Spitfire K9817 Build

Forever, Britain's most cherished Crown Jewel
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Killratio
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Re: Spitfire K9817 Build

Post by Killratio »

Last weekend I only got time to do a quick job...the rudders. I had previously assembled each of these as the pedal and support post were a two piece casting. They had to be aligned, drilled and locked in place with four custom turned (on the lathe) aluminium rivets.

Ron Snow helped me line them all up and keep them aligned while riveting.... a VERY difficult job in the end because it turns out that the rudders were actually "handed' and the casting was two of a single rudder (right)
not a pair. So the right foot sat naturally but the left rudder and post had to be machined to fit at the opposite slope. It went well in the end...

Anyway, back on to last weekend. The search for old firehose took a couple of years on and off but was ultimately unsuccessful. So in the end I found a white military belt with the same thread pattern and cut that up.
The leather stirrups will not be wasted, they are going to a Jet Provost project in Europe!

New "firehose" stirrups fitted and then the pedals were aged with dirty machine oil, a rubber sole and a wood rasp.

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Last edited by Killratio on 29 Jul 2019, 21:57, edited 1 time in total.
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Killratio
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Re: Spitfire K9817 Build

Post by Killratio »

Paughco wrote: 29 Jul 2019, 21:52 Hey, Killratio, I kinda get the drift that you are a Spitfire fan(atic). Whenever you need a break, I would request that you think of your ideal Spitfire mission, and then post it on the multi-player sub-forum. Check out how to do MP with this link: viewtopic.php?f=79&t=63659, plus some checking around and practice. We'll fly anywhere. Last week one of our guys flew a Spifire on trip to Quesnel Lake in Canada! He got it out of that bumpy little strip! So think about it. NO. Wait. That's too complicated. Just DO it. Post the mission. Sunday at 1800 Zulu. The A2A Misfit Squadron will be there, most, if not all, in Spitfires.

Keep on rockin' in free world (kinder, gentler machine gun hand)

Seeya
ATB
I'll give it a try sometime. Right at the moment I have this building project, three I am helping build parts for and one of my busiest times of year at work, a sick wife and a private beta test to deal with, so flying time is pretty limited.


regards

Darryl
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Killratio
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Re: Spitfire K9817 Build

Post by Killratio »

An after work drink with Chris and the finishing touches on the throttle. The very early Spitfire throttle had a legend on the indicator down light switch.

K9942 this throttle was modified in service for the CSU and will be much more familiar to you in looks.

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BBMF spare throttle originally taken from an early Spitfire I and closeup of the painted over legend

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U/C Down Light Circuit switch housing.

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Completed, "soldered" and painted.

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Final engraving done:

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Dreamsofwings
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Re: Spitfire K9817 Build

Post by Dreamsofwings »

Fantastic work, great watching this come together!
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Killratio
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Re: Spitfire K9817 Build

Post by Killratio »

Thanks Mate!

Lots happening, much of which is highly "Anorak" so I won't bore you with it here. A few recent pictures of an eclectic mix of what has been going on:

The Panel has at last arrived from Replica Aircraft Parts. It is fantastic and a great reward for the hours and hours of help and research put into it.
I've started to populate it with the gauges that i have been spending a lot of time painstakingly cleaning up and removing all radioactive materials.

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Some research and gauge drawings done for the very early equipment:

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A nice little feature on the very early production, the maximum pneumatic pressure index..now positively identified and the notation found by getting a good photo and switching to negative channels.
Last picture is the plate made and waiting to be rivetted in place. It was a difficult piece to make with no drawing, so the dimensions had to be estimated using known features around it.

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And finally, a long standing mystery solved.. the "Towel rack" fitting....after two and a half years on and off research, a break through. A GA, mis-labelled and tucked away in "Miscellaneous"

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It is the controller mount for the G22 Gun Camera. A little similar to the Bike Pump airscrew control but to reload the G22, which was a single shot camera, not a cine camera.
The camera itself was mounted on the starboard wing root.

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And the estimate drawings for the fittings.

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I will now make a control unit from some rare photos that I have and these GA Drawings.

Ross is also doing an early ring & Bead sight for me, so i can set K9817 up as either PRU or prewar. I think I will make the DH 2 Pos prop control bolt on rather than rivetted, so it can be removed to simulate prewar, Watts airscrew. Not sure as it would mean that the Height & Airspeed Computor would need reconsidering. i'm waiting for some modification journals to arrive which list better, more accurate dates for adoption and approval than the Mod technical releases.
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Raceguy
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Re: Spitfire K9817 Build

Post by Raceguy »

Fantastic work Darryl!

Ed
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Killratio
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Re: Spitfire K9817 Build

Post by Killratio »

Thanks Ed!

Panel is getting there with some unique very early Spitfire I features and most importantly NO radiation left in it above "background".

Some instruments (radiator temp, oil temp etc) are just fitted on top at the moment rather than behind as they will be. The drilling of the panel is perfect with every instrument, switch and part fitting well into the holes and looking very professional. The panel is certainly worth the almost $1100 price tag. Or, in my case, the hundred hours or so of proofing, research and help.

All of the instrument standoffs need to be turned on the lathe to include an internal 2BA (or other) thread to take the mounting screws, then at the rear and external thread for the locking nut AND an internal thread to take the extra standoff back to the electric gauge mounting plates. The shafts then need to to be run forward, through the rear of the real gauge and out to the needle on the face. several require gearing to use the full movement of the stepper whilst still staying within the limits of the gauge scale...or in the case of the ASI, expanding the rotation to account for the second scale.

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Killratio
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Re: Spitfire K9817 Build

Post by Killratio »

A long time overdue for update!

