Airfix 1/24 Spitfire

[AngoMango]

Jean, are you trying to drive the rest of us out of the hobby in shame or something? Mate, this is unbelievable work, and really puts my old Airfix spitfire build into some sort of perspective. It's marvellous that we LSPers get the chance to see what gurus like yourself can do with old kits by using different techniques.

 

Keep up the brilliant work, and have a great holiday too my friend.

 

Cheers

Ango

[bcauchi]

Wow Jean, this latest update of yours leaves one speechless. That is truly beautiful work my friend. Amazing to say the least. One hell of a spitfire is in the making. Your work with metals is truly masterful. there is so much to learn isn;t there!!! Love your work and thanks for the step by step. Can;t wait to see this all painted although in a way it is apity to have all that craftsmanship disappear under a coat of paint. The different materials look really nice all brought together as one complete panel.

[JCote]

Thanks guys for your very kind comments, they are much appreciated.

 

Dave Pratt Posted Jul 26 2007, 09:40 PM

...now get some paint on her lad!...cheers

 

Quite right, Dave, after more than a year in the pit it's high time I put some colour on. I promise not to post again until it's finished and painted (just between you and me, a moment I dread!)

 

AndyB Posted Jul 26 2007, 09:50 PM

 

...You mentioned photo etch. Do you use a ready to go kit? I've got my heart set on one for next year (I can't really lay out on one now, I've got away with buying a few hundred euros worth of new gear so far without too many eyebrows being raised by my dear missus), but I don't know which one to plump for.

 

Andy I've been using the same basic photoetching kit since the start of the project, I ordered it from here http://www.letrainmagique.com/Tarif_gravure_chimique.htm (halfway down the page "votre labo de photogravure à petit prix") and you can probably get the stuff much cheaper from an electronics supplies store. It's not sophisticated...

 

 

...but it's effective and the results will amaze you. Well worth the expense I'd say.

 

Thanks again to all of you and have a super summer.

[RWKennard]

Hi there Jean

 

Absolutely stunning work as per usual!

 

Mines still chuggin' along......slowly!

 

Thanks for the inspiration

 

Richard

[JCote]

Thank you Richard. As for chugging along, well, as they say in Italy (I think), "va piano, ma va sano", ie. slowly but surely does it (slowly being the operative word in my case).

 

Jean

[Derek B]

Fantastic stuff Jean...I'm gonna have to get into this PE thing!

 

Cheers

 

Derek

[JCote]

Well what do you know, I found it! Had to go back to page 21 mind you... Actually, I wasn't going to post here again until I had some colour to show (a promise I made to Dave Pratt), but I couldn't resist when I saw Randy's latest update. Progress has as usual been proceeding at a crawl, the gory details can be found here if you're interested.

Anyway, I was wondering how to modify the Airfix wing when Paul Monforton's long-announced book came out. Those of you whose memories stretch back that far will perhaps remember that this whole project has been based on Paul's plans. I ordered the book and, well, it's quite simply the most fantastic technical and reference work on the Spitfire imaginable. Randy's glowing review is if anything an understatement. Where the wings are concerned, there are drawings and photos from every conceivable angle, and even an ordinate table for all the ribs. There was no longer any excuse not to scratchbuild the wings.

Some time ago I acquired a CNC portal mill (I have a soft spot for toys!). After many hours spent on CNC sites the idea suggested itself of milling the wing surfaces in machinable wax which would then be used to cast new pieces out of resin. The past few months have been devoted to coming to grips with various CAD/CAM programs, reproducing the wings in 3D by individually plotting out the ribs from the ordinate table, spacing them along the wing datum and lofting.

The result should be an accurate wing with proper dihedral and 2.5° washout from root to tip. I'm starting this evening, so with a bit of luck I'll have something to show in a couple of days. If not, you'll know it was an utter disaster!

[JCote]

Ready to go!?.....

[LSP_Matt]

 

The possibilities

 

Watching with enthusiasm Jean...

 

Cheers Matty

[Javlin1]

Hey Jean sure you don't live more towards Germany upon some mountain with Dr Frankenstein Gawd Almighty man!Well show something new to make my jaw drop.kevin

[bcauchi]

This gets better with every update but may I ask what has become of the Airfix kit?!! This is a first class lesson in scratchbuilding. Amazing Jean. I envy you for being so capable and talented. Each update is a lesson in a different technique and you seem to have mastered them all. Absolutely brilliant, stunning .....

[Loic]

Wow!

Do not know what else I could say.

Much interesting.

Loic

[Ironwing]

Jean,

 

A very long time since youve posted but the wait was worth it. Of course you know how much I hate you right? I'll put the Mustang away now thank you very much.

 

All kidding aside...this is beyond spectacular and Im lost for superlatives to describe what Im seeing...Did I tell you how much I hate you? You no doubt have the patience of a saint and the skill of one too. Keep it up old boy, this is going to be the mother of all Spitfires. Can't wait to see more...

 

Regards,

 

Geoff

 

PS, Did I tell you I hate you?

[JCote]

First off, a big thank you to Matty, Brian, Kevin, Geoff and Loic. I would have responded earlier to your kind comments but I didn't want to post before having a couple of new pics to show.

 

 

Here is the bottom half of the starboard wing. You may have spotted that the block of wax has slimmed down somewhat since last week, evidence of many failed attempts before achieving a halfway decent result (the light-coloured bit toward the wing tip is milliput used to plug the tracks left by the surprise incursion of a wayward end-mill). This is the first time I've actually machined anything in 3D (though I spent ages trying to learn the CAM software) and I think there isn't a single mistake I didn't make at some point. Good thing I'm stubborn.

 

 

The second block carries a raised imprint designed to fit over the first block so as to leave a space of 1.5 mm in which to pour some resin and cast a thin wing-half. That idea turned out to be a non-starter, the fit at the edges wasn't snug enough and the gap too thin for the resin to flow properly. A couple of attempts ended pretty messily. I suspect - though I may be wrong - that some sort of pressure would be required to force the resin into all the interstices like the trailing edges.

 

What I think I'll try now is to lay up some fiberglass and attempt to obtain a thinn(ish) shell that way. I've never worked with the stuff before, so any advice would be very much appreciated. Some general info can be found on the internet, but I have no idea how many layers I would need, whether gelcoat is called for, what weave and thickness of cloth, etc.

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Jean

 

P.S.

 

Good point Brian. Well, the fuselage halves are Airfix, the horizontal stabs probably will be too. It's true that there's precious little of the original kit left, but even if it's a misnomer, I think I'll keep the current title.

[Derek B]

Brilliant development work there Jean. It's nice to see you pushing the boundaries again...stubborness has it's virtues somtimes . I shall keep an eye on your journey down this particular road.

 

Good luck

 

Derek