Author Topic: A Pair of Two-Seater Spitfires  (Read 18011 times)

Offline kitnut617

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Re: A Pair of Two-Seater Spitfires
« Reply #25 on: August 30, 2013, 07:53:12 PM »
On the underside view in reply#20 you can see I've taped a Seafire FR.47 style air intake onto the port fuselage, this comes from the Special Hobby FR.47 kit and I'll make a copy of it because apart from the use of it on this project, I've got a number of other projects I could use one on.  I've enhanced it a bit by digging out the hole for the air intake ---

Reading the 'big' book (Morgan/Shacklady), there's photos in there showing that Supermarine trialed this intake on a number of other Griffon engined Spitfires, one of my Aeroclub Mk.XVIII's will get the treatment   ;)

For what it's worth, there's no aftermarket product of this in 1/72 scale, got one in 1/48 but that doesn't help me here ---  ;D
« Last Edit: August 30, 2013, 07:55:09 PM by kitnut617 »

Offline kitnut617

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Re: A Pair of Two-Seater Spitfires
« Reply #26 on: August 30, 2013, 07:58:47 PM »
Another thing you might notice is the odd looking exhaust stubs, that's because they're not exhaust stubs but an exhaust shroud. These were taken from some spare Shackleton cowlings I had left over from another project.  The intention is that they're flame suppressors and the actual exhaust exits out the rear end of them.

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: A Pair of Two-Seater Spitfires
« Reply #27 on: August 30, 2013, 11:17:48 PM »
Another thing you might notice is the odd looking exhaust stubs, that's because they're not exhaust stubs but an exhaust shroud. These were taken from some spare Shackleton cowlings I had left over from another project.  The intention is that they're flame suppressors and the actual exhaust exits out the rear end of them.

Logical for a nightfighter. ;)

:)

Guy
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Offline ChrisF

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Re: A Pair of Two-Seater Spitfires
« Reply #28 on: August 31, 2013, 09:52:32 AM »
Liking the yellow one and watching the "twin" with great interest ! :)

Offline kitnut617

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Re: A Pair of Two-Seater Spitfires
« Reply #29 on: August 31, 2013, 10:15:23 PM »
Thanks guys --

Offline Tophe

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Re: A Pair of Two-Seater Spitfires
« Reply #30 on: September 01, 2013, 06:04:35 PM »
 :-* Wonderful Twin-Spitfire! Belated congratulations!

Offline kitnut617

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Re: A Pair of Two-Seater Spitfires
« Reply #31 on: September 01, 2013, 10:01:48 PM »
:-* Wonderful Twin-Spitfire! Belated congratulations!

Thanks Tophe,    I had a thought you might like it ----  ;)

Offline kitnut617

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Re: A Pair of Two-Seater Spitfires
« Reply #32 on: September 01, 2013, 10:35:42 PM »
After Jeff's observations about the radome installation and doing some thinking about it, I decided to revise the plan.  The large tank will be just that, a large drop tank on the centerline of the wing center section.  I might even go with something bigger too (maybe a modified 300 Gal P-38 tank).  But whatever I use it will be on the center line.  But what about three of those flat F-86 tanks, on the centerline and one just in-board of the cannon bays on each side --- hmm! give that some more thinking I will -----

I've ordered a couple of Hellcat wing radomes and I'll see how these look once they arrive.  It might have just one or I might go with two radomes, or one radome and a tank for the other, I'll have to think up a revision to the back story

Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: A Pair of Two-Seater Spitfires
« Reply #33 on: September 02, 2013, 07:59:03 PM »
You know, with all that extra engine power, you could put a radar pod on both wing tips. Or not.

I've come to realize that not only is your thinking much better than mine, but so are your talent and skill, kitnut!

I eagerly await your next update!

Brian da Basher
« Last Edit: September 03, 2013, 12:47:31 AM by Brian da Basher »

Offline kitnut617

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Re: A Pair of Two-Seater Spitfires
« Reply #34 on: September 02, 2013, 10:52:18 PM »

I've come to realize that not only is your thinking much better than mine, but so are your talent and skill, kitnut!

