Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Spitfire Project-Aluminium model-Shameless plug.

Hey Guys

I'm here to shamelessly plug my next venture !!

As some here will know, I like to make things I've posted a few projects here before and had a great reception for them.

So for a long while Ive been wanting to make a decent representation of a Spitfire. Searching the internet, there are model Spitfires from the usual model makers etc and some larger ones from mass produced Asian market.
What I cant find is a faithful representation, they all seem to be either badly cast or stamped plate which bear little resemblance to the real thing.

I wanted an all metal version of large size for desk or office. The model I will hopefully be making has a 395mm wing span is around 320mm long so is a decent size.

I set the wheels in motion and have had a CAD file made up ready for CNC manufacture and subsequently gathered quotes. As you may well know, CNC manufacture is hellish expensive so to make it viable I will need at least ten definite names!

This where you come in Obviously this is a plug of my wares and you may have zero interest, but if you think you may be interested, then please head over to www.gasgasbones.com and have a gander at the blurb and initial renders.

As always, big thanks to Simon for permission to post up my projects etc

And thank you for reading.

Bonio

Funny you say that - I've felt the same for many years; often going as far as to pop into antique shops, if I am walking by, just to see if they have a vintage one.

Having seen the quality of your other projects, I'm sure this will be equally impressive.

Quite a few years ago I stumbled across a self taught artist, who was inspired by the Roy Cross, who was the artist who did the Airfix model box art for over a decade. I didn't want the Spitfire shown 'in anger' but rather depicting what I deem to be an aesthetically beautiful machine and this painting does just that. It is impossible to capture how lovely (to my eyes) the oil painting is but I do believe he captured this elegant aircraft perfectly. A small, poorly taken, photo of part of the subject of the painting!

Many years ago I used to fly model aircraft. I built and flew several spitfires but the closer to scale they were the more difficult they were to fly. That lovely wing was a dreadful design to control, it would tip stall for fun making it very difficult to land.

I foolishly accepted a commission to build an accurate scale model with about 8 feet wingspan. I built in 3 degrees of washout but it was still a handful. I could fly it but the ‘owner’ crashed it first time he tried to land it!

A thing of beauty in fast, straight and level flight though!

I purchased this book a while ago. Absolutely stunning work and worth the cash for the wealth of info inside.

https://www.warbirdsinmyworkshop.net/books/spitfire-in-my-workshop/

Funny things is the real Spit has a wing incidence that is less at the tips hence avoiding tip stalls - the roots stall first!.

I have a foamy Spitfire RC model that is a poor reproduction but with a geared Sp400 electric motor on 3 series LiPo cells goes very nicely indeed. Amazingly it has survived a while despite my flying skills!

Thank you, chaps.
The project is going well so far, nearly there on names

What brand is that Paul please ? I have wanted a Spitfire RC but have been put off by the handling characteristics. I only have a high wing carbon cub so little experience.

Real ones have 2.5 degrees of washout but at scale sizes more is needed. The physics of flight aren’t scaled and the spitfire wing isn’t laminar flow so loads of lift gets lost at those pointy tips. Back in WW2 recon spitfires had clipped wings. You’ll probably find that like most models that fly well the design had been adapted significantly for scale. Back in the day I could get a wheel barrow and shovel to fly so anything is possible with a high enough thrust/weight ratio

Not a model but close is the IOW built Richard Noble backed ARV Super 2. The forward swept high wing design gave absolutely no wing drop under normal deliberate stall conditions. This very fact made it a poor trainer although fun to fly with very responsive stick.

I loved the Quicky Q 2 couldn't be stalled as just nodded.