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'Grace' type two-seat Spitfire in 1:32


Iain

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  • 2 weeks later...

A lot of excellent work Iain. The two seater isn't my cuppa, but you are putting in a ton of work so congrats on a nice clean build so far. Out of curiosity, which merlin engine was used in the real one?

 

Cheers

Brad 

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I cannot go into full detail on this specific project Brad - but for the purposes of this build I'll go with the Merlin as it comes in the Tamiya kit, with some detailing, and the Rolls Royce cam covers.

 

Generally 60/70 series Merlins are used on the two-seaters: I'm aware that one two-seater currently flies with a Merlin 70, another with a Packard built 266 (Packard built 66). These days it's all down to what is available when a specific airframe is restored/converted.

 

As some may have read between the lines, I'm working with a company specialising in full-size Spitfire rebuilds/restorations on this project and have access to a lot of engineering data - they supplied the drawings posted earlier, and have provided access to a real TR Mk 9 fuselage for photos and measurements.

 

Regards,

 

Iain

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Hi Iain, I was just curious since you had to move the cockpit forward, whether there was still room for a 70 series engine or not. I'm not quite sure what the Tamiya merlin is supposed to represent; perhaps a 66 series?

Thanks and good luck with your build.

Brad

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Hi Brad,

 

There is no change in the firewall position, so I recon a 70 would fit?

 

On the full size airframe the front tank (behind firewall) is smaller - and there is additional cross-bracing - some of which goes through the tank. Fortunately I don't have to worry about that as it won't be seen!  :)

 

I'm still working out how to sort the internal structure on the model - will post some images when I have it fully sussed.

 

I suspect you are right about kit being a Merlin 66, but haven't spent any time working out for sure!

 

Iain

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Guest Peterpools

Iain

Holy Cow - what a fantastic commission.

Wonderfully progress on the Spit and so very much appreciate the detailed photos showing all the work involved to this point.

Keep 'em comin

Peter

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi folks,

 

Long-time, no post (and not just on this project) - but had to work with the day job over Christmas - and not just my job, but covering for others.

 

Playing catch up at the moment, which includes this project, along with some site reviews, as well as some separate magazine work.

 

Hoping to get some project update photos posted over next 24 hrs - but, in the mean-time, thought some may like to see the Yahu instrument panels I'm using (in modified form) for this project.

 

These are the first Yahu panels I've had the opportunity to examine - and have to say I'm mightily impressed.

 

These images will be in a site review for LSP shortly, along with a number of other Yahu panels in 1:32 for the Tempests and Yak-3.

 

2018-4.jpg

2018-5.jpg

 

Have fun!

 

Iain

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Thanks for the mini review of the Yahu set. I have one for my Mk V and have thought of getting a few others for future builds. Watching this with giggles because I know how good it will be.....Harv :popcorn:

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Thanks for posting all the detail on how you went about cutting the plastic. Your methodical approach will definitely be my reference and confidence builder later in the year when I go to cut up the fuselage on my F-5. You're really making this Spitfire build interesting to follow!

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Thanks everyone - your comments really appreciated...

 

Part of the fun in model making, for me, is the challenge of working out how to do something potentially complex in a simple way - a kind of 3D chess. I can go quiet on a project for quite a while whilst I think things through and this project is a case in point. There's a total of about 3 months thinking, research and planning in the mods I've made - which is probably way overthinking it - but has resulted (I think) the simplest way to mod the fuselage correctly...

 

And probably why projects like Connie, my He219 etc., take me soooo long!  :)

 

I'm now at the 'what the hell do I do on the inside' part - how to use what's provided in the kit, along with some scratch-building, to get an accurate interior.

 

 

 

Customer is a pilot - interior has to be as good as I can make it.

 

Iain

Do you need any extras for this conversion - let us know - some of us might just have a few parts kicking around!!

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Hi gang - cockpit almost sorted now - the internal structure on the two-seaters has some very noticeable differences with the single-seaters and I think I've cracked it!

 

Have used modified kit parts for front cockpit (with some scratch building of revised structure) - and rear 'pit has new rear bulkhead. I've used cut up sections of the Eduard Brassin cockpit sides to form the side detail.

