Spitfire K9817 Build

Forever, Britain's most cherished Crown Jewel
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Killratio
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Re: Spitfire I PR Conversion ... Sim Cockpit ... Almost ther

Post by Killratio »

Rudder pedals :

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Raceguy
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Re: Spitfire I PR Conversion ... Sim Cockpit ... Almost ther

Post by Raceguy »

Those pedals look great!

Ed
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Killratio
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Re: Spitfire I PR Conversion ... Sim Cockpit ... Almost ther

Post by Killratio »

Thanks Ed,

Yes, they are good!

I am just glad to have had some time to hit some metal (previous page) at last!!
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Lewis - A2A
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Re: Spitfire I PR Conversion ... Sim Cockpit ... Almost ther

Post by Lewis - A2A »

damn there nice 8)
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Raceguy
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Re: Spitfire I PR Conversion ... Sim Cockpit ... Almost ther

Post by Raceguy »

Darryl, that detail with the frames is fantastic! Actually using rivets takes your build to a new level.

Ed
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Killratio
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Re: Spitfire I PR Conversion ... Sim Cockpit ... Almost ther

Post by Killratio »

Thanks Ed,

I hope so, yes. Funnily enough, when I started this rebuild, I wanted metal but was looking to shortcut a lot of the building.
But it worked out that, in the main, the original techniques were actually quicker and better than my "fudges". They just required learning new skills.
I knew all along that I was not happy using pop rivets where they could be seen. The skin for example, has no interior walls in the Spit...so pop rivets would have shown the
broken off mandrel and squashed tail everywhere in the cockpit. Once aircraft rivets were decided upon and the technique practiced, most other "compromises"
were harder to do...

One example is the first attempt to make a frame by kerfing metal tube, then strapping the joins, then car bogging the gaps. That took ages, was not very effective.
So a bit of basic panel beating study later....proper frames. Now I have given up and will pretty much make everything "kosher'.

Not that that doesn't come with disadvantages when you are a pedant :)... for example...my beautiful new rudder pedals:

They will need stripping because the originals were bare metal sealed with a silver/grey protective coat. I'm also torn but haven't made a final decision yet, on the fact that first ones (my aircraft was only the 31st Spitfire ever built) actually used fire hose, cut up and rivetted on, for the "stirrups", not leather as these repos have. Don't you just LOVE trying to do things accurately.


There will be some compromises though. The skin will all be 1.6mm except for the fuel tank cover.. not the (variously) 0.9, 1.0, 1.2 that the real thing has. This will give a stronger skin, harder to dent AND add strength where you put your weight on the sides to climb in, at the cost of a little extra weight...not an issue for a simulator.

I am still however agonising over whether to make all the rear frames the same width as frame 8, as planned, or whether to give in and do that properly too..and deal with the compound curves etc that generates when skinning. I suspect I know what will happen .. ;) More time chewed up before flying....

i look at photos of mine when it was flying and photos of your P-51 now..and I am very jealous!!!

Darryl
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Killratio
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Re: Spitfire I PR Conversion ... Sim Cockpit ... Almost ther

Post by Killratio »

Sometimes it seems that I will never get to finish Frame 8. I injured my wrist last weekend and am not
allowed to bash metal for another week, so I cant do the forming that I have left to do
on the starboard side.

Instead I decided to have a go at a nice little piece that I have been eying off for a
while. I must say it was nice to get back to some detail work! So here we go.. the
Writing Pad Holder, specific to the Spitfire I. The II also had one but of slightly different
design. I didn't have a GA for this one so it had to be scaled from the available photographs.
Luckily the width is reasonably obvious from the throttle above it and whilst you can't tell
exactly from that one thing, the relationships between the three holes, the rivet spacing
and the throttle bottom only work within a 1/2 inch width between all of the photos and
drawings I have. On the biggest clearest drawing, a width of 4 inches makes all of the other
reference points come out to excat 1/4 multiples and the 4 inch distance between two of the
bolt holes up on the Throttle seems to fall into the top of the box if you draw perspective lines. I
am as sure as I can be.....


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Next the Map Box or finish frame 8, depending on how I heal.
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Raceguy
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Re: Spitfire I PR Conversion ... Sim Cockpit ... Almost ther

Post by Raceguy »

Darryl, sorry to hear about your injury.