A little idea of the massive amount of work and research that goes into even some small bits...

This time, the Height & Airspeed Computor. You won't see this in the A2A Spitfire I as she is modelled just before these holders were introduced. Here is the one in P9374.

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Starting from a flat piece of aluminium cut into an eight inch circle. The finished unit is 6" across with a half inch lip. First the former has to be made..a full size bottom pice and an ofset edge for the top clamp piece to allow more room for vertical hammer strikes. The hole lot is held together by a 1/4"bolt and is hand hammer formed on a sandbag.

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Then begins the long process of hammer shrinking the edges.

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This is considerably hastened by using a shrinker periodically (at the expense of making marks on the surface which need sanding off later.

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Then the few extra bits are made and the bowl is put in the milling machine and milled to the correct flange size.

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And THIS is where the connections built up over the years come in... I was contacted by a helpful guy who has an original and he pointed out that P9374 had a unit that was "modernised"for a little more security and safety, to gaurd against the Computor coming loose in flight.

The original units were held solely by Firehose material. In addition the "bowl"was actually a hollowed ring and other pieces were slightly different... so modifications were made.

So we end up with this, which is now accurate to one thou on the original wartime unit and with a wartime parachute dot clip and post and wartime Mk II HASC to go into it.

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I'm am now putting the finishing touches on three of these to go into other projects.


In addition, the placard set has been supplied to 6 different projects for simulators and one rebuilt flyer which will be flying in roughly 18 months from now. More on that later. AI'm also currently researching, drawing and getting laser cut a set of Seafire placards for a flying restoration.

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Lewis - A2A
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Re: Spitfire K9817 Build

Post by Lewis - A2A »

thats cool as hell, love the metal work shots in order of utter chaos to refinement 8) 8)

cheers,
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Raceguy
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Re: Spitfire K9817 Build

Post by Raceguy »

Fantastic project and like Lewis said I too enjoy seeing parts from start to finish.
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Dreamsofwings
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Re: Spitfire K9817 Build

Post by Dreamsofwings »

Absolutely incredible to see this coming on. It is going to be one hell of a sim pit when it’s done. Question is do you ship to Old Blighty?
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MkIV Hvd
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Re: Spitfire K9817 Build

Post by MkIV Hvd »

That's pretty impressive Killratio! You're a very talented craftsman and I'm really looking forward to seeing the progress towards the finished result!! :D
Rob Wilkinson
A2A: Civilian Mustang, T-6, Bonanza, Comanche, Cub, C182, Spitfire, P-40, Cherokee, P-51 - VATSIM P4 and some other stuff...

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Killratio
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Re: Spitfire K9817 Build

Post by Killratio »

Thanks Guys.


Rob, yes, I've shipped several parts to the UK ;)

Ed, cheers mate!

Lewis, there is nothing quite like watching a perfectly good piece of metal turn to SH one T and when I started I had NO idea how bad they COULD look before turning the corner (and that is perfectly normal) I suspect I threw quite a few pieces away over the years that would have worked out fine had I known! I've done quite a few before during and after posts for the FB page as they really encourage people who are where I was 7-8 years ago.

Thanks MkIVHvd, I am hardly a craftsman I'm afraid..and self taught. But I am, after much help and encouragement from people who know, including a couple who build/restore Spitfires for a living, getting to be a bit of a "tradesman".


A little more progress from the recent past (not doing much in the midst of handling clients through the Covid nightmare).

This time the very early instruments, borrowed from civilian use in the early days. Both gyro instruments made by The Sperry Gyroscope Co Ltd, London pre war. Much more attractive and interesting than the later wartime, military versions. And lastly, the 2000fpm Climb/Dive gauge by Pioneer, Brooklyn NY.

A total of nearly 30 hours of research into the exact wording and layout of the three gauges. 20 of that on the Pioneer instrument!

Hand drawn in CorelDraw, laser engraved on anodised aluminium by my tireless laser engraver friend Chris and then hand cut and filed to shape (as his laser will not cut aluminium). The Sperry Logo was hand drawn and then after engraving, colour filled with a semi gloss black paint which gives it a nice engraved and left natural, not white colour filled look. Very effective in copying what the originals look like. The instruments even got "hand painted"RAF serials added (in a freehand font...not me painting them!!)

On the Climb/Dive you can also see the fake radium painted number effect, achieved by use of a thick craft paint described as "linen"..just the right shade of off white/cream for wartime gauges (the horrible yellow/brown colour you usually see is the degradation in the paint over the years and is not what it looked like originally). Because the paint was applied by hand and was very thick, I leave the edges deliberately uneven which nicely mimics the originals.



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Killratio
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Re: Spitfire K9817 Build

Post by Killratio »

Panel nearing completion. Many of the gauges are just sat on top until I get the instrument standoffs made.
I'm still toying with different ideas foe these to accommodate the Flight illusion instruments (computer driven gauges)behind them

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And some really encouraging progress made a while back, the upper structure with stiffeners ready to be riveted on. Just waiting for a chance to do the instrument panel hoop
that attaches the panel to the skin. Quite a bit of stretching and drilling for that one to form the curve and mount 17 x 2BA floating anchors (two flush rivets each).
The port side is, of course, shorter to allow for the door. The door won't get made until Frame 11 is completed so that it can be custom fit against that frame.

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Dreamsofwings
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Re: Spitfire K9817 Build

Post by Dreamsofwings »

My lord, that instrument panel is incredible. I could have one of those on my wall but I'd probably get in trouble for sitting a few feet from a wall and staring at it all day!

It's going to be so immersive for you flying your spit using these instruments.
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