 

[JasonEricAnderson]

I have to be honest. This looks better than the ones the Flite Test guys showed on their episode. I was a bit on the "meh" side before. But this has me excited. And I think it's the canopy that made the difference. The paint job is awesome too though.

Same here, my reaction to the FT examples were 'what a great plane' and my reaction to yours was 'OOOOoooohhhh'

 

[TLMARK]

Hello, TLMark. Nice plane. I made my silver… I crashed it some times, trying flying and all… But still like the plane. I'd like to know if you considering more easy to fly it without wind… Tell me, please, your hand lauching method. TKS.

It fly's fine in wind up to 10mph, that's the highest I tried it in but it fly's great in no wind, but then most planes fly better in no wind

As for hand launch I hold it behind the wing and launch over my head slightly pointing up, I guess about 10-15 degrees
power wise on mine its about 75%.

stick with it its a great flying plane

 

[SR-71]

I always use around 60% throttle to start, nose slightly high.

 

[kah00na]

TLMARK, do you have templates for the decals you used? I'd like to print them off and use them on mine.

 

[TLMARK]

I got the roundals from wiki
here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Air_Force_roundels

they are nice clear

and the fin flash here the red stripe goes forward

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RAF_Type_A_Fin_Flash.svg

the letters I got from a stationery store

 

[Strix]

Nice Spitfire, TLMARK! I'm quite proud of mine, though it's not quite as good as yours.

For those worrying about the extra weight paint will add, DON'T! Before Minwax, paint, and other decorations, it had an AUW of 640 grams, with 2200 3s battery and 10 grams ballast in the tail. After paint, with the ballast removed, it's 710 grams. It still flies beautifully, and for reference, the Parkzone Spitfire is almost the same size (43.2" wingspan vs. FT Spit's 42") and weighs 1170 grams. That's over 60% more than my 710g.

I drew my roundels and letters in CAD, just so I could make them exactly the size I wanted. I also used the Wikipedia article linked in the last post for reference.

 

[IBeHoey]

Very cool Strix! What did you use to make the canopy?

 

[Strix]

Very cool Strix! What did you use to make the canopy?

Thanks! I used a plastic soda bottle from Faygo pop. I'm not sure if it's available near you, it's a regional brand. It took me three tries to get it right. The black stripes are 1/4" wide strips of electrical tape.

 

[roversgonemad]

I put five batteries through the Spitfire today, what a great plane! Now it needs some color. Not my first swappable, but I think this is the best flier I have build so far, out of the swappable series.

 

[TLMARK]

Brilliant Job Strix and great pix too. I love it, its getting more flight than any of my other planes at the moment. And I have yet to find a vice in its characteristics

 

[Strix]

I agree! This Spitfire is one awesome plane!