 

Making internal components fit a very curved fuselage isn't the easiest either!

 

Anyhow - I do have a number of update photos to share - as soon as I can get to the main PC - update over the weekend.

 

Blue Skies!

 

Iain

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OK - after the fuselage surgery, this is what we were left with on the inside - with the inner areas of the 'door' sections that were used to plug the extensions backed with 10 thou styrene sheet (white areas):

 

48b427_d54f10f1bc2d4ecf87d0e814e9d23641~

And this is where the head-scratching began...

 

At one point I was planning to scratch-build most of the interior structure - until I had a bit of an epiphany.

 

As with the outside, the internals generally align along a box-section longeron that runs through the inside of the fuselage at elbow/entry door hinge level.

 

On the two-seaters this is in exactly the same vertical position as the single-seaters for the forward cockpit - and is on the horizontal datum.

 

The rear cockpit has this horizontal box longeron as well - albeit at a higher level.

 

On both front and rear cockpit sections there is cross-bracing not present on the single seaters...

 

Looking at the interior in the kit I reckoned that with modding the bulkheads, moving a few items and adding some scratch-built elements, I could create a reasonable likeness of the real 'pit. It also made sense to attack this first and then work out what I could do to re-create the rear cockpit.

 

48b427_a82c9081ccfe4807a1c64ca20ce03334~

 

In the above image you can see the lower part of the instrument panel frame has almost all been removed - leaving a border around the sides and bottom of about 1.5mm.

 

New vertical braces have been added from styrene, and a vertical plate to the right of where the central compass will be added from 10 thou sheet.

 

Areas at the lower front corners of the 'floor' and side sections filled with styrene where 'boxes' have been removed.

 

All styrene additions are white.

 

48b427_7f41e24f7ffe4e03a38856a9a2b875a2~

 

The frame behind the seat has been heavily modified.

 

The internal 'V' frame removed and new sections added from styrene above the horizontal seat mount bar.

 

A number of the lightening holes have been filled and sanded flush to replicate the photos I have of the real TR.9 fuselage being constructed.

 

48b427_f49bd88f799d4377a2181047e6abe234~

 

Something simple - yet hugely inportant to the final alignment of the forward fuselage - the section below fits to the inside of the front fuselage and is the mount for the firewall and engine mounts.

 

As provided it has a lower section that interlocks with the lower wing - this lower section has had to be removed as, with the cockpit moved forward, there is no room.

 

The forward section of the cockpit 'tub' has also been cut back (forward vertical, as well as underneath at the front) to allow suitable clearance.

 

48b427_d1743c4d85b140d29ecef7921b7d2feb~

 

Hopefully making some sense?

 

Back shortly...

 

Iain

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Next up - I needed to have a set of rudder pedals, a control column and mounts.
 
I could have cast copies of the Tamiya parts, but then came across the new Eduard Brassin cockpit for the Revell Mk.IXc kit and thought 'why not'.
 
It would save a bit of messing around and I could then use the parts from another Tamiya Spit project (so that everything looked the same front/rear on this one) and replace with the items from this set.
 
A bonus would be a fair number of other spares.
 
So - this was purchased - reviewed here.
 
I bit more thinking and I realised that if I cut the cockpit sides provide in the Eduard Brassin set along the upper edge of the box section longerons I mentioned in my previous post, as well as shortening at the rear and along the bottom, I'd have something that gave an internal structure that pretty well matched the outside rivet lines/drawings - albeit with one, or two extra details - and a gear selection control that would end up being a little higher than the original. This would be mostly masked by a new structure to be added above this sill line to replicate the new structural items on the two-seater.
 
Apologies for slightly blurred images - was in a hurry!
 
48b427_a90c7ceb28f94c0594abb02e41c3ba27~
48b427_af5f2264f9784614a363134b3cf141e2~
 
And here's a 'first fit' after the cuts along the longeron:
 
48b427_a68da37ee81f4ab1bdb3f021ca8f7cf0~

More to come shortly...

Iain

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