Spitfire XVI SL721 - Finished!

[Bill Bunting]

Did I mention this was my first "Super Detail/scratch a lot" project?    Well it is and not surprisingly, I learned a lot on the way...

 

When I started the project, I asked the Chief Pilot and folks on the Vintage Wings of Canada (VWoC) F-book group for any photos of AU-J when she was there.  AU-J had been sold a couple of years prior and so there was no chance to go there and see her in person.  In particular, I wanted engine and cockpit pictures.  I did not receive much, a couple for the interior and only one for the engine.  This picture of the engine was taken by a visitor to the museum and the photographer said that it was AU-J's engine on the bench.  It is the only picture of the top of the engine I had. Looking at the ignition harness and the rocker panels, it is very different that most photos of a Merlin.   I know that the        Mk. XVI had a Packard 266 /Merlin 66 and the photos available on line showed a very different arrangement on top of the engine.  BUT this photo is supposed to be AU-J's engine.  Perhaps there was an engine change?   I sent a couple of emails out to a couple of the folks that worked on the aircraft and unfortunately there were no replies.  So I went ahead on this configuration.

 

Another two pictures of  different engines with the same 'snake nest' and full length coolant pipes.

 

So I went about trying to represent the centre-line ignition harnesses and the two pipes running from the coolant header tank at the front along the cylinder banks to the rear of the engine.

 

It looks OK compared to the pictures BUT I was never convinced this was right for AU-J and somewhat later on I came to realise what was going on....

[mozart]

Oh my, what IS going on Bill!? 

[Dpgsbody55]

13 hours ago, Bill Bunting said:

Did I mention this was my first "Super Detail/scratch a lot" project?    Well it is and not surprisingly, I learned a lot on the way...

 

When I started the project, I asked the Chief Pilot and folks on the Vintage Wings of Canada (VWoC) F-book group for any photos of AU-J when she was there.  AU-J had been sold a couple of years prior and so there was no chance to go there and see her in person.  In particular, I wanted engine and cockpit pictures.  I did not receive much, a couple for the interior and only one for the engine.  This picture of the engine was taken by a visitor to the museum and the photographer said that it was AU-J's engine on the bench.  It is the only picture of the top of the engine I had. Looking at the ignition harness and the rocker panels, it is very different that most photos of a Merlin.   I know that the        Mk. XVI had a Packard 266 /Merlin 66 and the photos available on line showed a very different arrangement on top of the engine.  BUT this photo is supposed to be AU-J's engine.  Perhaps there was an engine change?   I sent a couple of emails out to a couple of the folks that worked on the aircraft and unfortunately there were no replies.  So I went ahead on this configuration.

 

It looks OK compared to the pictures BUT I was never convinced this was right for AU-J and somewhat later on I came to realise what was going on....

 

Two things.  First of all, your work on those ignition wires is first rate.  But that leads me to the second thing.  I am almost 100% certain that the pictures you've been sent are pictures of a Merlin III from a Hurricane or Fairey Battle.  It's definitely not a Merlin from a Spitfire as the coolant pipes come out of a rear mounted header tank and lead along the top of the engine then into the front of the cylinder heads as shown here, which is for a Hurricane or Battle installation.  Spitfires had the header tank in the nose, behind the spinner and had short pipes leading into the heads. These pictures also show a single stage supercharger and the early layout of the ignition wires.

 

Much better pictures of a Merlin 60 series engine, as in the type of Spitfire you're building can be found here.  There's some very good pictures in this walk around on this very site.  Here's a sample.

 

 

My thanks to Max Otten for posting them.  Wish I'd found them earlier , but I did a quick Google search when I saw the Merlin III images in your post.  This is the engine I did for my 2018 build of this plane.

 

I think I got close, but his pics will definitely help with my next Spitfire build.  Incidentally, one of the things missing from the Tamiya Spitfire is those header tank to cylinder head pipes, so I make them from stock rod, 1.2mm I think, bent with heat and painted flat black.

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

Cheers,

Michael

 

Edited March 1, 2023 by Dpgsbody55

[Bill Bunting]

22 hours ago, mozart said:

Oh my, what IS going on Bill!? 

mozart - The photo provided by the visitor to the museum was definitely of the wrong engine.  Not his fault at all but it took me a while to figure it out.

9 hours ago, Dpgsbody55 said:

First of all, your work on those ignition wires is first rate.  But that leads me to the second thing.  I am almost 100% certain that the pictures you've been sent are pictures of a Merlin III from a Hurricane or Fairey Battle. 

Dpgsbody 55 - Thanks and you are absolutely correct, the original picture was the wrong engine.

 

It's 2AM and of course I can't sleep, my mind wanders and then a "Eureka!" moment.  That photo could be for the Hurricane XII that was undergoing restoration, (now flying!), a few years ago.  Some middle of the night time on the computer (be polite!) and sure enough, that is a Packard 29 (similar to RR Merlin XX I think).  Unfortunately the "helpful" photograph was not so much, no fault of the fellow who sent it to me, I should have triple checked.

 

Anyway off with the centre ignition leads and coolant pipes and re-do as a Merlin 61.  Fortunately there are excellent photos of "61's" around, especially a  great photo essay of the one in the Smithsonian.

 

So the wrong parts were removed....

 

And the new harness was added using solder for the tubing and copper wires for the leads. Also the elbow-shaped coolant pipes that run from the cylinder heads to the coolant tank were made from solder.  My mind at rest at last!

 

Next, the engine mount and more plumbing!

Edited March 1, 2023 by Bill Bunting

[Bill Bunting]

9 hours ago, Dpgsbody55 said:

This is the engine I did for my 2018 build of this plane.

