Scratch Built Supermarine Spitfire MK.V

[Michael Mash]

Originally Posted by abhovi

Stop building! It would be a crying shame to hide all these fantastic details.

Impressive photos.
Mike

[birder]

Fantastic structure

[T haf]

Thank you all for the positive responses and the questions asked. I'm doing my best to keep the LH side of the plane completely open minus a few structural panels that have to be there. The rudder and vertical stab are done, what you see is how it'll be displayed, with a bit more paint work to be done. The LH elevator and horizontal stab will look similar to the rudder. A good chunk of the fuselage will be left open, I still have panels that have to be added for stability. Otherwise it's going to be very open. The whole RH side is going to be closed up and painted as a finished model.

Siwi,
- What is your method for building and shaping the propellor blades - and additionally, what resources have you used to get the correct profile? I find this is something that is hard to get clear and accurate from 3-views and pictures.
Propellers, as you might have noticed, a lot of my builds are from scratch and what works for me might not be the method designed into card models that you can buy. To start I draw out the shape of the blades as close as I can to the actual aircraft. I'll determine how I want to install the blades onto the hub, using the Spit as an example, I used a wooden dowel that slid into the hub. I usually use a 1/8 dowel, but in this case I used a 3/16 dowel. I get the circumference of the dowel, divide it in two, and make sure that the base of the blade drawing is as close to half the circumference as I can get it so that it will wrap around the entire dowel once both sides are attached. Before gluing the blade onto the dowel, I prep the part of the dowel that goes down the length of the blade by sanding to to a tapered tip at the end as structure to glue onto. Cut out the blades, give them some curve using a 1/8 metal rod, significant curve in the root to round the dowel, and less, but still curved along the blade. I then glue the two halves together onto the dowel and trim away any obvious misalignments. I'll use the same size dowel, cut a strip, and wrap that strip around the dowel to make the female side for the blade to seat into.

- I see you have built a mechanism to operate the control surfaces via levers, similar to your earlier builds. The hinges, as far as can be seen in the pictures, are a roll of paper over a wooden stick. Do you have any advice on how to get these to fit snugly enough they won't fall down but not so snugly that they stick, or get caught in the seam where the paper is rolled? Is there any paper that is especially smooth that is good for this, or do you varnish/coat the insides at all?
I sure do, I used to have this problem quite a bit. I've got it to a point now where I have a pretty good idea of allowable friction and can make things super smooth to operate or super stiff. Here's my go to for smooth operation of a lever. (I very rarely want additional friction in the lever itself, if I add friction I'll apply it in a different location other than the lever itself) I'll start with a wooden dowel that is about the same diameter as a toothpick, an actual toothpick is okay, I've just found the manufacturing of toothpicks is very rough and that dowels work a lot better. I'll chuck it up in my Dremel and run it across some 800 grit sandpaper, that will clean up any wooden defects. I'll then get a pencil or powdered graphite and coat the section that will have the lever on it. Using the exact same dowel that I've just prepped, I'll wrap some paper around it to start the pivoting lever. I'll wrap this on the graphite area to lubricate the inner most layer of the roll. The type of paper matters here. I always use receipt paper. It's thin enough not to catch on anything. You can get reaaaalllyyy thin walls on the pivot for your lever, and still have some decent strength because of the amount of layers you can get wrapped around the dowel. This sometimes takes me a few attempts, because I may roll it too tight or too loose.
"Do you have any advice on how to get these to fit snugly enough they won't fall down" spacers, I will essentially cover the entire dowel in a thin roll of receipt paper to force the lever pivot to stay precisely where I want it. I'll often glue this part to the dowel.

- How many layers of paper is the skin?
The skin is mostly two layers. The reason being is that a lot of the internals of the plane is visible and I want rivets and such to be visible. so I'll make a layer with the rivet pattern I want on the inside then do a second layer with the rivet pattern I want on the outside. There are a few places where I know that the internals isnt visible, such as the fuselage fuel tank right behind the engine and in front of the wind screen. That's a single layer. My layer thickness though, that changes depending on internal or external panels. I have a super heavy card (I think .5mm) That I'll use on the external skin as it holds rivet marks really well as well as it doesn't hardly warp with paint unless its not reenforced on an edge. The internal skin is standard card paper. enough to hold detail but not so thick as to change anything significantly.

- What do you use for riveting? I know there are tools available intended for plastic models.
This is the exact kit I bought and have been using for about a year.
https://a.co/d/4yIQcMD
It comes in 1/4", 5/16", 7/16" Fantastic tool. It's become one of my must haves.

- How have you found sticking wires and plastic tubes to paper surfaces? I guess superglue?
I've not experimented with many types of glues. I just use gorrila glue, its okay, not great. leaves a bit of crazing where there is excess glue. I have found though that If I punch a hole or have a receipt paper rolled bit that I can insert it into that and glue it there making the joint much stronger.


-I'm not sure the Browning .303s stuck out of the wings though - never seen it in any pictures. The fitters were still putting doped patches over the gunports to keep them clean and prevent icing.
I'm pretty sure you're right there, then they'd just shoot through it when it was time. I wanted the guns to be visible to help explain what this random box is in the wing. Ultimately it came down to artistic freedom over actuality . There are a few things like that built into this.

[Siwi]

Thanks for the detailed replies - I learn a lot from following this build.

[mor54]

Great modeling T haf, it is a real genuine idea! I asume you need a lot of internal structure pictures and cutouts.

Very impresing.

Shalom Mor

[Mike1158]

An obviously emotive subject, amazing in scope and mleep fantastic to see. I am a lucky bunny indeed.

[SungKhongGiat 82]

The skillmanship in these photos is almost hard to believe in my eyes. Definitely a POTM-worthy candidate when the final result comes along.

[Don Boose]

I enjoyed your detailed answers, Tyler. You are doing a terrific job on this model.

Don

[Michael Mash]

It is inspiring to see all the details going into this aircraft.
Mike

[adolfocaetnonetto]

Oh, my Lord! Its FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!
Its a colossus! Incredible how it dont bent under the weight.
Congratulation, T haf