Great job on the Writing Pad Holder! It looks great and how you determined the dimensions sounds familiar. I had to perform the same if/then for some parts where the plans were not clear or not available. When the finished part fits in with the surrounding parts correctly, that gives you a very satisfying feeling of accomplishment.

Take care
Ed
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Killratio
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Re: Spitfire I PR Conversion ... Sim Cockpit ... Almost ther

Post by Killratio »

Cheers Ed,

Yes, the final fit is the worrying thing!! Perspective lines and near/far items make this kind of estimate a bit of a minefield...but in this case, the throttle being almost straight above and almost in proportion helps. I could also use the rivet and fillet screw spacings to double check. I have dry fitted it to the old wood cockpit but it is very rough as the camera control box gets in the way and the throttle is mounted slightly further aft than it should be...but given those limitations, it looks like a perfect fit.
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Re: Spitfire I PR Conversion ... Sim Cockpit ... Almost ther

Post by Killratio »

A busy week at work and worse to come, so not much progress this weekend. I grabbed an afternoon and started another one of those small (well, “ish”) jobs that I have been looking forward to doing.

Having got hold of original GA’s, some Pilot’s Notes drawings and some photos of a modern reproduction (albeit, Spitfire II, not Spitfire I), the first thing was to mark out, cut and form the throttle body.

The plans and notes, the important ones scaled to 1:1 and printed out.


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Next, a former was cut and sanded to give smooth rounded bends in the sheets.
I need to find a better wood than Pine, as it cracks at the least excuse.Hardwoods are very expensive here in sheet form though.

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Flange dimensions added to the pattern (front only as front and back flanges are the same dimensions, all that changes is the extended bottom tab on the rear pattern.) and the body halves cut and formed.


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A fair bit of filing and jostling of the sides was necessary to get them to match up. Even though they sit an inch or more apart, I wanted them to be able to be put together and match “perfectly” as they should. This took a bit for me as I am NOT a tradesman at all!!


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I am passably happy with the results though and the small differences should not be at all noticeable when the throttle is assembled.


The U/C Warning horn switch I already have in resin form and the U/C Down Light Circuit Switch and housing will be courtesy of Replica Aircraft Parts in the UK.

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Hopefully my wrist will let me start on the bigger stuff again soon. By the middle of next week our “year” is finished at work, so there will be a little more time to take a break and get some stuff done!
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Raceguy
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Re: Spitfire I PR Conversion ... Sim Cockpit ... Almost ther

Post by Raceguy »

Great job forming the metal over the wood. Did you press or hammer it over the former?

Ed
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Re: Spitfire I PR Conversion ... Sim Cockpit ... Almost ther

Post by Lewis - A2A »

WOW very cool! 8) End result is beautiful, the finish is real nice too with the smooth black.
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Killratio
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Re: Spitfire I PR Conversion ... Sim Cockpit ... Almost ther

Post by Killratio »

Raceguy wrote:Great job forming the metal over the wood. Did you press or hammer it over the former?

Ed
I hammered them Ed. It is only a 1/4" flange so it wasn't that hard. The ali is 16swg. I can't quite believe the incredible strength that the bending and work hardening gives! I was nearly going to make them from 3mm ali and forget the flanges because 1.6 is so flexible (too flexible)...but if I'm rebuilding, I figure it should be done properly...glad I did now as they are as solid as rock!


Cheers Lewis,

I am quite keen to get the Replica Aircraft Parts package now! With that and the Throttle friction wheels from Ross, the Throttle shouldn't take any more than a couple of weekends to finish.

Oh and today Ross sent the first pictures of the upper structure bits he is doing for me... the compound curve of the coaming is beyond my tools and experience!

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Darryl
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Re: Spitfire I PR Conversion ... Sim Cockpit ... Almost ther

Post by Killratio »

Another photo bonus in my email this morning from Ross. There are a few bits that need making that have to have various machines/gear to make and which it would be uneconomic for me to tool up to do. This includes these pieces that require rollers or an English Wheel to make.

these are the bits Ross has completed so far:

Upper cockpit area stiffeners and frames:

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A start to the seat:

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Which will come together like this (the last one he made)
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Killratio
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Re: Spitfire I PR Conversion ... Sim Cockpit ... Almost ther

Post by Killratio »

It will finish up looking something very like this...(this one from SpitfireSpares :



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My only contribution though will likely be the Flare Cartridge Box on the front..IF I decide to have it, as it is doubtful whether or not K9817 would have had one fitted.
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