Topic: First build in 22 years Tony Nijhuis 46" Spitfire

A most interesting and informative post. The one thing it didn't help ME with was the fuselage. I and starting a Spit Mk9 build from Dave Philpotts plans and that has a "built up" fuselage, using formers and either strips or sheeting and I am trying to find out where to start. There are no solid side sheets as in this build.

Is there a post anywhere as far as you know that will help??

Cheers

hello there. I haven't seen any threads regarding this plan but having taken a quick look at the plan I would say you will need to use stringers to get the fuse built up. Making sure that your stringers are dead on even with one another. Adversely you could always get the Tony Nujhuis plan and build from that. it also has a build log on his website that you can download which makes all the difference in the world when building. It's like having a professional right there beside you.

I just found this for you.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=234854

Hope this helps.

I've spent the past few days rebuilding and re enforcing the wing. It seems I took a lot of the strength out of the wing the first time I built it when I tried to put retracts. So, this time I'm doing fixed landing gear. here's a couple pix of how it stands so far.


as you can see Ive added a 1/2" thick piece of balsa for the UC which will have a lite ply re enforcement. I have set it up so that the UC are wider to make landing far easier. I know it's less scale but the narrow gear has been a nightmare in the past and my landings are rough to say the least. Re enforcements have also been made at the leading edge, main spar ( where I cut it out for the old retracts ) as well as where the wing join bolt will go. I was wondering if a more experienced hand might have some comments on this so far. I'd like to get this right.

Cheers

if that's a butt-join in the mainspar at R3, i.e. 2 bays out, I'd be very worried about the strength of the wing.  The bottom mainspar there will be in tension (usually) i.e. trying to pull the joint apart.  If it was me, I'd move that join out to about 1/2 span, make a scarf joint (tapered, to get glue area) and run the spruce all the way to the centre with ply braces going across the centre.

Bruce

Hi. sorry to hear about your flight probs and rebuild. It has made me think again about making a Fibre glass cowl for mine over on modelflying. I might keep it balsa and just glass over it to keep some weight up front. Keep up the posts, Mightypeesh

Thanks for the help. I've re enforced the but joint with another liteply strip and apoxy. I'm unsure if I want to sheet the bottom wing or make it an open structure to save weight. If I sheet it I will gain some strength so I don't know right now. I've put the wing away for a bit and have continued on my JUG so nothing more till the ARF is built.

Cheers