 

I think I got close, but his pics will definitely help with my next Spitfire build.  Incidentally, one of the things missing from the Tamiya Spitfire is those header tank to cylinder head pipes, so I make them from stock rod, 1.2mm I think, bent with heat and painted flat black.

 

That's really nice work, I like the really insulating tape on the engine frame. 

Cheers.

[Bill Bunting]

Engine mounts next.

One small modification to the kit parts - the circular piece in the middle of the picture and its mount was removed.

 

The kit parts added and painted. The only extra in this picture is the piping along the upper engine bearer made from two pieces of solder.

 

Using a great photo found of AU-J found on the web, the left side received some extra piping made from copper wire and solder.  Still a couple more things to add but getting there...

 

With the engine just placed into the mounts, clearances were checked to make sure that the extra bits on the firewall and mounts did not interfere with the engine or alignment.

 

 

Considering this is my first attempt at adding so much extra piping and wiring, I am pretty happy with the result.  Just a couple of wires here and there to add after the cowl framing goes on.

[KiwiZac]

Gorgeous work Bill! I'm really enjoying your updates.

[Dpgsbody55]

On 3/1/2023 at 10:13 PM, Bill Bunting said:

That's really nice work, I like the really insulating tape on the engine frame. 

Cheers.

 

That's part of an Eduard etch kit (Spitfire Exterior) which I think is not available any more.  My solution nowadays is to paint them on.

 

 

This is from my recent second build of SL-721 that I did for someone else.

 

Very nice work on the extra engine pipes, BTW.  I like what you've done and will bookmark it for my next Spitfire.  Just be careful that when you fit the cowling frames/exhaust shroud, that the exhaust shroud isn't pushed away from the engine.  If they bulge out in any way, the cowlings will never fit.

 

 

Cheers,

Michael

Edited March 4, 2023 by Dpgsbody55

[MikeMaben]

Excellent work Bill ! ! !   

[Bill Bunting]

10 hours ago, Dpgsbody55 said:

 

That's part of an Eduard etch kit (Spitfire Exterior) which I think is not available any more.  My solution nowadays is to paint them on.

 

 

This is from my recent second build of SL-721 that I did for someone else.

 

Very nice work on the extra engine pipes, BTW.  I like what you've done and will bookmark it for my next Spitfire.  Just be careful that when you fit the cowling frames/exhaust shroud, that the exhaust shroud isn't pushed away from the engine.  If they bulge out in any way, the cowlings will never fit.

 

 

Cheers,

Michael

Thanks - I see some details on yours that I missed, I will have to revisit it again.   I have been checking the cowling frames as I go along and they should be OK.

Cheers.

[Bill Bunting]

 Spitfire SL721 was selected by Air Vice Marshall Sir James M. Robb as his personal aircraft in 1946.  Soon after taking possession of the aircraft, it was sent to a maintenance unit and while there, the canons were removed and the canon bays were made into luggage bays and new flat covers were fabricated without the blisters.  At this time the aircraft was painted PRU light blue and the AVM's initials "JMR" were used as the codes.  Later it was repainted dark PRU blue and the same JMR codes were applied in a new format.

 

For this build I had to duplicate the flat gun bay covers, since they are still there.  It was an easy-ish task, just a matter of tracing the kit covers on to sheet plastic., adding rivet  detail and a panel line.  The new panel on top and the kit panel in the bottom. Tamiya's amazing fit is evident here.

 

Cockpit time.  Why not start with a useless exercise?  I thought I would ramp it up by improving the kit's aileron pulley by making it a pulley rather than a disc.  Well it took a few minutes and it's there but will be totally invisible later. 

 

Next I moved on to the control column.  The existing hydraulic lines were removed and replaced with lead wire.

A bit of foil as a retainer, paint and voila - much improved.  And check out that pulley! I know this isn't new to most here, but it's new territory for me.

 

The rudder push rods received a bit of work. Those discs on the rods should be "knobs".  they are there to adjust the pedals fore and aft.  I carved away a bit of material to try to duplicate the knobs.  The right one is done, the left is next.  They're pretty rough but it is dark down there so they may be OK.

 

Edited March 6, 2023 by Bill Bunting

[themongoose]

I have not seen anyone try to make the knobs. That’s really cool, nice show.

[Rampenfest]

Looks absolutely fantastic! 

[Derek B]

10 hours ago, Bill Bunting said:

Cockpit time.  Why not start with a useless exercise?  I thought I would ramp it up by improving the kit's aileron pulley by making it a pulley rather than a disc.  Well it took a few minutes and it's there but will be totally invisible later. 

 

And so, the AMS starts!...Great work Bill.

 

Derek

[Bill Bunting]

The simplest of improvements is drilling out all those holes.

 

I like Tamiya's approach to the instruments on their 1/32 kits, they come out looking very nice and in this case the artificial horizon is better than some others, it's the original style and not a modern type.  To replicate AU-J, some detail was removed from the lower right and a modern CO detector sticker was painted. It's the white rectangle with the orange dot.  I could have made a decal but this will do.  The panel is also missing two large brass toggle switches, the magnetos, at the lower left. They were made using copper wire. 

 

The panel bulkhead received the hydraulic lines on the lower left and the fuel shut off valve beside the compass mount.

 

The little peg on the bulkhead, on the right side is the engine primer.  It's a brass plunger in a frame made of four rods.  I carved the peg to simulate the four rods and painted appropriately.

 

That's it for now.

Cheers.

 

Edited March 10, 2023 by Bill Bunting