Brian da Basher

we need a bigger version of this BdB  ----   :-[     But thanks for your kind words

Offline apophenia

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Re: A Pair of Two-Seater Spitfires
« Reply #35 on: September 03, 2013, 11:52:08 AM »
Your retractable Schräge Musik concept is brilliant!  :)
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Offline kitnut617

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Re: A Pair of Two-Seater Spitfires
« Reply #36 on: September 04, 2013, 05:13:24 AM »
Thanks ap'  my idea with that is the cannon is mounted along the top edge of a laid down drum, the ends of the drum having a bearing and the ammo being stored in the drum. When elevated, the cannon would sort of roll backwards and upwards.  When fired, the empties would be gathered in a bag also in the drum.
« Last Edit: September 04, 2013, 05:17:37 AM by kitnut617 »

Offline kitnut617

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Re: A Pair of Two-Seater Spitfires
« Reply #37 on: September 09, 2013, 09:56:11 PM »
Making progress  - albeit slowly ---

I've got the wing mods all done, although that didn't go quite to plan.  While trying to save it from dropping onto the floor, I caught it with my legs and promptly broke it in half.  Anyway, all repaired now.

Top two pics show it compared to an F-82 (I've started to do some panel line scribing on the port wing), third pic shows the modified Tempest main u/c, I shortened the legs right down to the minimum and then re-shaped the doors to look more Supermarine.  Last pic shows that I used the Tempest tail wheel too, but because this is a much bigger wheel/leg, I had to move it into an area which could house the u/c bay.  It's still in the tail assembly group, just that it now would mount directly to the tail assembly joint frame instead of being right at the rudder hinge.
« Last Edit: September 09, 2013, 11:26:22 PM by kitnut617 »

Offline Tophe

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Re: A Pair of Two-Seater Spitfires
« Reply #38 on: September 10, 2013, 12:55:48 AM »
It's great to see the comparison to a P-82 at the same scale, thanks! :-*
And the work you did for the tailplane is amazing (I feel jealous)...

Offline kitnut617

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Re: A Pair of Two-Seater Spitfires
« Reply #39 on: September 10, 2013, 01:58:14 AM »
Thanks Tophe --

Offline Camthalion

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Re: A Pair of Two-Seater Spitfires
« Reply #40 on: September 10, 2013, 02:49:41 PM »
It's great to see the comparison to a P-82 at the same scale,

I agree.    Its looking very good

Offline kitnut617

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Re: A Pair of Two-Seater Spitfires
« Reply #41 on: September 10, 2013, 09:46:05 PM »
Thanks Geoff, 

Well since Jeff (Mr Fontaine) made a comment about enlarging the tail I've been giving it a lot of thought.  Browsing the 'big book' (Morgan/Shacklady), I looked for something that would suggest ""Supermarine"" and found that what they really did was they just made the tail bigger as the Spitfire got developed.  Interestingly though, the rudder hinge position stayed exactly in the same place when measured from the engine bulkhead.  Which sort of posed a problem, the Spiteful tail was the biggest that was developed and is about as big the tail assembly can handle --- and my project has two of them.

But as things happen I've got a plan ---- sometime ago I bought a number of Tempest Mk.I conversions (to be used on another project) and I just happened to notice that the Spiteful fin/rudder sort of matches the profile of the fin/rudder of the Tempest Mk.I.  It's just bigger -----  so playing around with one tail I had already cut off I found with a little bit of re-profiling, I could make the tail look like a Spiteful tail --- just it's bigger ---  see where this is going ----  ;)

Offline kitnut617

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Re: A Pair of Two-Seater Spitfires
« Reply #42 on: September 10, 2013, 11:44:05 PM »
It's great to see the comparison to a P-82 at the same scale, thanks! :-*
And the work you did for the tailplane is amazing (I feel jealous)...

