Too much for a newbie?

Hi all,

my first post, take it easy with me

I have returned in earnest to RC after many bad experiences with a Koyosho Concept 30 heli many years ago - Enought to put anyone off RC trust me

This time, I have a little more money to pay for repairs, I'm a little wiser so I'm not rushing into things and actully have some time now the kids have grown up to go flying. So after many a happy hour flying some foamy planes, EDF's and a 450 Heli I'm ready for something a little bigger.

I'm really interested in building a scale Spitfire, I cant decide whether to go the MR or BT route for their 1/6-ish scale kits. My question is how much guidance is given on the plans? It would be my first build from plans and I'm worried that these kits cant be undertaken by the novice (eg. me).

I know there's tonnes of build threads on the web, I'm sure I've read them all, but they are all an overview of the build and I think I will need a step-by-step guide

I'm an engineer when I'm not crashing flying planes, so I'm fine assembling things, but I worry I might be in too deep with this idea.

What do you think?

Welcome to the forum John!

If it's gonna be Your first kit, don't do it. Build some small model or two to have picture of work with wood, usage of tools, and understanding of plans... Currently I started Phonix D.III, got some parts cut, but honestly, I still am confused. I'm telling You as a newbie as well.

Regards

Tom

Hi and welcome to the forum John.

I am a Newbie to the hobby and I have some big ideas about building models!! I have had some good advice and slowed down on what I am going to do, I started with an ARTF wot4 to learn to fly with while i built a Sig Four Star 60 my first low winger and a great kit to build with very good instructions, made a few errors and made some small changes but all in all a real good learning curve.

I am now building a deagostini spitfire again changing some small bits and learning all the time.

I am also doing my first plan builds the first is Peter Millers Sandow a RCM&E plan, the second is a Kamco Kavalier a retro type aerobatic low winger. Both of these have some build information but no step by step guide so again a real great learning curve.

Hopefully this will all, eventually, lead up to me building a Ziroli stuka and a Tony Nijhuis 134" Lancaster.

Have a look at this link about scale plan building for the novice I found it very interesting and informative.

Good luck

Dean

Dean

Thanks for link. Nice article!

Thanks for the advice guys and the link Dean, I am digesting the info now

Dean, I noticed that you mentioned you were building the DeAgostini Spitfire, presumably this is the one that was published in a magazine a number of years ago. With the greatest respect, and with the benefit of having flown one, albeit briefly, may I just make a little suggestion?

I would consider that the tailplane area really needs to be firm, secure and vibration free. In other words, perhaps carefully beefed up a bit. I think there were a number of reports of issues with some of the models controls surfaces, such as the ailerons could flutter, I believe. The particular one that I test flew, for another club member, was one that he bought on eBay, ready to fly, but un-flown. It was powered by a 46 engine.

After putting the prop on the right way round, it came supplied back to front, the model took off, flew out nicely, pulled up and maintained good speed into a wingover and returned back over the strip for a standard pass. As it went past the the ominous whirring sound started up but before I could do anything there was a loud crack and the complete tailplane and fin parted company with the fuselage. So that was the end of that for the time being, the owner was going to repair it but so far I don’t think he’s bothered. I had remarked on the initial inspection that it seemed a bit flimsy all round, but I didn’t expect it to be that bad.

If you are forced to fly it it very gently to try avoid any flutter I think that may be even worse. Sooner or later it will go in due to lack of flying speed and thus control.

Hope this is of some use.

PB

Thanks peter

I am always grateful for advice, I have read about the flutter on the control surfaces so to help I am using a servo in the wings for each aileron to hopfully stop the aileron flutter, as for the tail that is very worrying what you experienced I will have to look at making the tail and fin stronger. Would sheeting it be a good idea or maybe building the parts from solid 1/4" sheet balsa?

Dean

Hello John and welcome to a cracking forum,with loads of nice helpful guys.If you still want to go the plan route at some stage before BT or TN I can recommend Peter Millers designs which are often in the RCME mag.I have built a few of Peters designs and they are all pretty straightforward and if you follow his instructions there do not appear to be any nasty vices.I think you would enjoy building the "Tipsy Junior" of Peters,nice looking model when finished and flies really nice,I had a OS 25 in mine.The bonus is Peter is on here and answers any questions readily,taking patience with you until you have grasped what he is on about.You may be able to find the mag and plan in a back issue.

Good luck whichever you decide.

Another John

Welcome to the forum John....quite literally centuries of experience on here so you're in the right place.

The Spitfire is probably responsible for more people wanting to fly model aeroplanes than any other aircraft...its a fantastic design but not one for the novice...either to build or fly....

As the others have said maybe cut your teeth on a simpler design to get a feel for building & build a couple of these models first.....learn to fly on a high wing trainer or maybe a Wot 4 if you have some experience & once you can fly a low wing trainer confidently & put it where you want it then you are probably ready for the Spitfire......full size pilots didn't learn on a Spit & sadly neither can you....

You might like to take a look at the Warbird Replicas site too......a very nice Spit Kit on there......

Let us know how you get on.....

Dean - It may well be that the model I flew was just a one-off example anyway. Perhaps they are not all like that. I would consider that whatever you do to the tailplane you also need to be very careful not to add any extra weight if possible, either. So you probably need to pogger for a while over it, with the old thinking cap on. I always tend to give the control surfaces a lot of attention anyway, it can get very tedious, but it pays off, models can last for a long time.

Things such as making sure the elevator half joining U piece is really solid, no flexing at all. Probably 3 small but good quality hinges per elevator half, and maybe 4 per aileron, one of these hinge slotting tools are invaluable for this, they need to be perfectly in line and absolutely free. I like the Robart Hinge Points, they fix in a hole. One job I use 24 hour epoxy for, plenty of time to get it spot on. Peter Russell, a proper columnist and full size pilot that once wrote the Straight and Level column in RCM&E, said that adequate hinging went a long way to helping to prevent flutter. I would also spend time trying to get the the push rod to my liking, again absolutely free, straight and inline but no ‘slop’ at all. To that end I have the set of 10 small drills, in 0.1mm increments, from Expo Tools, then you can get a perfect fit on all the linkages.

As I remember, but it was indeed a while back, it did seem as though the the back end of the fuz was a bit fragile. Ideally this should nice and solid, too, with perhaps some light triangular stock under tailplane where it joins the fuselage etc. and some reinforcing around the tail area, to make sure it can’t twist and bend.

Anyway, good luck with it all.

PB

Hi John,

and welcome!

Both the Brian Taylor and the Mick Reeves Spits are excellent models (of course!) but they are very advanced bulids. Yiou really need to complete a couple of "stagers" to work your way up to that sort of standard.

BEB

Thanks for the link Steve, it's a good looking kit and won't break the bank either! It's now on my wish list

I started off learning on a parkzone micro T28, then a 1m piper cub, a 2 hour lesson with Colin Chapman ( damn nice chap!) and I'm currently fying a 64mm edf. I have the parkzone large spit too but I'm saving that for a better field. I'm also trying to get my head round helis - planes are sooooo much easier! I'm assembling the escale seafire which is my biggest model so far, again that will not be flown till I find a club with a decent strip.

Thanks for all the help