FYI:  I did some dimensional checking of various aircraft that I would consider being in the same catagory.
                           Span            Length
NA F-82              51'-3"          38'-3"
DH Hornet          45'-0"         34'-6"
Twin Spitfire       48'-11"       34'-11"

Although the F-82 and Hornet both have 14'-0" from center to center of propellers, I have my Twin Spifire's propellers at 12'-0" center to center.  I did this so that I would have one foot between the blade tips (using a 11'-0" diameter prop), but the Seafire Mk.46 contra-props I'm using are only the 10'-3" diameter ones so it didn't work out quite as expected.
« Last Edit: September 11, 2013, 02:28:53 AM by kitnut617 »

Offline The Big Gimper

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Re: A Pair of Two-Seater Spitfires
« Reply #43 on: September 10, 2013, 11:47:58 PM »
It's great to see the comparison to a P-82 at the same scale, thanks! :-*
And the work you did for the tailplane is amazing (I feel jealous)...

FYI:  I did some dimensional checking of various aircraft that I would consider being in the same catagory.
                           Span            Length
NA F-82              51'-3"          38'-3"
DH Hornet          45'-0"         34'-6"
Twin Spitfire       48'-11"       34'-11"

Although the F-82 and Hornet both have 14'-0" from center to center of propellers, I have my Twin Spifire's propellers at 12'-0" center to center.

A belated awesome build Robert.

You now have me thinking about a twin Hornet: "Twornet"
Work in progress ::

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Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: A Pair of Two-Seater Spitfires
« Reply #44 on: September 11, 2013, 02:56:42 AM »
It's great to see the comparison to a P-82 at the same scale,

I agree.    Its looking very good

I've got to agree. Nice progress, kitnut!

You may think you build slow, but you're going at a much faster clip than I am currently.

Already looking forward to more,
Brian da Basher

Offline kitnut617

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Re: A Pair of Two-Seater Spitfires
« Reply #45 on: September 18, 2013, 10:05:31 PM »
My radome order arrived quite quickly, they're from a Hellcat nightfighter.  Slipping them on the wings I have to admit that it makes the Twin Spit' look quite good so this is how it will go.  I'll use the center hard point for a large drop tank but not like the tank I was going to use as a radome  I've also made progress with the larger fin/rudder, you can see the visible difference between the original and what I've changed.  Lining up the hinge line with what is already there, I then found a corresponding point on the rudder trailing edges that blended in.  This dictated just where the cut lines would be for the match-up.  Some chord thickness thinning of the new fin was needed though  ---
« Last Edit: September 18, 2013, 10:09:28 PM by kitnut617 »

Offline taiidantomcat

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Re: A Pair of Two-Seater Spitfires
« Reply #46 on: September 19, 2013, 03:31:29 AM »
I am loving this  :)
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Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: A Pair of Two-Seater Spitfires
« Reply #47 on: September 19, 2013, 04:41:43 AM »
I am loving this  :)
You & me both, Mr Tomcat! I especially like the asymmetrical fin & rudder.

Looking great, kitnut!

Brian da Basher

Offline kitnut617

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Re: A Pair of Two-Seater Spitfires
« Reply #48 on: September 19, 2013, 08:05:04 AM »
I am loving this  :)
You & me both, Mr Tomcat! I especially like the asymmetrical fin & rudder.

Looking great, kitnut!

Brian da Basher

Thanks guys, the tails will look the same  ----- eventually   ;)

Offline kitnut617

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Re: A Pair of Two-Seater Spitfires
« Reply #49 on: October 02, 2013, 06:40:02 AM »
Bit of an update:

After enhancing a Seafire 47 carburetor intake from a Special Hobby kit, I made a mould of it.  Then made some casting.  Bottom pic is the result, the little bit at the tail end of the fairing will be carefully cut off and glued to the appropriate u/c bay door.
« Last Edit: October 02, 2013, 06:53:32 AM by kitnut617 »